>>> IF YOU'VE FOLLOWED THE NEWS ON THE DRUG CRISIS IN SAN FRANCISCO AND THE BAY AREA, YOU PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT THE TERM HARM REDUCTION. IT'S AN APPROACH AIMED AT REDUCING THE IMPACT OF DRUG USE IN A DIGNIFIED WAY BY DOING THINGS LIKE USING IN A SAFER WAY, MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT, AND TREATING DRUG USERS WITH RESPECT. NOW, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DEBATE ABOUT WHAT IS THE RIGHT APPROACH TO HELPING PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION, BUT IN MANY CASES, ADVOCATES SAY GETTING PEOPLE HELP QUICKLY MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD. AND NOW A FAMILIAR NAME IS THROWING ITS HAT INTO THE RING IN THE EFFORT TO GET PEOPLE RECOVERED AND BACK ON THEIR FEET. >> Reporter: AS SAN FRANCISCO TRIES TO TAKE BETTER CONTROL OVER ITS DRUG CRISIS, THERE'S A GROUP KIND OF JUMPING UP AND DOWN BEGGING TO BE A GREATER PART OF THE RELIEF EFFORT, AND THAT GROUP NOW INCLUDES SOMEONE WE'VE MET BEFORE. >> THIS PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED IN RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND WE SET OUT TO CREATE A SAFE SPACE FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM ALL DRUGS. >> Reporter: TWO YEARS AGO, WE INTRODUCED YOU TO STEVE, WHO AFTER TWO DECADES IN AND OUT OF JAIL AND PRISON ULTIMATELY LANDED A JOB WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO PROBATION DEPARTMENT WHERE HE RAN THE CITY'S ONLY ABSTINENCE-BASED RECOVERY PROGRAM. BUT THE ONLY WAY TO GET INTO THAT PROGRAM WAS TO COME OUT OF JAIL, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE TO DO, RIGHT? SO WHAT IS STEVE DOING NOW? WELL, HE HAS A NEW JOB TRYING TO TAKE THE SAME IDEA TO MORE PEOPLE. >> OUR FACILITY IS BASICALLY NOT BEING UTILIZED TO ITS FULLEST CAPACITY. >> Reporter: THAT'S THE NEW JOB, FILLING THE EMPTY BEDS AT THE SALVATION ARMY'S ON DEMAND DETOX AND RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAM. >> RIGHT NOW WE'VE DOUBLED DOWN ON HOUSING FIRST AND HARM REDUCTION. WHILE THOSE ARE USEFUL STRATEGIES, WE NEED TREATMENT ON DEMAND AND RECOVERY-FOCUSED TRANSITIONAL HOUSING. >> THERE WAS A TIME I JUST WOKE UP ONE DAY, IT WAS LIKE A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING, AND I COULDN'T DO IT NO MORE. >> Reporter: JOSHUA IS AMONG THOSE THAT CAME HERE LOOKING FOR HELP. HE'S NOW IN THE INITIAL 180-DAY RECOVERY PROGRAM. EVERYTHING HERE IS BASED ON ABSTINENCE. >> IT DOESN'T WORK FOR EVERYBODY. I BELIEVE WHAT HELPED ME, YOU HAVE TO WANT IT. YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS, THROUGH RECOVERY BEFORE, BUT I WAS DOING IT FOR THE WRONG REASONS. I WAS DOING IT FOR SOMEBODY ELSE. >> AS A COMPLETE TREATMENT, THEY TRANSITION INTO A RECOVERY-FOCUSED TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM FOR AN ADDITIONAL FEW YEARS AND WORK ON FORMAL EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL TRAINING, CAREER DEVELOPMENT. >> THIS IS MY ROOM, COME ON IN. >> Reporter: JOSEPH IS NOW 11 MONTHS INTO RECOVERY. >> I HAVE A REALLY GOOD JOB IN THE MALL. I'M A MANAGER, AND SAVING UP MONEY TO GO TO SCHOOL AND GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. SERVICE IS REALLY BIG TO ME. THAT'S HOW YOU STAY SOBER. >> Reporter: AND IN THE COMING MONTHS, THE PLAN IS TO TAKE ALL OF THIS AND SCALE IT UP. >> THE BUILDING WAS BUILT IN THE 50s, AND IT WAS A SALVATION ARMY ADULT REHABILITATION CENTER. >> SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THE THIRD FLOOR WING THAT, COME JANUARY, WILL BE COMPLETELY REMODELED. >> Reporter: THE OLD MISSION FACILITY IS NOW BEING RENOVATING ADDING MORE BEDS ON THE FLOORS. >> REBUILDING THEIR LIFE AND JUST RESTORING HOPE TO OTHERS. >> Reporter: THE SALVATION ARMY IS HOPING TO BECOME A MAJOR PIECE OF THE CITY'S ANSWER TO THE DRUG CRISIS LOBBYING FOR DIRECT REFERRALS AND MORE FUNDING, WHILE PUSHING BACK AGAINST PERCEPTIONS THE INSTITUTION IS OUTDATED. >> WE DON'T DISCRIMINATION. WE'RE OPEN TO ANYONE SEEKING HELP. >> AND WE ARE JUST WANTING THE CITY TO RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE DRUG, THE OPEN DRUG SCENES AND THE, THE ADDICTION WITH THE FENTANYL CRISIS THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ON THE STREETS THAT NEED A RECOVERY-BASED APPROACH. >> I CHASE MY RECOVERY THE SAME WAY I USED TO CHASE DRUGS. I GO IN ALL GAS, NO BRAKES. >> Reporter: IT'S A FAMILIAR NAME OFFERING HELP IN A NEW KIND OF DRUG CRISIS, AND STEVE IS CONVINCED FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IT'S THE WAY OUT. >> WE NEED TO MAKE PROVINCES WE CAN KEEP. ONE PROMISE WE CAN KEEP IS WE CAN HELP PEOPLE RECLAIM THEIR LIVES IF WE START PROMOTING RECOVERY AND DEMONSTRATING CHANGE IS POSSIBLE. PEOPLE WANT TO DO
