Federal government abruptly cuts $2.7 million in Luzerne County human services funding

With no advance warning, Luzerne County was informed the federal government is immediately terminating approximately $2.7 million in annual funding for human services programs, county officials said Wednesday.

County Human Services Division Head Megan Stone said the county’s Mental Health and Developmental Services Department was disappointed to learn the four federal grants were terminated because they primarily supported “critical mental health initiatives.”

“The termination of these grants is not the result of any deficiency or failure on the part of the County, but rather reflects a realignment of program priorities at the federal level,” Stone said. “Despite this setback, we remain committed to working closely with our provider partners, as well as state and federal officials, to ensure continued access to mental health services for Luzerne County residents.”

The county also will actively pursue alternative funding sources to “sustain these essential services,” Stone said.

These grants had been awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA. This agency, which falls under the federal Department of Health and Human Services, was created to lead “public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation.”

An email Stone sent to County Council on Wednesday said the termination notices are “vague but indicate the goals outlined in the grants no longer align with the funding agency’s current priorities.”

“This has impacted agencies across the country, not just Luzerne County. We are assessing the impact on services at this time,” the email said, noting that county contracts with outside providers that provide services will be impacted as a result.

County Councilman Chris Belles said he was in a scheduled meeting with the county human services division on Wednesday and witnessed administrators’ shock about the grants’ termination, with Belles describing the situation as “heartbreaking.”

Belles said the federal government is unfairly placing more burden on county taxpayers by taking this annual funding away from the county.

“These grants help fund vital services for our residents, including counseling, recovery, and family assistance,” Belles said. “Today’s cuts are outrageous. All levels of government must come together to fund our systems before these cuts hurt people and families in Luzerne County.”

Published reports estimated the federal agency’s cuts collectively totalled $2 billion throughout the country, impacting an array of mental health and substance use disorder services.

The termination letters reference “non-alignment” with SAMHSA priorities and indicate the agency can stop an award “to the extent authorized by law, if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities.”

These letters said the agency’s current priorities include a focus on “promoting innovative programs and interventions that address the rising rates of mental illness and substance abuse conditions, overdose, and suicide, and their connections to chronic diseases, homelessness, and other challenges our nation’s communities face.”

SAMHSA is developing grants “tailored to states and communities that provide services and supports to effect immediate and positive health changes in the people and communities we serve,” the letters said. As a result, it is terminating some discretionary awards to better prioritize resources toward its priorities, they said.

Suspension of awards was not an option for these grants because no corrective action “could align the award with current agency priorities,” the letters said.