Advocacy Alert: June 2023 Advocacy Update for NBHAP Members

June 15, 2023

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

[accessally_missing_any_tag tag_id=’3′]You must be a NBHAP member (and logged in) to view this content.
Members Login | Join NBHAP[/accessally_missing_any_tag][accessally_has_any_tag tag_id=’3′]

As Congress and the White House negotiated a debt ceiling & spending deal in late May and early June, NBHAP is keenly aware of the impact any deal could have on federal funding directed toward recovery support services. SUD treatment and recovery services are heavily reliant on federal funds from a myriad of sources. Our concern was for not only grant programs — such as the SUPTR block grant, the State Opioid Response Grant, and the STAR loan repayment program for SUD professionals — but for programs such as Medicaid as well. The bill that passed the House of Representatives in early May would have severely impacted these programs, causing great distress to our recovery communities. When this original piece of legislation passed the House of Representatives, NBHAP leant its support to several efforts that highlighted the damning impact the bill would have on behavioral health.

The deal that eventually passed Congress and was approved by the President does not contain cuts as drastic as the ones passed solely by the House, but it will have an impact. How much of an impact, however, remains to be seen. Non-defense discretionary spending — which includes all appropriations bills not germane to defense or homeland security (such as Education, Agriculture, Health & Human Services etc.) — will not see an overall increase this year. This does not, however, mean that no programs will see increases. It simply means that OVERALL, discretionary government spending will not increase. There is still the possibility — albeit slight — that programs with a high priority will see small increases. Of course, this means that other programs will need to see decreases. It is our intention to stress to Congress and appropriators the extreme importance of funding increases for recovery support services, as they are a critical part of our fight against the current overdose epidemic. The deal in place also contains a cap of 1% on increases in non-defense spending next year, and the same parameters will stay in place: the cap will be on overall spending, not “across the board”. It will be a struggle to secure increases, but we will put forth a strong effort to do so, relying on our grassroots and the bipartisan cooperation we have received for several years.

Additionally, as often happens in Congress, a bill that has the full support of NBHAP has been reintroduced. The Family Support Services for Substance Use Disorders Act would provide $25 million in grant funding to help nonprofits and community organizations provide support services to families with loved ones seeking addiction treatment. We have supported this bill in the past, as it was introduced in the 117th Congress, yet failed to advance. NBHAP was one of the first organizations to endorse the legislation by Senator Gillibrand and Rep. Trone, and we are hopeful it will once again gain bipartisan support. Services for families of those in recovery are often overlooked but play a pivotal role for the populations we serve.

[/accessally_has_any_tag]

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.