Statement on the Termination of Federal Mental Health and Substance Use Prevention Grants

Omni Institute is deeply concerned by the recent decision by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and SAMHSA to terminate approximately $2 billion in congressionally appropriated funding for mental health and substance use prevention programs.

Beyond the immediate economic disruption to organizations across the country that deliver and support these services, these cuts will have serious—and in some cases deadly—consequences for individuals, families, and communities.

From our work supporting states and communities nationwide, we know these programs save lives. They are the backbone of prevention, treatment, and recovery infrastructure that communities rely on every day.

These funding terminations will have immediate impacts such as cuts to naloxone administration and disruptions to substance use disorder services that increase the risk of relapse, overdose, and loss of life, and will incur long term damage by dismantling systems that take years to build and that provide  the foundation for long term prevention and resilience.

After years of devastating increases, the United States is finally seeing early signs of declines in overdose deaths. Cutting congressionally approved prevention, recovery, and harm-reduction funding now risks reversing that progress and worsening health outcomes for communities across the country.

We call on federal leaders to immediately restore this funding and provide clarity to states and communities working to sustain these critical services. Lives depend on it.

To contact your legislators:

• Find your Representative here https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
• Find your Senator here https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

Enter your ZIP code to identify your specific Representative and Senators. They have their e-mail and/or website under their image. Their websites also contain contact forms; you can easily locate their websites if you know their name (e.g., [lastname].house.gov or [lastname].senate.gov).