January Monthly Policy Updates

As the new Congress and new administration get settled in Washington, we begin to assess our policy priorities for 2025. As always, supporting people in recovery and the communities they live in remains at the top of the list, as does the funding of federal programs that will assist in this endeavor. We also intend to keep a close eye on the overall narrative around substance use disorders, as the tone in Washington shifts from one of prioritizing health to prioritizing interdiction and law enforcement activities.

Much of our policy work is centered around collaboration with federal agencies, such as SAMHSA, CDC, and NIDA. Unfortunately, this has become difficult due to policies of the new White House administration. A communication blackout was in place for all federal agencies from January 21 through February 1, which limited their ability to disseminate information. Some areas of government websites have been taken offline, in order to comply with the several Executive Orders signed by President Trump; mainly, those focused on DEI initiatives and those concerning programs that exist to serve LGBTQ populations. These include several CDC sites on tobacco use, as well as sites concerning violence against children- an area of concern for us due to our desire to address adverse childhood experiences.

As the new administration continues to name officials to oversee government agencies, we are still unaware as to who will be leading both SAMHSA, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The transition effort for the ONDCP is being led by its former director Jim Carroll, who has met with our CEO Patty McCarthy to discuss FAVOR’s priorities. An ally of recovery, Mr. Carroll is aided by a team of experts who all recognize the importance of investing in recovery, as well as the concept of recovery capital. While we fully anticipate this administration to be supportive of programs such as overdose reversal, the future is a little less clear when it comes to other aspects of harm reduction.

Finally, we await the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy jr. as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Mr. Kennedy has been very open about his own recovery experience, following what he says was a 14-year addiction to heroin. A supporter of the therapeutic community model, Mr. Kennedy has been criticized by some for being antagonistic to medication assisted treatment protocols. In his confirmation hearing before the Senate Health Committee, he remarked that he believed medications such as methadone were an important tool. As of this writing, Mr. Kennedy was confirmed by one senate committee, but not by the entire senate as of yet.

Andrew Kessler

Principal

Andrew D. Kessler, JD, is founder and principal of Slingshot Solutions LLC, a consulting firm that specializes in behavioral health policy.  With 20 years of policy experience- and over a decade in behavioral health- Kessler is a fixture in circles that advocate for substance abuse treatment, prevention, recovery, and research.  He collaborates frequently with congressional offices, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and other federal actors. He is a frequent contributor to Politico, The Hill, and Alcohol and Drug Abuse Weekly,

Kessler has written legislation and report language published by both the House and Senate, and has presented orally before such bodies as the Scientific Management Review Board, the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, and the National Conference on Addictive Disorders.  He is highly sought after as a speaker on substance abuse policy, as well as on advocacy training.  He has presented on these subjects around the nation, and on several webinars as well.

Kessler received his Bachelor of Arts in 1993 from Washington University in St. Louis.  In 1999, he graduated from American University’s Washington College of Law, where he received multiple awards and recognition for his legal analysis and moot court performance. He lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with his wife and two children.