WASHINGTON — Nearly $2 billion in federal grants for mental health, addiction prevention, treatment and recovery services are being reinstated after a swift national backlash.
More than 2,000 programs across the country were notified late Tuesday that their funding through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) was being terminated effective immediately. Less than 24 hours later, federal officials confirmed the cuts were being rescinded.
According to the Associated Press and other national outlets, the cancellations targeted discretionary grants that support community-based services, including addiction treatment, overdose prevention, drug courts, school mental health training and recovery support programs.
The termination notices said the grants no longer aligned with agency priorities, which were described as focusing on innovative approaches to mental illness, substance use, overdose and suicide. Providers said the letters offered little clarity and left organizations scrambling to prepare for layoffs and service closures.
The sudden cuts triggered intense reaction nationwide. According to Roll Call and Politico, lawmakers from both parties began lobbying the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services within hours of the notices being sent. More than 100 members of the House signed a letter urging HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reverse the decision.
House Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro said the terminations never should have happened and warned they created “uncertainty and confusion” for families and health care providers. She said the episode showed the importance of respecting Congress’ authority over federal spending.
According to The New York Times, the cuts would have eliminated funding for programs such as drug courts that offer treatment instead of incarceration, services for pregnant and postpartum women in recovery, suicide prevention initiatives, underage drinking and cannabis prevention programs, and overdose education for youth.
The terminations also followed recent bipartisan action by Congress to reauthorize major opioid response legislation. According to Politico, many of the programs that received termination notices were funded through laws that lawmakers had just renewed.
By Wednesday night, administration officials confirmed the cancellations were being rescinded, though they did not publicly explain why the decision was made or how the initial terminations occurred.
Advocates said the episode highlights how fragile community-based prevention, treatment and recovery systems can be and how quickly decisions made in Washington can disrupt lifesaving work on the ground.
