1. United States
2. Neb.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to restore approximately $2 billion in federal mental health and addiction treatment grants that were abruptly terminated on January 13. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration sent hundreds of termination letters effective immediately, forcing providers to cease critical services without warning or transition time. These cuts are forcing organizations to shut their doors during a public health emergency. Ryan Hampton, founder of Mobilize Recovery, lost $500,000 overnight and reports that front-line providers must immediately cease overdose prevention, naloxone distribution, and peer recovery services. Andrew Kessler of Slingshot Solutions has reviewed termination letters from cities including Salt Lake City, El Paso, and Detroit, warning of severe loss of front-line capacity as the safety net for people experiencing addiction or mental health crises unravels. The timing could not be worse. Overdose deaths have been decreasing, demonstrating that these programs work. Regina LaBelle, former acting head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, emphasizes that SAMHSA grants fund lifesaving services from first responders to drug courts. Dr. Theresa M. Miskimen Rivera, president of the American Psychiatric Association, called the cuts catastrophic, placing millions of Americans with unmet mental health and substance use disorder needs at even greater risk. The National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors estimates over 2,000 grants nationwide are affected. These cuts come on top of deep Medicaid cuts passed last year, compounding the damage to mental health and addiction care infrastructure. Among the eliminated programs are workforce development initiatives reaching students considering psychiatry and free mental health training for K-12 school staff. I urge you to publicly oppose these cuts and work with colleagues to restore this funding immediately. Our communities cannot afford to lose treatment capacity during an ongoing crisis.