Members of Congress have expressed deep concern over reckless federal staff reductions in mental health and addiction prevention despite a crisis throughout the nation.
Fifty seven members of Congress have sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy pushing back on cuts to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
All of the signees are Democrats, though funding for SAMHSA is usually passed with bipartisan support.
Kennedy has previously discussed his ongoing recovery from a heroin addiction.
According to recent reporting, the letter states, the agency lost one out of 10 of its staff including people responsible for the operation of the 988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, due to cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
“Cutting SAMHSA employees without understanding the impact is extremely dangerous given the behavioral health crises impacting every corner of our nation,” the letter states.
Even more concerning is the fact that an additional reduction of 50 to 70 percent of staff is under consideration, according to reporting by The New York Times.
“We strongly urge you to reconsider these cuts and stop any further cuts before fully informing Congress of any impacts to overdoses, suicides and access to mental and behavioral health treatment.
This week, the Department of Health and Humans Services reduced its regional offices from 10 to four. Regional offices were retained in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Kansas City and Denver as part of a so-called consolidation effort.
In 2023, nearly 50,000 Americans died by suicide. SAMHSA staff in the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention have worked on evidence-based prevention strategies which have resulted in among the lowest rates of non-use of any substance among middle and high school students ever recorded.
“Too many people across the country are suffering without necessary resources. We must ensure that SAMHSA staff are there to ensure those lifesaving resources reach our communities.”
The letter asked for a list of employees that have been terminated, type of employees terminated (i.e. veterans, military spouses, etc.), a line-by-line analysis of the impact of staffing reductions in the 50 percent range and a detailed analysis of the impact of the Veteran Crisis Line from 988 funding cuts.
Letter: Concerns of lawmakers
- 988 hotline: Given the current mental health crisis, the lawmakers are “deeply concerned by reports that nearly 25 percent of the team working on 988 awareness campaigns have been cut. As of January 2025, 988 has fielded an astounding 14 million calls, texts and chats while the Veteran’s Crisis Line has routed nearly 2 million contacts since July 2022.”
- Overdose deaths: “SAMHSA staff have worked to increase access to the life-saving drug naloxone and have helped promote evidence-based treatment for both mental health and substance use disorder treatment.”
- Opioid treatment programs: “They also ensure that addiction treatment is safe and available by ensuring that opioid treatment programs comply with federal regulations. There are at least 1,500 of these opioid treatment programs across the country who are relying on this support. Without adequate staff at SAMHSA, OTPs cannot operate, and patients will not receive addictions medications, counseling and other behavioral health services.”
- Mobile medication units: “SAMHSA staff certify mobile medication units which are critical in increasing access to medications for opioid use disorders especially in rural areas. Without SAMHSA staff, these mobile medication units won’t be deployed.”
- Substance use prevention and recovery services: “SAMHSA staff at the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment work with states to administer the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services block grant which helped serve over 2.5 million people with lifesaving substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery services.”
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For additional coverage, search “mental health” or “988” on Augusta Free Press.
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Crystal Graham
