FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doctors for America
PO Box: 21161
2300 18th St NW Lbby
Washington, DC 20009-9996
May 15, 2025
SAMHSA Cuts Will Kill – Doctors for America Calls for Reinstating Funding for Mental Health and Addiction Resources
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides critical support for Americans suffering from mental health conditions. This agency leads efforts to advance behavioral health, prevent substance misuse, and increase care for mental health and substance use disorders. Due to DOGE cuts, $1 billion in funding is being rescinded from SAMHSA. This cut in funding will reduce the SAMHSA workforce by 50%. These reductions in vital resources will lead to decreased access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment programs.
SAMHSA operates the 988 Lifeline, a suicide and crisis hotline that has received nearly 14.5 million calls, texts, and messages since its introduction in July 2022. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Nearly 50,000 people died by suicide in 2023 and another 12.8 million Americans had serious thoughts of suicide. Now is not the time to cut back on mental health resources. The number of people using the 988 hotline highlights the need to continue providing crisis support for the millions of Americans using this service each year. This line provides life-saving care for some of our most vulnerable populations.
Mental health disparities already exist in marginalized communities, including LGBTQIA+ and minority groups, and DOGE cuts will further exacerbate barriers to life-saving care. SAMHSA also conducts the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which is the leading source of population-level data collection on addiction and mental health prevalence. This can lead to direct intervention with targeted prevention and treatment initiatives to communities most impacted by mental health issues.
Cutting SAMHSA and other mental health funding will lead to preventable loss of human life. Doctors for America is calling on our current administration to reinstate funding to SAMHSA and continue funding the 988 crisis hotline. Our patients’ lives depend on it. Contact your senators and state representatives in support of SAMHSA.
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About Doctors for America:
Doctors for America mobilizes doctors and medical students to be leaders in putting patients over politics to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation. DFA is an organization of over 27,000 physician and medical student advocates in all 50 states, representing all areas of specialization. DFA teaches physicians and medical students advocacy skills and does advocacy at a state and federal level. Our impact areas focus on access to affordable care, community health and prevention, and health justice and equity. DFA focuses solely on what is best for our patients, not on the business side of medicine, and does not accept any funding from pharmaceutical or medical device companies, which uniquely positions DFA as the organization that puts patients over politics and patients over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on X drsforamerica or Bluesky drsforamerica.bsky.social.