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San Francisco mayor taps Steve Adami to lead new recovery department

San Francisco mayor taps Steve Adami to lead new recovery department

Rule Changes San Francisco, CA local

A pardoned, formerly incarcerated abstinence advocate would oversee the city's shift away from harm reduction and Housing First

Today: Adami tapped to lead recovery department

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

San Francisco's mayor has tapped Steve Adami, a formerly incarcerated abstinence advocate critical of harm reduction and Housing First, to lead the city's new Department of Recovery. Mission Local reported the appointment, attributing it to the mayor's office.

Adami spent more than two decades cycling through jails and prison before earning a master's degree in public administration. He built a $22 million reentry and recovery portfolio and opened over 1,200 housing units, making him a central figure in the policy shift now underway.

Why it matters

As San Francisco shifts from harm reduction to abstinence-based care, the outcome could shape how other US cities treat addiction for years.

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Key Indicators

$22M
Annual reentry services portfolio Adami managed
Adami designed and managed the city's reentry and recovery services as Director of the Reentry Division.
50+
Recovery and reentry programs designed by Adami
Programs range from residential treatment to transitional housing and rapid rehousing.
1,200
Housing units opened across 30 sites
Adami says his portfolio includes recovery residences, transitional housing, and rapid rehousing.
2nd
San Francisco's ranking in US fatal drug overdoses
CDC data cited by local media puts the city second in the country, the backdrop for the policy shift.

Voices

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People Involved

SA
Steve Adami
Mayor-appointed director-designate, Department of Recovery
Awaiting formal appointment to lead new Department of Recovery
 Daniel Lurie
Daniel Lurie
Mayor of San Francisco
Serving as mayor, appointed Adami
 Matt Dorsey
Matt Dorsey
San Francisco Supervisor (District 6)
Championed Recovery First legislation
 Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom
Governor of California
Pardoned Adami in 2024

Organizations Involved

City and County of San Francisco
City and County of San Francisco
Municipal Government
Creating the new Department of Recovery

The municipal government shifting from harm reduction to recovery-first policies.
TW
The Way Out
Recovery-Focused Homelessness Initiative
Operated by Adami until his new appointment

A Salvation Army recovery system of care in San Francisco, launched in 2023 and led by Adami.

Timeline

2014 October 2026

10 events Latest: Today
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Adami tapped to lead recovery department

    Today Appointment

    Mission Local reports Adami selected to head the city's new Department of Recovery.

  2. Dorsey holds recovery press conference

    Statement

    Supervisor Matt Dorsey holds a presser on recovery policies and enforcement zones.

  3. Lurie sworn in as mayor

    Election

    Daniel Lurie takes office, shifting SF's approach to drugs and homelessness.

  4. Lurie declares fentanyl state of emergency

    Policy

    Mayor declares a state of emergency, citing rising overdose deaths in the city.

  5. Recovery First ordinance passes

    Legislation

    Board of Supervisors passes the ordinance, prioritizing abstinence-based care over harm reduction.

  6. Hope House, first sober shelter, opens

    Policy

    SF's first abstinence-based shelter opens under Lurie's 'Breaking the Cycle' initiative.

  7. Governor Newsom pardons Adami

    Legal

    Gavin Newsom grants Adami a full pardon, erasing his criminal record.

  8. Adami takes over The Way Out

    Appointment

    Adami appointed Executive Director of The Way Out, the Salvation Army's recovery initiative.

  9. Adami becomes Director of Reentry Division

    Career

    Adami promoted to head the SF Adult Probation Department's Reentry Division.

  10. Adami earns MPA at SF State

    Education

    Adami earns a master's in public administration, starting a new career in public service.

Scenarios

1

Adami confirmed, Department of Recovery launches

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Mission Local and city officials

The Board of Supervisors approves the new department's creation and budget, and Adami is formally confirmed as its director. The department consolidates recovery services and expands abstinence-based programs, doubling down on the Recovery First agenda.

2

Opposition scales back the department

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Harm reduction advocates, some supervisors

Critics push back on the appointment and the department's authority. The department is created but with reduced scope — possibly reporting to an existing agency — and Adami's role is limited or renamed. The recovery-first agenda continues, but more slowly.

3

Department of Recovery never materializes

Unlikely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Budget analysts, sources close to the mayor

Budget constraints, legal challenges, or political collapse prevent the department from being created. Adami remains at The Way Out or another role, and the recovery-first shift continues through existing agencies without a new centralized department.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2010-2015

UK Recovery Movement (2010-2015)

The UK's Coalition government, led by Prime Minister David Cameron, replaced its national drug strategy in 2010 to emphasize 'recovery' — defined as abstinence — over harm reduction. It cut funding for needle exchanges and redirected resources to recovery-oriented treatment programs.

Then

Treatment providers shifted to recovery models; some reported improved outcomes, while critics said the most marginalized users lost support. Overdose deaths rose in the late 2010s.

Now

The recovery agenda was partially rolled back in later policy reviews, but the shift foreshadowed similar debates in the US.

Why this matters now

A direct example of a jurisdiction pivoting from harm reduction to abstinence-based recovery, with contested results.

1992-2007

Rise of Housing First (1992-2007)

Psychologist Sam Tsemberis founded Pathways to Housing in New York in 1992, offering homeless people immediate housing without requiring sobriety or treatment first. Controlled studies showed high housing retention, and the model spread across North America. It became the basis of US federal homelessness policy in 2007.

Then

San Francisco and other cities adopted Housing First, opening thousands of supportive housing units. Supporters credit it with reducing street homelessness.

Now

Housing First remains the federal standard, but growing backlash — including in San Francisco — argues it fails to address addiction.

Why this matters now

This is the paradigm San Francisco is now partially reversing. Understanding its rise clarifies what the recovery-first shift is responding to.

Sources

(5)
+2
Mission Local San Francisco State University, School of Public Affairs & Civic Engagement Steve Adami personal website Steve Adami personal website Steve Adami personal website