Funding cut reversal leaves Metro Detroit mental health and addiction treatment programs in flux
One day after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the termination of $2 billion in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants late Tuesday night, it reversed the decision, restoring those funds.
While those programs are now able to continue, the whole ordeal is creating uncertainty and confusion, according to the organizations that rely on those dollars to help people heal here in Southeast Michigan.
Financially, things are back at equilibrium for Jewish Family Services' five-year, $3 million SAMHSA grant, but emotionally, they say it's hard to trust funding for critical programs to help traumatized kids grow up to be healthy adults, who aren't at risk of vanishing overnight again.
"It would have terrible impacts for local children," said Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County Chief Program Officer, Sarah Hong.
Many of those children are in year two of receiving treatment for grief and trauma under their SAMHSA-funded program.
"If you were two hours into a five-hour back surgery and the hospital closed, would the doctors and nurses just walk away from the table and leave you there?" Hong said.
When that seemed to be the direction from the HHS from late Tuesday night until late Wednesday, Hong said they were scrambling to find another way to fund their program through private donors.
"We are mid-treatment with a lot of youth, so the impact could be really dangerous. Some of the youth that we work with do have suicidal ideation, and you can imagine that it could be really retraumatizing to walk away from them," Hong said.
She says the foundation of trust in being able to rely on these funds is now ruptured.
Common Ground Resource and Crisis Center in Pontiac responded to the grant termination and then reversal, saying:
"Common Ground feels strongly that the federal funding for behavioral health and substance abuse services is critical to the fabric of our society. We hope the federal government will continue to fund these critical resources. We hope the public will feel inspired to advocate for this important work." -Jamie Ayers, Senior Director of Community Impact
Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell explained her response to the initial cancellation of these funds, saying:
"When Secretary Kennedy recklessly tried to cancel billions of dollars in funding for critical mental health and addiction services, the backlash was swift and severe, and I immediately reached out to HHS. I'm glad this decision was promptly reversed, but it never should have happened in the first place. The administration cannot unilaterally redirect or withhold Congressionally appropriated funds. Addressing mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery is and must remain a bipartisan priority, not a political tool."
Backlash to reverse the termination of these bipartisan funds came from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The question remains if or when they'll need to stand up to protect them again.