Unhealthy Practices Exposed: Dark Revelations in Medical Sector
In late March, the Trump administration gleefully sliced over $11 billion in COVID-era funds tailored for states, sending ripples of immediate impact on addiction recovery programs across the nation. One Indiana organization, which employs fellow recovery warriors to aid peers grappling with substance use disorders and mental illness, had to axe three team members. A Texas digital hotline geared toward individuals struggling with addiction and mental illness teetered on the brink of closure within a week. A Minnesota program focusing on addiction amongst the East African community was compelled to curtail their outreach efforts, ignoring the desperate calls of sufferers on the streets.
Although federal funding awarded during the pandemic had a partial focus on infectious disease concerns, a substantial portion was allocated to mental health and addiction – two chronic worries plaguing the US. Colorado and Minnesota, for example, received over $30 million and nearly $28 million respectively in federal support for such programs, according to state health and human services agencies.
These funds often trickled down to addiction recovery services, augmenting traditional treatments to help substance abuse survivors resurrect their lives. Such programs tackled tasks that insurers typically neglected, such as driving people to medical appointments and court hearings, creating resumes and training them for new jobs, securing housing, and fostering relationships unrelated to drugs.
A Federal judge temporarily shielded these programs from the funding axe, permitting them to temporarily continue receiving federal funds. However, many affected programs admit that they can't easily rehire ousted personnel or restart services they decided to halt, leaving them mired in uncertainty and fear, unsure when the temporary reprieve might cease or another funding lifeline might get cut.
Concurrently, the Trump administration announced a massive overhaul of the Department of Health and Human Services, which included the merger of the primary federal agency that handled addiction recovery services. The loss of a standalone agency like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration raises red flags for advocates, as recovery work – and the funding to sustain it – could slide down the priority list. Although private foundations and local governments may supplement the vacuum, it's unlikely they'll match the dough provided by the feds.
Racquel Garcia, the founder of HardBeauty – a Colorado-based addiction recovery organization – shared her worries, "Recovery support is treated as optional." The federal cuts risked a $75,000 grant that kept her team busy tending to pregnant women grappling with addiction in two rural Colorado counties.
Substance use disorders drive maternal mortality in the U.S. and, despite recent reductions in national overdose deaths, rates have inched up in many Black and Native American communities. Many wonder if these funding rollbacks could halt progress earned through hard work and determination.
An Emily Hilliard, a Health and Human Services spokesperson, maintained that the restructuring aims to streamline resources, collaborate better in tackling addiction issues, and prioritize funding for projects aligning with the president's Make America Healthy Again initiative.
However, Garcia feels the reorganization does little to ease her concerns, stating it feels like forsaking mothers in need.
Paragraph Breakdown:
- Impact of funding cuts on addiction recovery programs, including job losses, service reductions, and concerns about long-term survival
- Importance of federally supported grants for programs focused on indispensable services, such as caring for pregnant women with substance use disorders
- Reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services, potentially neglecting addiction at the federal level
- Medicaid's crucial role in providing addiction treatment services and the potential consequences if it faces cuts
- Overall implications of the Trump administration's actions on addiction recovery programs and recovery efforts in the long term.
Serving as a beacon of hope through her organization, Garcia couldn't abandon pregnant moms in need even when her grant funding was precarious. Between the funding cuts' announcement and the temporary pausing by the federal judge, two moms receiving her care gave birth. Despite the uncertainty, Garcia ensured her employee showed up to support both mothers. Her team continued to prioritize the new moms, connecting them to treatment, housing, and child welfare resources as needed.
Garcia proudly employs women in recovery, many of whom previously suffered under abusive situations and relied on welfare support. Now they hold meaningful jobs that allow them to sustain their families, according to Garcia. "We created our own workforce of mamas who help other mamas," she said.
This approach seems to align with the Republican Party's goals of encouraging people to work and lessen reliance on public assistance. However, the Trump administration's drug policy priorities, announced early April, contradict its actions. Identifying creating a skilled, recovery-ready workforce and strengthening peer recovery support services as crucial initiatives, the administration appears to neglect recovery programs' vital role in aiding people escape addiction and lead productive lives.
Such programs, particularly those spearheaded by individuals with personal addiction experiences, have a proven track record of increasing engagement in court-mandated treatments, decreasing rearrest rates, boosting appointment attendance, and improving family reunification rates. Additionally, research highlights the positive impact of such services on medication adherence, treatment completion, and overall recovery.
Billy O'Bryan, a state director for the Young People in Recovery, oversees 12 Kentucky chapters that teach life skills, like financial management and job interview techniques, and encourage sober entertainment through activities like group hikes and glow-in-the-dark Ultimate Frisbee matches. Yet, the federal funding cuts have forced O'Bryan to dip into his organization's reserves to pay staff, scale back community events, such as clean-up days where chapter members gather used syringes off the street, distribute naloxone, and engage people grappling with addiction in conversations about recovery.
"In a city like Louisville, fundraising is not a problem," O'Bryan admitted, "but when you get out into Grayson, Kentucky" - a rural area in the Appalachian Mountains - "there's not a lot of opportunities."
Similarly, Kaleab Woldagiorgis and his colleagues at Niyyah Recovery Initiative devoted countless hours to locating people dealing with addiction in East African and Muslim neighborhoods in Minneapolis. They could converse in multiple languages like Somali, Amharic, and Swahili, forming bonds that helped them direct people toward formal recovery services that accepted insurance coverage. Their outreach efforts addressed people who didn't actively seek help, expanding access to recovery support. However, the federal funding cuts threaten to rob Niyyah of its outreach capacities, leaving people bereft of hope emanating from interacting with those who've conquered addiction.
"People don't pick up pamphlets to receive these messages," Woldagiorgis explained. "People don't read emails and people don't look at billboards and find inspiration. People need people."
- The Trump administration's decision to cut funding for COVID-era programs has resulted in immediate impacts on addiction recovery programs nationwide, leading to job losses and reduction of services.
- Mental health and addiction were significant areas of focus in the pandemic-awarded funds, with Colorado and Minnesota receiving over $30 million and nearly $28 million respectively.
- These funds often supported addiction recovery services beyond traditional treatments, focusing on tasks often neglected by insurers such as transportation to medical appointments and court hearings, job training, housing assistance, and fostering relationships unrelated to drugs.
- Federal funding plays a pivotal role in programs focused on indispensable services, such as caring for pregnant women with substance use disorders.
- A reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services raised red flags, as the loss of a standalone agency like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration could potentially lead to recovery work being pushed down the priority list.
- Medicaid plays a crucial role in providing addiction treatment services, and any potential cuts could have significant consequences.
- Racquel Garcia, founder of an addiction recovery organization, voiced concerns about the federal cuts, especially since her organization relied on a $75,000 grant to care for pregnant women with substance use disorders.
- Substance use disorders contribute to maternal mortality in the US, and it remains to be seen if the funding rollbacks could halt progress made in this area.
- Billy O'Bryan, a state director for the Young People in Recovery, must rely on organizational reserves to pay staff and scale back community events due to federal funding cuts.
- Peer recovery support services, particularly those spearheaded by individuals with personal addiction experiences, have shown success in increasing engagement in court-mandated treatments, decreasing rearrest rates, boosting appointment attendance, and improving family reunification rates.
- Programs like Niyyah Recovery Initiative, which focus on outreach in East African and Muslim neighborhoods, face the potential loss of outreach capacities due to federal funding cuts, leaving people lacking the essential hope that comes from interacting with those who have overcome addiction.
