Addiction and mental health workers say they experienced a roller coaster of emotions this week as a federal agency slashed millions in funding and then quickly reinstated the money.
An official from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration confirmed the cuts had been canceled.
Health departments, nonprofits and clinics receive grant funding from the federal agency to support trauma care, naloxone distribution and dozens of other projects. Agency data shows that last year Missouri received 94 grants totaling more than $143 million.
Organizations such as the St Louis-area alcohol and drug abuse education nonprofit PreventEd this week received emails announcing that grant funding had been canceled because it did not align with the agency’s priorities.
PreventEd Executive Director Jenny Armbruster said she was stunned and confused.
“What they are identifying as priorities are reaching people in communities and addressing substance use concerns and mental health concerns and the opioid crisis and suicide rates,” she said. “These are all activities and work that are funded under the grants.”
About a day later, the organization and others — including the state’s Department of Social Services — received notice the funds had been reinstated.
“Your award will remain active under its original terms and conditions," the federal agency wrote in an email to the state department. “Please disregard the prior termination notice and continue program activities as outlined in your award agreement.”
After a whirlwind two days, addiction and mental health workers in Missouri are nervous about the future.
“It just is creating this uneasiness, because we have now experienced just how fragile this funding can be and how quickly things can change,” Armbruster said.
Rachel Winograd, a University of Missouri-St. Louis professor who helps secure and oversee Missouri grants related to overdose and addiction, said on Thursday she was “about 60% confident” the funding was still secured.
Some fine print in the notices sent to organizations indicated the grants may still be gone, she said.
“It’s literally changing by the minute,” she said. “It almost feels like: ‘Look how easily we can take it away. We can give it back, but we can take it away again.’”
She added federal grant-supported programs have contributed to Missouri’s decreasing number of overdose deaths in recent years. Drug-related deaths from fentanyl and other substances decreased for the second consecutive year in 2024, bringing the number to its lowest since 2017.
“Regardless of what ends up happening, this was a significant whiplash that is not yet resolved,” Winograd said. “That really is a warning and a signal like: ‘Don't get too comfortable.’”
