Protect funding for Medicaid, National Institutes of Mental Health, and SAMHSA’s AOT program!

Congressional leadership is working right now to negotiate their budget package, which currently includes hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid. With members of both chambers returning to DC next week, it is critically important to continue reaching out to them about the devastating impact these cuts will have on people with severe mental illnesses and their loved ones – and how bad these cuts would be for all of us.

The leaked budget documents indicate proposed restructuring, cuts and changes to existing agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (from $47 billion to $27 billion), while combining the National Institute of Mental Health with other research institutes.  In addition, they propose eliminating multiple program funding lines within SAMHSA as it becomes part of the Administration for a Healthy America. 

SAMHSA delivers important funding streams for mental health block grants which fund critical services for people with SMI, including Assisted Outpatient Treatment programs that support many of our loved ones while generating evidence that these programs work.

Specific mental health programs targeted for elimination include Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHC’s). CCBHC’s are required to treat everyone regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Losing support for them would be a major hardship for the SMI community.

Use our template to urge your federal legislators to resist these cuts.  Please add your personal or professional reasons for your opposition to these funding cuts. Personal experiences are compelling!

Contact your members of Congress today and tell them to stand with our SMI community. Your voice can make a difference in the fight to preserve life-saving healthcare. 

Here's how you can help: 

• Call your US Representatives and Senators – Share why these cuts would be harmful to your family members, clients, or you. Phone number to call: 202-224-3121.

• Use our template to email your US legislators – Urge them to protect Medicaid and oppose cuts to funding. Add your personal reasons for opposing these funding cuts and how it would impact your life, a loved one’s life, or your patient’s lives.  (The stories of how real people are affected are the most impactful!)

• Spread the word – Share this alert with your friends and family and ask them to join the fight.