Overview
- Termination notices effective Jan. 13 went to roughly 2,000 to 2,800 grantees, cutting about $1.9–$2 billion—approximately a quarter of SAMHSA’s budget—with letters signed by Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher Carroll.
- The cancellations hit discretionary programs including opioid treatment, services for people experiencing homelessness, reentry support, HIV and hepatitis C prevention, suicide prevention, and child trauma care.
- Some funding streams appear spared—988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, and certain block and State Opioid Response grants—though related technical assistance was terminated and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network reported widespread notices.
- Agency staff were reportedly not widely informed in advance, and lawmakers from both parties criticized the move as cutting congressionally backed programs, with HHS offering limited public explanation.
- Reports surfaced of potential reversals creating confusion, but many providers say funding remains in doubt as organizations detail immediate losses and cuts, including Mobilize Recovery (about $500,000) and Boston’s Baker Center for Children and Families ($1 million).