Vegas Stronger reports 5-year gains in sobriety, housing and work

Vegas Stronger says five years of outcomes data show its treatment-first model is helping people experiencing homelessness in Las Vegas stay sober, find housing and return to work. The nonprofit also says it expanded across Nevada in 2025 as demand for integrated behavioral health care grew.

Why it matters: - Vegas Stronger is arguing that homelessness tied to addiction and mental illness needs long-term treatment, not just emergency shelter. - The nonprofit says its data show that stable housing, sobriety and employment can improve together when care is integrated. - Southern Nevada’s homelessness crisis remains large. The 2024 Point-in-Time Count identified 7,906 people experiencing homelessness, including 4,202 who were unsheltered.

What happened: - Vegas Stronger released updated 2025 outcomes data on Sept. 2, 2026. - The Las Vegas nonprofit said it has served more than 4,500 people since founding in 2020. - Vegas Stronger served more than 2,000 people in 2025 alone. - The organization expanded beyond Las Vegas in 2025 through Reno Stronger and Nevada Stronger in Pahrump. - Annual admissions rose more than 20-fold between 2021 and 2025.

The details: - The 2025 Outcomes Report reviewed five years of data from 1,420 unique clients. - The analysis included people who stayed in treatment at least 30 days and completed intake assessments through the Intensive Outpatient Program or Partial Hospitalization Program. - The report tracked sobriety, housing stability, employment and psychological well-being. - 80.2% of graduates were substance-free six months after admission. - 75.6% of graduates were substance-free at 12 months. - The share of graduates experiencing homelessness fell from 48.0% at intake to 9.3% at six months and 2.4% at 12 months. - Vegas Stronger said that was a 95% reduction in homelessness among graduates. - 97.6% of graduates were living in stable housing at 12 months. - Employment rose from 14.0% at admission to 51.6% at six months and 50.0% at 12 months. - Psychological well-being scores across all three Rating of Outcome Scale domains nearly doubled, with statistically significant gains at six and 12 months. - Vegas Stronger said 90.1% of its 2025 clients presented with a substance use disorder. - The broader network, including Neubauer Mental Health Services and ABC Therapy, helped 4,966 Las Vegans access care and recovery resources in 2025.

Between the lines: - Vegas Stronger’s pitch is that housing-first alone may not be enough for people whose homelessness is driven by substance use and behavioral health needs. - The model combines behavioral health care, housing assistance, case management, primary medical care, medication-assisted treatment, employment support, peer recovery, nutrition and wellness. - The organization follows clients after treatment and measures outcomes at six and 12 months, which is different from systems that focus mainly on service counts. - Clinician and study director Nathalie Barki said longer time in treatment is linked to stronger outcomes. - Cofounder and CEO David Marlon said the Stronger model is meant to address root causes through immediate access to integrated behavioral health care.

What's next: - Vegas Stronger plans to keep expanding its longitudinal outcome tracking. - The organization also plans to increase the number of people it can reach through its treatment and behavioral health network. - Future reporting will focus on whether more people are not only served, but remain housed, stay sober and improve their health over time. - Vegas Stronger says its Nevada expansion is meant to test whether the model can scale beyond one facility and work in communities with different access challenges.

The bottom line: - Vegas Stronger is trying to show that long-term, integrated care can produce measurable gains for people experiencing homelessness and addiction, and that the model can scale across Nevada.