The Trump administration abruptly slashed approximately $2 billion in grants to mental health and addiction programs and then just as abruptly restored them within about 24 hours. The grants were terminated Tuesday night without warning, leaving New Hampshire mental health providers and school districts scrambling before being restored late Wednesday.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness in New Hampshire and many other organizations received grant termination notices. The lengthy emails described terminations as unaligned with agency priorities focused on innovation, but were “remarkably vague.” NAMI New Hampshire’s grant funded crisis intervention training for first responders. The trainings help first responders interact with people in acute psychiatric crises and avoid negative outcomes, arrests, or tragedies, while also addressing first responder mental health.
NAMI also had subcontracts affecting schools, including one with Concord School District providing family peer support and training services through a SAMHSA-funded Child Mental Health Initiative grant. The organization received stop work orders on both subcontracts and had to scramble to figure out how to continue serving clients.
Executive Director Susan Stearns said feelings ranged from “shock, sadness, anger” and disbelief. People worried about whether mental health centers were closing. Notably, NAMI’s award was year five of a five-year grant. The organization did a continuation application in the normal process, received a notice of award at the end of September, then faced sudden termination. “It is an unusual way for SAMHSA to communicate,” Stearns said, drawing on her 35 years of grant experience. “In my experience and in general, for federal agencies to communicate with very little notice and very little justification.” The money was restored with same terms and conditions but no explanation provided. Stearns said NAMI New Hampshire will monitor federal opportunities and continue advocating with the state legislature.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2026-01-15/whiplash-for-nh-mental-health-providers-as-trump-admin-cut-then-restored-grants