Nonprofit Demonstrates Scalable Results in Fight Against Homelessness; Data Shows Gains in Sobriety, Housing, Employment

Vegas Stronger

Five years of outcomes data show dramatic improvements among clients receiving Vegas Stronger’s integrated, treatment-first approach.

LAS VEGAS, NV, UNITED STATES, September 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Vegas Stronger, a Las Vegas nonprofit dedicated to addressing homelessness by treating the substance use and behavioral health conditions that often perpetuate it, announced significant organizational growth and new outcome data demonstrating the effectiveness of its integrated, long-term treatment model.

Founded in 2020, Vegas Stronger has now served more than 4,500 individuals across its programs. In 2025 alone, the organization served more than 2,000 people and continued to expand its reach beyond Las Vegas through the Reno Stronger and Nevada Stronger programs. Annual admissions increased more than twenty-fold between 2021 and 2025, demonstrating the organization's ability to scale its approach as demand for treatment continues to grow. At the same time, Vegas Stronger is reporting some of its most comprehensive outcomes to date.

The organization's updated 2025 Outcomes Report analyzes five years of program data from 1,420 unique clients who remained in treatment for at least 30 days and completed intake assessments through Vegas Stronger's Intensive Outpatient Program or Partial Hospitalization Program. The analysis tracks four critical indicators of long-term recovery: sobriety, housing stability, employment and psychological well-being.

The findings show substantial and sustained improvements:
- 80.2% of Vegas Stronger graduates were substance-free six months after admission and this number was sustained at 12 month follow up period with 75.6%.
- Housing instability fell dramatically: the percentage of graduates experiencing homelessness declined from 48.0% at intake to 9.3% at six months and just 2.4% at 12 months, showing a 95% reduction.
- 97.6% of graduates were living in stable housing at 12 months.
- Employment increased from 14.0% at admission to 51.6% at six months, nearly a four-fold increase, and remained at 50.0% at 12 months.
- Psychological well-being scores across all three Rating of Outcome Scale domains nearly doubled, with statistically significant improvements at six and 12 months.

“At Vegas Stronger we are not only looking at whether someone stops using, we are looking at whether they are housed, employed, emotionally stable, connected, and able to build a life that is more sustainable,” said Nathalie Barki, MA, EdM, clinician and study director at Vegas Stronger. “When people with addiction find a place that is nonjudgmental and there for them no matter what, that safe space becomes solid ground. From our drivers to our clinicians, someone cares about them at every step. That is how they can stay substance-free and actually grow. Addiction fills a hole. For a lot of people, the hole is isolation. When real connection is there, it can take the place of the drug. That is what we try to do here. We give people a community they do not have to fear losing. The data show that longer time in treatment is tied to stronger outcomes, and that this kind of whole-person care can change the things that matter most for long-term recovery.”

A Different Approach to Homelessness

Vegas Stronger's model is built around the premise that homelessness cannot always be solved by addressing housing alone. For individuals whose homelessness is connected to substance use disorder, untreated mental illness and other barriers to stability, Vegas Stronger combines behavioral healthcare with housing assistance, case management, primary medical care, medication-assisted treatment, employment support, peer recovery, nutrition, wellness and other services through its Thirteen Elements Treatment Model.

The model is designed to address multiple dimensions of a person's life simultaneously rather than treating addiction, mental health, housing and employment as separate problems.

This is particularly important in Southern Nevada, where the 2024 Point-in-Time Count identified 7,906 people experiencing homelessness in Southern Nevada, including 4,202 people who were unsheltered. Vegas Stronger's 2025 data also found that 90.1% of its clients presented with a substance use disorder, underscoring the intersection between addiction and homelessness among the population it serves.

From Crisis Response to Long-Term Recovery

Vegas Stronger argues that the most effective response for people experiencing homelessness alongside substance use and behavioral health challenges must extend beyond emergency intervention. Traditional homelessness systems often measure success through outputs such as shelter beds, meals, outreach contacts or service encounters. Those interventions are essential, but Vegas Stronger believes the ultimate measure of success should be whether people remain housed, stop using substances, return to work and experience improved health and well-being.

That is where the organization's model seeks to differentiate itself. Vegas Stronger's approach combines immediate access to care with long-term treatment and integrated support, while continuing to track clients after they leave treatment. Its outcomes framework follows participants at six and 12 months and evaluates changes across sobriety, housing, employment and psychological well-being.

The organization's broader network also expanded substantially in 2025. Vegas Stronger served 2,062 individuals through its programs, while its broader network, including Neubauer Mental Health Services and ABC Therapy, helped 4,966 Las Vegans access care and recovery resources.

Scaling a Model Across Nevada

The organization's growth is intended to demonstrate that its treatment-first model can be replicated beyond a single facility. In 2025, Vegas Stronger expanded into Reno through Reno Stronger and into rural Nevada through Nevada Stronger in Pahrump. The expansion allows the organization to bring behavioral healthcare and recovery services to communities facing different levels of access and different manifestations of the homelessness crisis.

“The Stronger model demonstrates that the greatest impact on homelessness comes from addressing its root causes through immediate access to integrated behavioral healthcare; rather than relying on fragmented interventions that too often manage homelessness rather than ending it,” said David Marlon, PsyD, cofounder and CEO of Vegas Stronger.

The Next Measure of Success

Vegas Stronger plans to continue expanding its longitudinal outcome tracking while increasing the number of people it can reach through its treatment and behavioral health network. These measures will allow Vegas Stronger and its community partners to evaluate not only how many people are reached, but whether those interventions produce durable improvements in people's lives.

“Five years ago, Vegas Stronger set out to prove that people experiencing homelessness deserve the same quality of treatment available to people with greater financial resources,” said Barki. “What we are seeing now is that this population can achieve meaningful, measurable and lasting change when we give them the time, treatment and support necessary to do it.”

About Vegas Stronger
Vegas Stronger is a Nevada nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of addiction, mental illness and homelessness through compassionate, trauma-informed and evidence-based behavioral healthcare. Founded in 2020, Vegas Stronger provides integrated treatment and support services designed to address the full range of barriers that prevent people from achieving long-term stability. Its Thirteen Elements Treatment Model incorporates behavioral health treatment, substance use treatment, housing support, case management, medical care, employment, peer support, wellness and other services. Vegas Stronger has served more than 4,500 individuals since its founding and expanded its reach with Reno Stronger and Nevada Stronger in Pahrump.

David M Marlon
Vegas Stronger
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