Utah becomes first state to adopt Trump administration’s faith-based recovery model

A White House delegation recognized Utah on Monday as the national leader in reorienting homeless services and addiction recovery around rebuilding lives.

The model forgoes big-government intervention in favor of government incentives that empower communities to nurture self-reliance in troubled individuals.

Central to the theory espoused by President Donald Trump and Gov. Spencer Cox is that programs have long neglected America’s greatest force multiplier: religion.

For the people Trump tapped to lead his response, this focus is personal.

Joining Cox at the state Capitol were the co-chair of Trump’s Great American Recovery initiative, Kathryn Burgum, and its executive director, Monty Burks.

Both are in their second decade of recovery after substance abuse disorders dug them into pits they say only spiritual remedies could lift them out of again.

“This journey of addiction and recovery is all about becoming part of a community, becoming part of people that are struggling and trying to help each other,” Burgum told the Deseret News in an exclusive interview.

“And that’s what the faith community does.”

On Monday, Cox made Utah the first state to officially align its policies with the Great American Recovery plan established by Trump in a January ceremony.

The federal strategy defines addiction as a “chronic disease.” This carries with it a stricter standard for treatment and greater accountability for a cure.

What will Utah do?

Utah will mirror this framework by building on the governor’s effort to coordinate homeless services, the criminal justice system and care providers.

Cox hopes this helps the state reach his goal of decreasing drug deaths and the number of people who exit police custody back into homelessness by 25%.

In May, the Utah Office of Homeless Services found that 77% of the most-arrested individuals were homeless, costing the state millions in court and medical costs.

Since 2023, Cox’s new homelessness coordinator, Tyler Clancy, has led a rapid shift away from the housing-first approach the state pioneered from 2005 to 2015.

Lawmakers have cracked down on drug use in public spaces, while helping first responders connect homeless individuals directly with treatment programs.

Utah’s homeless population finally began to shrink in 2026 after reaching record levels in 2025, breaking a yearslong trend that mobilized state leaders.

Working with municipal police departments, Clancy has started a project to deliver the chronically homeless from low-barrier shelters to long-term facilities.

This comes as the state considers how to combine all these support services into one “central campus” so those on the streets do not fall through the cracks.

The role of faith

The Republican visit from Washington, D.C., was dismissed by some Democrats as a counterproductive “rebrand,” distracting from the good work being done.

By adopting the federal initiative, Cox is “politicizing recovering,” said state Sen. Jennifer Plumb, D-Salt Lake, a frequent critic of Cox’s reforms to homeless services.

“Utah’s recovery framework should be grounded in data, evidence, and respect for individual autonomy, not in punitive frameworks presented as accountability,” she said.

The Cox administration has often touted home-grown innovations like The Other Side Academy and The Other Side Village as inspirations for public policy.

The institutions, operated by recovered addicts, rely on peer mentors to create an environment 100% free of drugs and crime, and where all are employed.

During a site visit of The Other Side Village, Burgum said Utah leaders’ attention to funding results, instead of resources, is key to solving the addiction crisis.

“We’ve got to sell the rest of America on what’s happening here,” Burgum said.

But most of what other states should copy has little to do with government, according to Burgum.

At the root of addiction is isolation. And the best route to connection is often going to church, Burgum said, a place where faith and fellowship are inseparable.

Burgum learned this lesson firsthand. After taking her first drink in high school, Burgum fell into a cycle of alcoholism, characterized by blackouts and relapses.

Frustrating failures gave way to the conclusion that she lacked the willpower to improve. Maybe she was just a bad person despite successes elsewhere in her life, she believed.

Then one day she heard a voice while out walking, telling her to “ask for help.”

Burgum had had a conflicted relationship with religion due to bad childhood experiences. But she could not deny this moment of heavenly outreach, Burgum said.

So, she turned to God. This gave her confidence to open up to friends who also dealt with addiction. It worked — she hasn’t had a drink since, Burgum said.

Will churches get involved?

The Trump administration has been explicit about its desire to involve faith communities in its attempt to address complicated issues like addiction.

Before he led the Great American Recovery initiative, Burks partnered faith groups with government agencies to counter the opiate crisis in Tennessee.

Before that, he was an addict who found recovery from “two old ladies” who invited him to a church 12-step meeting.

Now, as Faith Center director at the Department of Health and Human Services, Burks has a platform to share his vision for why he believes change must start at the church level.

Not only is there an average of 100 congregations per county, studies show religious organizations are the most common setting for volunteer service, he said.

Research also finds that 73% of addiction programs are “spirituality-based,” while 130,000 programs connected to faith groups save the U.S. up to $316 billion annually.

“The president was very specific when he said faith-based communities have to be brought back into the fold,” he said.

Accordingly, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has crafted grants with “faith-friendly language” for the first time, Burks said.

The entity’s website has been updated with an addiction recovery training especially for church members.

Utah’s parallel executive order was also made to reflect the valuable contribution of faith communities, many of which have indicated they are “excited to participate,” Cox said.

In a statement to the Deseret News, Ben Erwin, Family Services program manager for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said, “Faith, belonging, and purpose can play an important role in lasting recovery.”

“Addressing addiction takes all of us, including government, faith communities, treatment providers, families, and neighbors working together to help people know that recovery is possible,” he said.

The statement highlighted the church’s 12-step addiction recovery program that centers around faith in Jesus Christ.

During a site visit, Volunteers for America told Burgum their detox centers rely on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for $300,000 in food donations every year.

Utah leads on this issue because of its strong community, Cox said. But that doesn’t “happen by accident.”

“There’s nothing more powerful on this earth than belonging and purpose,” Cox said. “And we’re going to tap into that today with this executive order.”