HHS quickly reverses $2 billion in mental health and substance abuse cuts after pushback
NBC News • • nation
Key Points:
- The Department of Health and Human Services has reinstated $2 billion in funding for substance abuse and mental health programs after initially announcing cuts linked to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
- The reversal followed significant public and professional backlash, including criticism from Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who accused Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of yielding to public pressure and warned against making hasty decisions affecting public health.
- SAMHSA supports critical services such as suicide prevention, opioid treatment, and behavioral health crisis response, and the initial funding cuts raised concerns from medical and mental health advocacy groups about disrupting essential care.
- Organizations like the American College of Emergency Physicians and the National Alliance on Mental Illness condemned the
