For years, Shatterproof has worked alongside federal leaders, providers, employers, and families to fix a broken addiction care system.
Washington, D.C. — Shatterproof, a national nonprofit dedicated to addressing the addiction crisis, welcomes the announcement from The White House of the Great American Recovery Initiative, a new federal effort to coordinate a national response to the addiction crisis led by Secretary Kennedy and Kathryn Burgum.
The Executive Order recognizes what families already know: addiction, or substance use disorder, is a chronic, treatable disease affecting every community. Any meaningful national response must reflect that reality by expanding prevention, improving access to evidence-based treatment, and confronting the stigma that keeps people from seeking care.
More than 48 million people in the U.S. are living with substance use disorder, affecting families, workplaces, and communities nationwide. Yet only about 1 in 5 people who need treatment receive it, and fewer still receive care that meets evidence-based standards.
For years, Shatterproof has worked alongside federal leaders, providers, employers, and families to fix a broken addiction care system. Our founder, Gary Mendell, testified before the first Opioid Commission in 2017. His testimony amplified family voices and shaped recommendations that continue to guide national policy. Nearly a decade later, that work remains urgent.
As this initiative moves forward, Shatterproof stands ready to work across sectors to ensure that quality, accountability, prevention, and family-centered solutions remain at the forefront. And we’ll keep saying what matters most: Addiction is a national emergency and we as a country need to give it the attention it needs to save a generation of lives.
Media Contact
Holly Jespersen
Senior Manager, Communications
Shatterproof
hjespersen@shatterproof.org
About Shatterproof
Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a world where addiction never defines or ends a life. Guided by its mission to transform systems, support families, and end stigma, Shatterproof advances evidence-based solutions to improve prevention, treatment, and recovery; drives policy change to strengthen addiction care and accountability; educates the public to replace stigma with understanding; and equips families with trusted resources and support. Grounded in science and rigorous measurement, Shatterproof helps people today while catalyzing lasting systems change for future generations.
Follow Shatterproof on Facebook, X, and YouTube at @ShatterproofHQ, and on Instagram at @weareshatterproof. Learn more at www.Shatterproof.org.
