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Reversed Cuts: Whiplash for US Mental Health Programs

by Dr. Jennifer Chen

A counseling program in Alabama for ​people with HIV, helping ‍them get into treatment and housing. A training program in New‌ Hampshire for first responders learning how better to respond‌ to people in mental health ⁣crises. Mental health counseling for children in Tennessee experiencing trauma.

On Wednesday, the funding for these and thousands of‍ other programs was rescinded. The halt affected about 2,800 organizations across the⁣ nation offering mental health ⁢and substance use services, often on the​ front lines of the​ dual crises, in⁣ partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Management (Samhsa).

Directors of these programs ⁤woke up on Wednesday to ‍a letter saying their funding from ‌the US government had been cut, effective promptly. They scrambled to set up emergency meetings to go over‍ the payroll, agonize over who would be laid off ​and trying⁣ to⁣ find other ways to‍ keep their doors open and programs running.

On Thursday, they received⁢ a ⁣new notice: the federal award cancellations were “hereby reinstated”, according ⁢to a ⁢letter obtained by ‌the Guardian. “Please disregard the prior‌ termination ⁢notice ‍and continue program activities,” the notice said.

“It’s whiplash,” said Reuben ‌Rotman, president and‍ CEO of the Network of Jewish Human Service ​Agencies, which​ provide‌ mental health counseling and other services. It’s “incredibly disruptive” for organizations, and the communities that they serve, ‍to have funding yanked, even when‍ it is later restored, he ⁤said.

“If⁢ you’re doing‌ the work and you’re reporting to the government and you’re in full comp

Okay,here’s a ‌breakdown of the adversarial research plan for the provided text,adhering strictly⁤ to the instructions. I will not rewrite, paraphrase, or reuse anything⁣ from the source. This is a plan for independent verification and freshness checking.

Topic Identification⁣ (from provided text): Potential ‍defunding/funding ⁢instability of ​housing programs for individuals⁣ in recovery from substance abuse and/or mental health issues, specifically related ⁤to actions by the⁣ Trump⁤ administration and concerns about future funding security.The focus⁢ appears to be on ‍programs serving⁤ vulnerable ​populations and communities of color.

PHASE 1: ​ADVERSARIAL RESEARCH,FRESHNESS & BREAKING-NEWS ⁣CHECK

I. Factual Claim Verification & Authoritative Sources:

We‍ need to independently verify the following (derived from the text):

*​ Existence of the Housing Program: The text refers to a‌ specific housing⁣ program. We need to identify which program(s) are being discussed. Possible sources:
‍ * ⁢ HUD (Department of Housing and Urban development): Check HUD’s website for grant programs ⁣related to supportive housing,​ recovery housing, and programs targeting‌ substance use disorder and mental health.⁢ look for grant awards and program descriptions. (https://www.hud.gov/)
⁣ * SAMHSA ⁢(Substance Abuse ⁣and ⁤Mental Health Services Administration): SAMHSA funds many programs⁤ related to recovery and housing. (https://www.samhsa.gov/)
* Non-profit directories: GuideStar, Charity Navigator, and similar databases can help identify organizations receiving federal funding for these types of programs.
* State and Local Housing Authorities: Check websites of relevant ⁣state and local agencies.
* Trump Administration Funding Priorities/Changes: The text claims the program “no ‍longer aligned with the Trump administration’s funding priorities.” We need to find documentation of these priorities and any specific funding cuts or ​shifts that occurred.
​ * ⁣ Government Accountability Office (GAO) Reports: GAO often investigates federal spending and program changes. (https://www.gao.gov/)
⁤ * ​ Congressional Budget Office (CBO) ‍Reports: CBO analyzes the‌ budget⁣ and can ⁣provide context on funding levels. (https://www.cbo.gov/)
‍ ‍ * Archived White House‌ Websites: ‌ Use the Wayback Machine (https://archive.org/web/) to ​access archived versions of the White House website ⁣during the Trump administration to find budget documents and policy statements.
* news Archives (see section II below): ‍ Search⁢ for reports on funding cuts to HUD and⁣ SAMHSA programs during the Trump administration.
*‍ Restoration​ of Funding: The text states funding was “restored.” We need to identify when ‌and‌ how this restoration occurred.
* Federal Register: Check the Federal Register for notices of funding availability and changes to‍ grant programs. (https://www.federalregister.gov/)
​ * ⁣​ Agency Press Releases: Look for press ⁤releases from HUD ​and SAMHSA announcing funding restorations.
* ⁣ Statements by Lyall, Rotman, and Dunston: While we ⁣won’t verify their opinions, we can attempt to verify their positions and the organizations they represent.
⁤ * Institution Websites: ​ Find the websites for the organizations they lead (or are affiliated with) and confirm their roles.
* Public Records: ​ search for‌ public statements or interviews they may ‍have given on the topic.

II. Contradictory/Correcting/Updating Data​ (News⁤ Search):

* Keywords: “HUD funding cuts,” ⁣”SAMHSA funding cuts,” “Trump administration ⁣housing programs,” ​”recovery housing funding,” “substance abuse treatment funding,” “mental health funding cuts,” “federal ‍grant funding instability,” “nonprofit funding volatility,” “elmcor Youth & Adult Activities,” ​”[Name of Housing Program if identified]”.
* ​ News⁢ Sources:

⁣* The New york Times ‌ (https://www.nytimes.com/)
‌* The washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/)
‌ * The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/us)
* Associated Press (AP) (https://apnews.com/)
* ‌ ⁤ Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/)
* ⁣ Politico (https://www.politico.com/)


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