R Street Institute’s Integrated Harm Reduction Program Rebrands as ‘Healthier Communities’

The R Street Institute is pleased to announce the expansion and rebrand of one of its core policy initiatives. Moving forward, the Integrated Harm Reduction program will be known as Healthier Communities.

This next chapter builds on the program’s strong foundation advancing practical, evidence-based solutions to some of the country’s most pressing public health challenges while broadening its scope to include initiatives from R Street’s Project for Women and Families. By bridging these programs, Healthier Communities will continue to champion policies that respect individual liberty and consumer choice, harness the power of free markets, and strengthen community health and well-being. The program’s work will focus on three core pillars: substance regulation, behavioral health, and thriving families. It will also expand its portfolio to include research on mental health, occupational licensing and workforce, and childcare affordability.

Government works best when it is limited, targeted, and focused on outcomes like facilitating access to care, reducing preventable harms, and creating the conditions for families to thrive. Through this expanded vision, Healthier Communities will advance reforms that promote stability, resilience, and opportunity.

Healthier Communities Senior Policy Director, Mazen Saleh, added, “Communities across the country are facing complex challenges, from substance use and addiction to rising maternal mortality and growing cost pressures on families. Bringing together initiatives focused on reducing harm, expanding treatment access, and strengthening families reflects a more holistic approach to policy—one that recognizes the deep connection between individual well-being, family stability, and community health, both in the challenges we face and in the solutions required.”

Learn more about the Healthier Communities program at R Street.