Advocacy Alert: April 2026 Advocacy Update for NBHAP Members

April 15, 2026

Greetings, NBHAP Members!

On behalf of Slingshot Solutions, thank you for your membership in NBHAP and your commitment to advocacy that will shape the future of behavioral health. As your advocate in Washington, D.C., it is my responsibility to keep you informed when it comes to policy developments, and to represent your interests before the federal government. We do this by working with Congress, the White House and executive agencies, and other interest groups and coalitions.

Andrew Kessler
Principal
Slingshot Solutions LLC

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Because the FY 2026 budget and appropriations process dragged on for so long, it might appear as if the process is never ending. In that vein, just as the FY 2026 budget was for the most part finalized by Congress and the White House in mid-February (The Department of Homeland Security remains unfunded), we now turn to the process for the next Fiscal Year of FY 2027.

The process begins, as always, with the President’s budget recommendation, which was released on April 3. Once again, the White House has called for the elimination of both SAMHSA and HRSA, and the creation of the “Administration for a Healthy America.” Also called for is the merger of the three major block grants (Substance Use Prevention Treatment & Recovery, Mental Health Services, State Opioid Response).

There is a change from last year, however, when it comes to SAMHSA’s Programs of Regional and National Significance. In the FY 2026 budget, with a few exceptions, the White House called for the elimination of almost all these grant programs. This year, many met the same fate, but several did not. Amongst those given funding are the Building Communities of Recovery grants, the Peer Technical Assistance Center, the Recovery Community Services Program, and others. Among those recommended for cancelation are Tribal Behavioral Health, Grants, the Interagency Task Force on Trauma-Informed Care, the Strategic Prevention Framework program, Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking grants, and the Drug Abuse Warning Network.

The Great American Recovery Initiative, announced by the President in late January, is mentioned in the FY 2027 budget. However, no funding is provided for it. The same goes for the GARI “Streets” Initiative, which was, when announced, supposedly going to invest $100 million to assist eight cities in working with homeless populations. We could not find such an investment in the three budget documents we reviewed. Rather, the administration cited existing programs- which have been funded for several years- and noted they would mesh well into the GARI concept.

Of course, these are only the recommendations of the White House. In the last fiscal year, Congress rejected nearly all of these recommendations, opting instead to fund SAMHSA and all of its grants at levels quite similar to the previous fiscal year. We are hopeful that this will again be the case. Based on conversations with lawmakers and their staffs, we believe that our priorities will receive just consideration by Congress.

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Questions? Concerns?

As always, we want your input. What topics would you like to see us cover in future Advocacy Alerts? If you are a representative of a state association and have something for us to consider for an Advocacy Alert, let us know! Please contact us with any questions or concerns you have about our advocacy efforts.