The Trump administration has made abrupt and sweeping cuts to substance abuse and mental health programs across the country, jeopardizing the lives of some of the country’s most vulnerable. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on Tuesday night canceled around 2,000 grants, representing nearly $2 billion in funding, according to an administration official with knowledge of the cuts who was not authorized to discuss them publicly, reports BritPanorama.
The funding cuts impact a wide range of discretionary grants and account for about a quarter of SAMHSA’s overall budget. This decision follows previous significant reductions at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the elimination of thousands of jobs and the freezing or canceling of billions of dollars earmarked for scientific research.
These latest funding cuts threaten programs that provide direct mental health services, opioid treatment, and drug prevention resources to communities affected by addiction, mental illness, and homelessness. “Without that funding, people are going to lose access to lifesaving services,” stated Yngvild Olsen, former director of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and a national adviser at Manatt Health. “Providers are going to really need to look at potentially laying off staff and not being able to continue.”
SAMHSA, a sub-agency of HHS, informed grant recipients that their funding would be canceled effective immediately in emails sent on Tuesday evening. The letters, signed by SAMHSA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher Carroll, justified the terminations under a regulation stating that the agency may terminate any federal award that “no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities.” Grant recipients reported confusion regarding this explanation, expressing concern that their work aligned with SAMHSA’s defined priorities.
The CEO of the Las Vegas-based PACT Coalition, Jamie Ross, indicated that their grant goals were entirely in line with SAMHSA’s stated priorities, adding that they had lost funding from three grants totaling $560,000. HHS did not respond to a request for comment on the cancellations, which were initially reported by NPR. Sources within SAMHSA noted that staff were not widely notified of the agency’s actions.
Programs at risk after funding is slashed
Organizations affected by these announcements spoke of immediate repercussions, having been forced to cut staff and cancel training sessions. Long-term sustainability appears uncertain as many consider whether to seek alternative funding sources or to cease operations altogether. Robert Franks, CEO of the Baker Center for Children and Families, lamented the loss of two federal grants totaling $1 million, stating this would jeopardize care for approximately 600 families. One of these grants had been aimed at supporting trauma care for children, vital for their recovery from adverse experiences.
Franks emphasized that their work was directly aligned with SAMHSA’s mission to address mental illness: “The reality is these programs are probably our most effective tool in addressing the issues that they identify as being critical to them,” he remarked. “Honestly, I don’t understand it.”
The National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors, representing local service organizations, noted that partners estimated the funding cuts were largely oriented toward grants categorized as Programs of Regional and National Significance, with the total amounting to around $2 billion. Certain block grants and funding for the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline were reportedly spared from these cuts.
For Honesty Liller, CEO of the McShin Foundation, the loss of about $1.4 million in funding brings a personal connection, as she attributes her recovery from heroin addiction to the foundation’s support. The terminated grant has already resulted in layoffs and reduced capacity to provide essential peer support to individuals in local jails recovering from substance use disorders. “They need hope dealers like us, they need people that have lived experience in recovery and they need this funding,” Liller remarked. “I’ve just never felt so gut punched.”
