Episode #161 High Truths with Steve Adami and Destiny Pletsch on solutions for Drugs and Homelessness

San Francisco’s drugs and homeless crisis continues to get worse and community members are sounding the alarm. As San Franciscans raise issues of safety, the city has lost 2,859 people to fatal overdose since 2019.  Although San Francisco has poured millions of dollars into proposed solutions, our public systems continue to fail the community.  Many continue to deny the link between addiction, homelessness, and crime, while others with lived experience are calling for balanced, common-sense strategies.

Steve Adami, MPA, Director, Reentry Division, San Francisco Adult Probation Department

After spending over two decades in and out of jails and prison Steve’s life changed.  His recovery and transformation started in a pair of handcuffs.  After being released from prison in December 2010, he earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, was inducted into a National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration, and received the Barbra Jordan Award for Academic Excellence from San Francisco State University. In 2014 he was hired by the San Francisco Adult Probation Department as a Reentry Services Coordinator, promoted to a managerial position in 2017,  and was appointed the Director of the Reentry Division in 202o. In this role he designed and managed a portfolio of 22 million dollars of reentry and recovery-focused programs, and managed San Francisco’s Reentry Council and Community Corrections Partnership.  In May 2023, Steve was appointed the Executive Director of The Way Out, a recovery-focused homeless initiative of The Salvation Army.

https://www.steveadami.com

Destiny Pletsch, MPA, Salvation Army, San Francisco

Destiny is the Deputy Director of Way Out, the Salvation Army’s recovery-focused homeless initiative in San Francisco. With a decade of experience, Destiny has played a pivotal role in designing, implementing, and monitoring a portfolio of services with the Reentry Division of the San Francisco Adult Probation Department. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from San Francisco State University, she combines her expertise with hands-on experience to address the complex challenges of homelessness and create and implement opportunities that help people rebuild their lives

https://mailchi.mp/usw.salvationarmy.org/the-way-out-september-2023-newsletter-12648819