Health HHS' Kennedy Unveils $700 Million Mental Health Effort By Solange Reyner, (AP) Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday announced a $700 million federal initiative aimed at addressing serious mental illness, substance abuse, and homelessness. The move marks a significant expansion of the Trump administration's efforts to tackle what officials described as interconnected public health crises. The funding includes a new $96 million grant program called Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-Based Treatment and Supports, or STREETS, which will provide resources to state, local, and tribal governments to develop treatment, recovery, and housing-related services for people struggling with addiction, mental illness, and homelessness. Kennedy said the initiative reflects a shift toward treating the three challenges together rather than through separate programs. "For too long, America has treated homelessness, mental illness and addiction as separate problems," the health secretary said in a statement announcing the program. "The reality is that these crises are deeply interconnected." Under the STREETS program, eight grant recipients will be eligible to receive up to $3 million annually over four years to create comprehensive approaches that combine treatment, recovery support, housing assistance, and outreach efforts. HHS said participating communities will be expected to coordinate services among healthcare providers, local governments, law enforcement agencies, and courts. The department said the broader $700 million investment will support evidence-based treatment and recovery programs while helping communities address growing concerns about homelessness and behavioral health problems. The announcement comes as cities and states across the country continue to grapple with rising homelessness and the impact of subs