Guam faces a significant risk to its behavioral health infrastructure as mental health, crisis response, and drug treatment services are set to lose $5.3 million in federal funding effective October 1, according to officials from the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center. The funding loss stems from reductions to the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF), which received a temporary influx during the pandemic that is now being peeled back nationwide.
Services at Risk
The defunding will eliminate several critical programs. The Mobile Crisis Response Team, which operates the 988 suicide and crisis hotline and serves calls seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., faces a $977,322.80 cut. According to data presented at an oversight hearing, the team has been activated 213 times since the hotline’s implementation in August, successfully de-escalating approximately 97% of calls without requiring emergency services intervention.
Other programs losing support include Autism Services ($1,493,460), Therapeutic Group Homes ($1.5 million), Children’s Home Based Services ($418,869.95), and Family Stabilization Service ($391,057.95). The Latte Treatment Center, the island’s therapeutic group home operating 24 hours a day with crisis stabilization and detox units, will face the largest single cut.
Current Data and Legislative Response
Data shared during the hearing indicated that approximately 54,000 young people in Guam, representing 15% of the youth population, are diagnosed with or experiencing depression. Several lawmakers voiced strong support for finding alternative funding sources, with Senator Shawn Gumataotao stating that the community must prioritize these services in the fiscal 2027 budget.
Behavioral Health Director Carissa Pangelinan said the organization will continue seeking federal grant programs and has requested legislative support, though she acknowledged that funding approvals involve processes outside her direct control as agencies compete for resources.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.guampdn.com/news/behavioral-health-5-4m-cut-risks-end-of-crisis-services-treatment-group-home/article_9a5d2599-14e1-4c30-ae94-c23416f0cfff.html