Gov. Cox launches Recovery Utah Initiative Executive order strengthens coordination to help Utahns access treatment, recovery support and long-term stability
SALT LAKE CITY (Sept. 21, 2026) — Gov. Spencer J. Cox signed an executive order today establishing the Recovery Utah Initiative, a statewide effort to coordinate Utah’s response to addiction, homelessness and serious mental illness.
The initiative will help carry out key goals in Gov. Cox’s Built Here second-term roadmap, including reducing drug deaths by 25%, reducing the share of people leaving state custody who enter homelessness by 25%, increasing inpatient beds for serious mental illness by 10% and building 150,000 new housing units by 2029. The Utah Legislature appropriated more than $40 million in 2026 to support this work.
“Utah cares deeply about every individual and family working to rebuild and heal,” said Gov. Cox. “Recovery is a personal journey, but no one should have to walk it alone. By working together across government and with our federal partners, we can make it easier for Utahns to access treatment, remain connected to long-term support and reclaim their lives with dignity and purpose.”
“Recovery is about more than overcoming addiction, it’s about creating the conditions for people to rebuild their lives, strengthen their families, and thrive,” said White House Senior Advisor for Addiction Recovery and Co-Chair of Great American Recovery Kathryn Burgum. “Utah is demonstrating what’s possible when state and federal leaders work together to break down silos and build a coordinated system that supports people from treatment through long-term recovery. The Recovery Utah Initiative is an important step toward ensuring that every person seeking recovery has a pathway to purpose, connection, and opportunity.”
The executive order creates the Recovery Utah Initiative Council, bringing together Utahns with lived experience of homelessness and leaders from state agencies, the private sector and faith organizations. The council will strengthen coordination across public health, public safety, education and economic opportunity.
The order also creates a Recovery-Ready Community designation for cities and counties that demonstrate a coordinated commitment to recovery and long-term stability.
The initiative aligns with President Donald J. Trump’s Great American Recovery Initiative, a nationwide effort to help Americans overcome addiction, access treatment and remain connected to recovery support.
Gov. Cox was joined for the signing by Kathryn Burgum, White House senior advisor for addiction recovery; Dr. Monty Burks, executive director of the Great American Recovery Initiative, and members of the Utah Legislature.
“Utah is bringing partners together around a shared response,” said State Homeless Coordinator Tyler Clancy. “Better coordination across the system will help us save lives, restore families and give more Utahns a path to lasting recovery.”
The Recovery Utah Initiative will coordinate implementation of the executive order and track the state’s work toward its related Built Here goals.
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