Oct 14, 2025
Arlington, VA — Today, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) released the following statement in response to reports that a significant percentage of the remaining staff at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) have been eliminated. The layoffs at SAMHSA, along with layoffs of key staff at other federal agencies that run programs helping people with mental health conditions, come amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. said:
The United States is in the midst of an ongoing mental health, overdose, and suicide crisis, one of the most widespread and enduring public health challenges of our time. More than 84 million adults, and millions of children and teens, live with mental health or substance use conditions that affect people in every community, across every background and belief. We cannot afford to undermine the only federal agency charged with addressing what is, for so many Americans, a daily struggle.
At a time like this, we need to reinforce, not weaken, the agency dedicated to addressing mental health and substance use conditions. SAMHSA’s work saves lives every day, and any action that limits its ability to do so would be a serious step backward.”
SAMHSA is responsible for supporting states’ efforts to provide mental health and substance use treatment services, including education and training for the behavioral health workforce, prevention and early intervention programs, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and disaster behavioral health hotline. SAMHSA staff oversee nearly $7 billion in grants that help states meet the needs of people with mental illness. These cuts, coupled with earlier rounds of layoffs and retirements, mean that SAMHSA has reportedly lost nearly two-thirds of its workforce since January. As NAMI has previously said, such drastic staffing changes threaten to disrupt the availability of these lifesaving resources.
In addition to SAMHSA, many other agencies were impacted by these cuts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Education, where most staff responsible for oversight of special education programming were reportedly let go on Friday.
The NAMI community knows too well that few families are untouched by either an overdose death, a loss to suicide, or someone struggling with their mental health. As policymakers debate federal funding for the next fiscal year, NAMI urges them to continue the bipartisan progress we’ve made in addressing our country’s mental health and substance use crises and ensure that SAMHSA is adequately staffed and funded to continue their critical work during a time when it is desperately needed.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.
NAMI HelpLine is available M-F, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET. Call 800-950-6264,
text “NAMI” to 62640, or email. In a crisis, call or text 988 (24/7).
