Washington, D.C. March 17, 2025 —The reported personnel cuts to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will inevitably lead to cutting programs and services that so many people with mental health and substance use disorders depend on. We are currently in a mental health and substance use crisis.

SAMHSA’s critical mission to “lead public health and service delivery efforts that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse and provide treatment and supports while ensuring access and better outcomes for all Americans” is more important now than ever.

SAMHSA’s programs have contributed to the advances our nation has made in fighting the mental health and addiction crises. Its impact across the nation is widespread and crucial. Among other vital services, it provides education to the public on mental health, supports thousands of clinics with training in best practices, produces annual surveys with essential data points, and helps develop the future mental health workforce. In addition, it runs the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which took more than 14.5 million calls, texts, and chats in its first two years.

While the exact SAMHSA programs impacted are yet to be determined, many of these programs are lifesaving for our patients. Mental health has always been a bipartisan issue and must remain that way. Before taking any executive actions that will affect our nation’s mental health, the American Psychiatric Association calls on the Administration and Congressional leadership to work with us and our partner organizations to thoughtfully pursue the best path forward to ensure people with mental health and substance use disorder do not lose services they desperately need.

American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 39,200 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses. APA's vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit www.psychiatry.org.