Below is the Statement of Introduction from B26-0226 – Place-Based Substance Use Disorder Outreach Amendment Act of 2025, introduced April 11, 2025.

Today, I am joined by Councilmembers Henderson, Pinto, Allen, Lewis George, Parker, and White in introducing the “Place-Based Substance Use Disorder Outreach Amendment Act of 2025”, which establishes a targeted outreach program within the Department of Behavioral Health to provide direct support, relationship development, and resource brokering to individuals in need of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and behavioral health services in areas of high need.

This measure would make permanent a successful pilot program that Council has funded since 2021, the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Services Targeted Outreach Grant, which began at Columbia Heights Civic Plaza and has since expanded to locations in Wards 1, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Despite subsisting on one-time funding each year, this program has shown considerable early successes – for example, a 51% decrease in nonfatal overdoses in the 500 block of T Street NW in less than a year.

That grant program was created in response to inadequate efforts to in address long-standing SUD challenges in select areas throughout the city, especially in prominent public spaces. Establishing a permanent program ensures that this important and successful work can continue without service interruptions. The success of this pilot highlights the impact of place-based strategies that provide consistent and intensive outreach and support to individuals.

DBH plans to open a second Stabilization Center in Columbia Heights in the Summer of 2026. The first DC Stabilization Center, located at 35 K Street NE, has been critical for adults experiencing a substance use crisis, overdoses, and injuries. Enhancing the current SUD outreach infrastructure in the city will be critical to the continued success of both centers.