The Recovery Journey: Lived Experience and Evidence from the Frontlines

September 12, 2025

On September 11, 2025, St. Anthony Foundation and The Salvation Army co-hosted The Recovery Journey: Lived Experience and Evidence from the Frontlines at UC Law San Francisco. The forum brought together national medical experts, city leaders, and people with lived experience to explore how San Francisco can move from crisis toward lasting recovery solutions.

Moderated by Keith Humphreys, Ph.D., Stanford University Professor and former Senior Drug Policy Advisor, the discussion spanned clinical care, public policy, community trust, and the personal stories of recovery.

Voices from the Frontlines
The forum opened with remarks from Richard Beal, a Recovery Advocate with the Tenderloin Housing Clinic and graduate of St. Anthony’s Recovery Program. His journey underscored what the event was all about: recovery is real, and it requires courage, compassion, and community. Beal inspired the audience with his focus on the spiritual component of recovery and brought the room together with his reassurance: “We’re going to love you until you love yourself”.

Panelists included:

• Steve Adami, Executive Director of The Salvation Army’s The Way Out
• Terry Osback, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, St. Anthony Foundation
• Paula J. Lum, M.D., UCSF Professor of Clinical Medicine
• Kunal Modi, Chief of Health & Human Services, City and County of San Francisco
• Daniel Tsai, Director of Public Health, City and County of San Francisco

Meeting People Where They Are
Dr. Larry Kwan, CEO of St. Anthony Foundation, reminded attendees that there is no one-size-fits-all path to recovery. Some people find stability through medication-assisted treatment, others through a 12-step spiritual path — many through a combination of approaches over time. What matters most, he emphasized, is starting with trust. At St. Anthony’s, that trust begins in many ways: a hot meal, clean clothing, a safe shower, or a steady presence. Some need one, others all—but each act affirms dignity. “Let’s find ways to work together.” Dr. Kwan concluded, and with that the forum began.

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.”

Speaking from the St. Anthony’s approach that marries both compassion and evidence-based results, Osback emphasized whole-person care. Whole-person care is essential — integrating medical treatment, behavioral health, housing, peer support, and job training into a continuum of support that makes lasting recovery possible.

A Call for Compassion and Accountability
Panelists pressed the urgency of investing in a full spectrum of evidence-based care while building a system grounded in both compassion and accountability. Compassion, because every person struggling with addiction deserves to be seen and treated with dignity and offered a path forward. Accountability, because the public deserves solutions that work. “The first step is being very clear on what problem we are trying to solve” said Chief of Health and Human Services Kunal Modi. 

As 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.” said Tsai.

Speaking from lived experience of addiction, Recovery Advocate Steve Adami reminded the panelists that, at the point of deepest need, individuals often need to relearn everything anew: “What we don’t know how to do is live life”. Adami urged the city to be bold in prioritizing recovery over mere survival — creating real pathways to sobriety, independence, and renewal.

Building a Future of Hope
The forum highlighted that recovery is not just about ending substance use — it’s about building a life. San Francisco has the opportunity to model what’s possible by centering evidence-based care, collaboration, and the lived wisdom of those who’ve walked the path.

As Dr. Kwan 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.