WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services is reinstating $2 billion in funds to address substance abuse and mental health after the department said it would cancel funds the day before, an administration official confirmed to NBC News.
The reinstatement came Wednesday after groups were informed Tuesday of the funding cuts, which were associated with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, attributed the reversal to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. having “bowed to public pressure.”
“These are cuts he should not have issued in the first place,” she said in a statement. “He must be cautious when making decisions that will impact Americans’ health. Our policy must be thoughtful — not haphazard and chaotic. This episode has only created uncertainty and confusion for families and healthcare providers.”
NBC News has reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services for further information.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, focuses on mental health, behavioral and substance abuse conditions. The administration is part of the Department of Health and Human Services and supports resources such as suicide and crisis phone lines, opioid treatments, behavioral health effects from disasters, and more.
The initial cancellation prompted pushback from physicians and behavioral health advocates. The American College of Emergency Physicians said in a news release that it was “deeply concerned” with the initial cuts.
“These abrupt cuts threaten to dismantle the fragile continuum of care that helps people access treatment early and stay connected to services,” a statement from Dr. L. Anthony Cirillo, the group’s president, said.
Daniel H. Gillison Jr., the CEO of the support and advocacy group the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said in a statement that the planned cuts were “disheartening and cruel, and they threaten the life-saving work of hundreds of organizations that provide critical mental health support across the United States.”
“These abrupt and unjustified cuts will immediately disrupt suicide prevention efforts, family and peer recovery support, overdose prevention and treatment, and mental health awareness and education programming, along with so many more essential services, putting an unknown number of lives at stake,” he said in a statement before the funds were reinstated.
