St. Anthony Foundation and The Salvation Army to Host Public Forum on Addiction Recovery Featuring National Leading Experts and Advocates 

MEDIA ALERT

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

San Francisco, CA — August 20, 2025 — Against the backdrop of intense public concern and urgent calls for lasting solutions to the city’s addiction crisis, St. Anthony Foundation and The Salvation Army will co-host The Recovery Journey: Lived Experience and Evidence from the Frontlines on Thursday, September 11, 2025, from 3:30–5:00 PM at UC Law Auditorium, 200 McAllister Street, San Francisco. Doors open at 3:00 PM. 

Moderated by Keith Humphreys, Ph.D., Stanford University Professor and former Senior Drug Policy Advisor with the Bush and Obama Administrations, the forum will unite some of the nation’s foremost addiction experts, public health leaders, and recovery advocates. Together, they will explore what recovery truly requires — clinically, structurally, relationally, and spiritually — and how San Francisco can anchor its public health strategy in evidence-based, human-centered solutions. 

Panelists include: 

• Steve Adami, Recovery Advocate & Systems Transformation Leader; Executive Director of The Salvation Army’s Homeless Initiative, The Way Out 

• Terry Osback, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, St. Anthony Foundation 

• Paula J. Lum, M.D., Professor of Clinical Medicine, Program Director, UCSF Primary Care Addiction Medicine Fellowship, Division of HIV, Infectious Disease and Global Medicine, University of California, San Francisco and San Francisco General Hospital 

• Kunal Modi, Chief of Health & Human Service, City and County of San Francisco 

• Daniel Tsai, Director of Public Health, City and County of San Francisco and former Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 

Opening remarks will be delivered by Richard Beal, Recovery Advocate with the Tenderloin Housing Clinic and 30-year graduate of St. Anthony’s Father Alfred Center Recovery Program. 

“I’m excited to learn along with the community about how these experts understand recovery from addiction in the City of Saint Francis,” said Keith Humphreys, Ph.D., Stanford University, Esther Ting Memorial Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences 

“For many of our neighbors, recovery is not a straight line — it is a lifelong journey that requires sustained medical, emotional, and community support,” said Terry Osback, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at St. Anthony Foundation. “We want San Francisco to view recovery not as an endpoint, but as an ongoing process made possible when health care, housing, and human connection intersect.” 

“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. 

“We are building a more responsive and proactive system of care to move people quickly off the street into effective treatment and sustained recovery. People need access to the right level of care when they want it,” said Director of Public Health, City and County of San Francisco, Daniel Tsai. “We are making strategic investments in evidence-based programs, and will continue partnering closely with City departments, community-based organizations, and community to ensure an effective public health system.” 

“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. 

The event comes as the Lurie administration shifts the city’s homelessness strategy away from shelter expansion and toward targeted investments in treatment, recovery, and housing — a pivotal moment for shaping the future of public health in San Francisco. 

This forum is free and open to the public. 

About St. Anthony Foundation 
For 75 years, St. Anthony Foundation has provided essential support to San Franciscans experiencing homelessness, poverty or addiction. Guided by the Franciscan values of Personalism, Community, Gratitude, Justice, and Healing, St. Anthony’s offers an integrated range of whole person care  — including daily warm meals, primary and specialty medical care, behavioral health services, free year-long, residential addiction recovery for men, job training, jobs, free clothing, technology access, and more — all nearly under one roof. The integrated whole person care campus is designed to equip individuals with the support and tools to find hope and a path toward a brighter future. Learn more at www.stanthonysf.org.