As we continue along the appropriations process for Fiscal Year 2025, we finally have good news to share from the Senate Labor/Health and Human Services bill and report.
It’s not the best possible outcome, due in large part to agreements in place between the parties that caps federal spending, but the Senate bill is far more favorable than the one produced by the House –and it gives the recovery community more to be optimistic about.
As reported in this space, not only was the House appropriations report hostile to harm reduction services, but it also recommended the elimination of CDC’s Injury Prevention Center. That would, if enacted, be the end of not only $500 million in funding for overdose prevention research and services, but also tens of millions of dollars for suicide prevention, HIV epidemiology, and trauma-informed care. Thankfully, none of these cuts appeared in the Senate’s bill.
The Building Communities of Recovery (BCOR) program at SAMHSA, a top priority of our advocacy efforts, was given an increase by the Senate. It’s a one-million-dollar gain, taking the funding from $17 million to $18 million. This continues an upward trend for the program, which has received an increase in four of the last five years. In its report, the Senate noted:
“The Committee appreciates SAMHSA’s implementation of new funding for community-based networks assisting individuals with substance use disorder recovery, and urges SAMHSA to promote the expansion of recovery support services and to reduce stigma as- sociated with addictions. The Committee recognizes the coordinated efforts of this program to connect people in recovery to a wide array of community resources, including housing services, primary care, employment resources, among others, and urges the program to expand its reach to others in need of support.”
The Youth Prevention & Recovery Initiative at SAMHSA also received an increase from the committee from $2 million to $3 million. This program provides funding to hospitals, local governments, and other eligible entities to increase access to opioid addiction medications for adolescents and young adults who have been diagnosed with opioid use disorder, improve local awareness among youth of the risks associated with fentanyl, and train healthcare providers, families, and school personnel on the best practices to support children and adolescents with opioid use disorder.
The Senate also included $12 million for workforce support for those in recovery. The program provides workforce training for people in recovery – particularly women. With Faces & Voices’ advocacy, the funding for this program increased from $2 million to $12 in four appropriations cycles.