Federal mental health agencies and experts warn that Trump administration cuts and policy reversals could substantially harm access to treatment and research. Multiple programs have been dismantled or severely reduced, leaving vulnerability populations without critical services.
In May, the Department of Education discontinued Biden-era grants worth $1 billion aimed at improving mental health services in schools, saying the programs were not advancing administration priorities. These funds, allocated under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act following the Uvalde mass shooting, had been directed at hiring school mental health professionals. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reported that “this is leaving school districts scrambling to figure out if and how they can afford school mental health professionals.”
The Trump administration canceled several National Institutes of Health grants focused on LGBTQ+ and diversity research. Estimates suggest that most terminated grants came from the National Institute of Mental Health. Additionally, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) was restructured under a newly-created Administration for a Healthy America, eliminating direct data access that researchers say could influence public health surveillance capabilities.
The most visible impact came when SAMHSA eliminated the Press 3 option for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which provided specialized care for LGBTQ youth. While the administration said the move reflected significant operational costs, advocates note that LGBTQ callers can reach general services but will encounter counselors with less expertise in their unique challenges.
President Trump’s 2026 budget proposal includes cutting approximately $1 billion from SAMHSA. The Administration fired over 10,000 HHS employees in April, including an entire SAMHSA team overseeing the national survey on drug use and mental health operating since 1971. Kennedy later acknowledged some programs were mistakenly cut.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/experts-concerned-trump-admin-cuts-mental-health-programs/story?id=125372658