Overview
- Roughly 2,000 discretionary grants worth about $1.9–$2 billion were canceled Tuesday by SAMHSA before being reinstated within about 24 hours, an administration official confirmed to NPR.
- Termination letters cited awards that "no longer effectuate the program goals or agency priorities" and were signed by SAMHSA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher Carroll.
- Providers reported immediate layoffs, halted trainings, and suspended overdose prevention and peer recovery services before morning emails on Thursday rescinded the shutdown notices.
- The reversal unfolded chaotically, with some grantees receiving duplicate termination emails or a 2 a.m. message reiterating cuts before restoration notices arrived later in the morning.
- Staff inside SAMHSA were reportedly not briefed on the decision, and lawmakers from both parties demanded explanations as questions mount over HHS reorganization under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.