Helping Break The Cycle

Since its founding, reStart, Inc. has been a lifeline for individuals and families facing the combined challenges of homelessness and substance use. As a trusted nonprofit in Kansas City, reStart believes that every person deserves safe, affordable, and stable housing—and that recovery from substance use should be possible for everyone, regardless of their housing situation.

Through its Substance Use Treatment Program, reStart supports homeless youth, adults, and families dealing with substance use disorders. The program provides individualized recovery services designed to help people rebuild their lives, achieve long-term sobriety, and maintain permanent housing.

Early Intervention & Individualized Treatment

Substance use screening is integrated into the intake process for all reStart emergency and transitional housing programs. When someone is identified as needing support, they are referred to a licensed Substance Use Treatment Specialist. This specialist conducts a clinical assessment—including a drug screening—and collaborates with the client to develop a tailored treatment plan.

Clients are then connected to community-based providers that best fit their recovery needs, ensuring access to counseling, medication, and therapy. With help from reStart’s case managers, individuals receive ongoing support—from managing appointments and medication to reaching employment, housing, and personal goals.

Building A Continuum Of Care

The Substance Use Treatment Specialist also assists clients with co-occurring mental health disorders by partnering with behavioral health providers such as University Health, ReDiscover, and Heartland Center for Behavioral Change. This ensures each client receives holistic, coordinated care.

Because clients at reStart are often in crisis, the program prioritizes low-barrier access to care and works to create a network of community-based support that continues even after clients exit shelter services. Having a dedicated Specialist means clients have someone in their corner—an advocate who helps them navigate treatment, overcome obstacles like lack of transportation or employment, and stay committed to their recovery.

Comprehensive Support Services

The Substance Use Treatment Program includes a wide range of supportive services aimed at promoting recovery and self-sufficiency:

• Individualized treatment planning

• Educational sessions on the science of addiction, identifying triggers, and preventing relapse

• One-on-one and group counseling sessions

• Life skills training and enrichment activities

• Recovery support groups, including 12-step meetings

• Strengths-based case management to help clients secure housing, employment, and income

• Referrals to intensive or specialized treatment as needed

• Participation in reStart's Substance Use Prevention Program

The program's goals align with national standards, including those established by COMBAT (Community-Backed Anti-Drug Tax). Outcomes are measured by clients’ ability to abstain from drugs and alcohol, maintain housing and employment, increase income, and remain engaged in recovery services.

Why This Work Matters

The need for programs like reStart’s has never been more urgent. In 2023, homelessness reached a crisis point in Kansas City. More than 2,200 individuals were homeless on any given night, and over 1,200 students in Kansas City Public Schools lacked stable housing. Youth, in particular, face a range of challenges—from family conflict and neglect to substance use, LGBTQ+ discrimination, and mental health struggles.

Nationally, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported that homelessness increased by 12% in just one year. Many individuals experiencing homelessness turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with trauma, hunger, or fear—making substance use both a cause and a consequence of their housing instability.

According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, around 38% of people experiencing homelessness have alcohol dependence, and 26% use harmful drugs. Among young people, substance use is often normalized within “street culture” as a survival tactic.

A City At The Crossroads

Kansas City’s geographic location makes it a hub not just for commerce but for human trafficking—posing additional risks for vulnerable youth. With three major interstate highways (I-35, I-70, and I-29) intersecting in the metro area, the region is considered a focal point for trafficking networks.

reStart’s young clients are often at higher risk of exploitation due to poverty, isolation, gender identity, or lack of family support. Providing a safe, structured recovery environment is critical to breaking this cycle.

Despite the scale of the problem, Kansas City lacks enough low-barrier treatment and housing options for youth facing substance use issues. Of the five local transitional living programs, only reStart and one other accept clients regardless of their condition—including youth who are pregnant or actively using substances. For many, reStart is the only place offering immediate support and shelter without prerequisites that would otherwise exclude them from care.

Barriers To Recovery—And How reStart Responds

The sprawling nature of the Kansas City metro area adds another challenge: accessing services. Public transportation is limited and unreliable, and many shelters and agencies operate at full capacity. Young people often face long wait times—averaging 10.5 months of homelessness before they even enter the coordinated entry system. From there, it takes months more to be matched with housing.

reStart recognizes these obstacles and works to remove them. Whether it’s helping a client attend a therapy appointment, find child care, or identify a job opportunity, the organization tailors its support to each person’s situation.

A Path Toward Recovery & Stability

At its core, the Substance Use Treatment Program at reStart is about creating a path toward healing, housing, and hope. The program empowers clients to take control of their recovery, strengthens connections to community resources, and builds long-term resilience.

By treating addiction in the context of homelessness—and providing targeted, compassionate support—reStart helps individuals and families not only recover but thrive. And in doing so, reStart moves closer to its vision of a community where no one is left behind.

Locations

Click on the window icon (upper right corner) of the map below to expand. List of all program locations is included with expanded view of map. Locations are also listed on this page below the map.