St. Anthony Foundation and The Salvation Army Convene National Experts for Recovery Forum — A Roadmap for Cities Tackling Addiction 

MEDIA ALERT

Media Contact:
Sally Haims | Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
(415) 254-5884 | SHaims@stanthonysf.org

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — September 18, 2025 — Every month, San Francisco grieves the loss of neighbors to drug overdoses — 412 lives in the first seven months of this year alone, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Last week, more than 200 community members, city leaders, health experts, and recovery advocates gathered at UC Law San Francisco for The Recovery Journey: Lived Experience & Evidence from the Frontlines— a first-of-its-kind forum uniting policymakers, clinicians, and people with lived experience on one stage. 

Moderated by Stanford Professor and former White House drug policy advisor Keith Humphreys, Ph.D., the conversation offered a blueprint for how San Francisco — and cities nationwide — can shift from crisis headlines to lasting solutions rooted in evidence-based care, compassion, and accountability. 

Key Learnings 

• “I think recovery is a very interesting word,” said Dr. Terry Osback, the Chief Medical Officer and a psychiatrist with the St. Anthony Foundation, during Thursday’s event. “It implies that we’ve lost something, and by the time someone comes to one of our offices, they’ve not just lost their ability to control their use of drugs. They’ve often lost their house, their family. They’ve often lost meaningful work. In the worst case, they lost their health, they lost their self-respect — and, for a lot of people, they lost hope.” 

• “San Francisco’s drug, homeless, and overdose crisis is impacting everyone – children, families, businesses, and especially those struggling with addiction. It’s time for a bold shift, one that puts recovery at the heart of our response. By prioritizing abstinence-based solutions, expanding access to treatment, and creating real pathways to sobriety and independence, we can offer more than mere survival — we can help people reclaim their lives. Our citywide strategy should help people overcome addiction, not perpetuate it,” said Steve Adami, recovery advocate & systems transformation leader and Executive Director of The Salvation Army’s Homeless Initiative, The Way Out. 

• “To break the cycles of addiction, behavioral health crisis, and homelessness on our streets today, we must re-orient our response system around two core values: compassion and accountability. Compassion, because those in the grips of addiction deserve dignity, care, and a path to recovery. Accountability, because the public deserves to know that our policies are producing results,” said Kunal Modi, Chief of Health & Human Services, City and County of San Francisco.  

• San Francisco Public Health Director Daniel Tsai noted, “San Francisco is investing in more responsive systems of care so people can access treatment the moment they are ready, and to ensure that systems work collaboratively. Everything we do needs to operate as a system of care.”  

• Dr. Terry Osback, Chief Medical Officer, echoed this point with a clinical perspective: that there is no easy answer and that recovery is never a straight line. “We need to offer people an option to the community they’ve established on the streets… immediate access when someone is ready for treatment on that day when they’re ready. I don’t think there’s any right way, but we do need to walk alongside people.” 

• Dr. Larry Kwan, CEO, St. Anthony Foundation shared, “This gathering was historic in its own right: researchers, policymakers, and people in recovery rarely share the same stage. Yet together, they painted a picture of what it will take for San Francisco to shift from crisis headlines to a new narrative — one rooted in healing, dignity, and hope.” He continued, “Recovery is rarely linear. Our job as a city is to make sure the full continuum of care is ready the moment a person is ready—from detox and MAT to residential treatment, housing, and long-term community support. That’s how compassion and accountability meet in practice.” 

Full Forum Recording Available 

The full recording of the 90-minute discussion is now available for public viewing: https://uclawsf.box.com/s/c4dc1q48pkfojqvxztdy142gtqilvtg3. This resource is ideal for policymakers, health systems, community organizations, and faith-based groups seeking to understand what comprehensive recovery systems require — clinically, structurally, relationally, and spiritually. 

A Call to Action: Recovery is More Than a Program 

The Forum underscored a central truth: recovery is more than a recovery program — it is a community commitment. It is: 

• Medical: Timely access to evidence-based treatment, detox, and long-term clinical care. 

• Relational: Trust-building, peer mentorship, and supportive networks that sustain change. 

• Structural: Safe housing, job training, and meaningful employment that create pathways to independence. 

• Spiritual: Restoring dignity, purpose, and hope so people can rebuild their lives. 

St. Anthony Foundation calls on civic leaders, philanthropists, and neighbors to invest in the continuum of care that makes long-term recovery possible. “When we center both compassion and accountability, we don’t just help people survive — we help them thrive,” said Dr. Larry Kwan, CEO of St. Anthony Foundation. 

About St. Anthony Foundation 

For 75 years, St. Anthony Foundation has provided whole-person care — warm meals, medical and behavioral health services, free residential recovery, job training and employment — to thousands of San Franciscans experiencing homelessness, poverty, or addiction. Learn more at www.stanthonysf.org. 

About The Salvation Army’s Homeless Initiative, The Way Out 

The Salvation Army’s The Way Out Initiative is a comprehensive, San Francisco-based Recovery System of Care designed to address the interconnected issues of homelessness and substance use. It provides a multi-phased approach starting with stabilization and detox, followed by six months of residential treatment at centers like the Harbor Light Center, and culminating in two-year transitional housing programs like the Joseph McFee Center. The program offers supportive services, case management, and a structured, abstinence-based environment to help individuals achieve stable, drug-free lives and move from crisis to independence. d tools to find hope and a path toward a brighter future. Learn more at www.stanthonysf.org.