A bevy of mental health programs are on the chopping block at HHS, according to a leaked draft budget obtained by The Washington Post.
The proposal would slash the HHS’ budget by 30%, the Post reported April 16.
The 64-page document, first obtained by Inside Medicine and confirmed by the Post, outlines dozens of mental health and substance use programs that could be eliminated, including the federal Certified Community Behavioral Health Center program.
CCBHC’s are required to provide 24-hour crisis services for mental health and substance use, regardless of patients’ ability to pay. These sites are reimbursed through state Medicaid programs and grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. There are currently more than 500 of these centers.
Here are five things to know:
- The proposed budget would eliminate 17 mental health programs, including grants for integrating behavioral health and primary care and programs for young children’s mental health.
- According to the document, HHS would eliminate 23 substance use prevention and treatment programs. The budget would cut substance use treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women, young people and naloxone training programs.
- HHS plans to move the programs housed under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services to the new Administration for a Healthy America. Mental health and substance use programs would make up $5.7 billion of the new administration’s $19.8 billion budget.
- The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Mental Health will be consolidated into the National Institute of Behavioral Health.
- The proposed budget would cut both the National Institutes of Health’s budget and the CDC’s budget by around 40%.
Read more here.
