The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has lost hundreds of staffers between layoffs and departures, The Washington Post reported June 18.
The agency, part of HHS, is “in crisis,” The Post wrote, as SAMHSA faces budget cuts and a plan to restructure.
Here are five things to know:
- In March, HHS said it plans to combine SAMHSA with several other agencies to create the new Administration for a Healthy America. The move is designed to break down divisions between similar programs, according to HHS.
- The proposed budget for SAMHSA would eliminate 17 federal mental health programs and 23 substance use prevention and treatment programs.
- SAMHSA’s staff has been reduced by as much as half, the Post reported. The agency did not confirm to the newspaper how many staffers remain. The agency’s 10 regional offices have been consolidated to four.
- SAMHSA is no longer updating the Drug Abuse Warning Network, according to the Post. The network monitors drug use trends from emergency department data. The staff of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an annual survey monitoring mental health and substance use disorders, were laid off as part of cuts at HHS in April. The agency will continue the survey in compliance with federal law, a spokesperson told the newspaper.
- In March, HHS cut $1 billion in SAMHSA grants tied to pandemic relief. Across the country, community behavioral health organizations have had to lay off staff and reduce services as a result of the cuts, the Post reported.
Read the full report here.
