The Trump administration this week notified the Illinois Department of Human Services that it will cut $28 million in funding for mental health and substance use disorder treatment programs.
The funding, granted through the American Rescue Plan Act, was allocated to 77 community-based organizations, according to the department. The funds helped support behavioral health crisis response services, as well as provide assistance for people experiencing early symptoms of psychosis, substance use recovery homes and substance use prevention services.
No explanation was given to the state, but the Illinois cuts are part of $12 billion in federal grants that the Department of Health and Human Services canceled this week. The Illinois Department of Human Services was notified on Monday that $28 million in funds would be immediately canceled.
According to the New York Times, the department said the cuts were made because the pandemic is over.
“The Covid-19 pandemic is over, and H.H.S. will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a nonexistent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago,” spokesman Andrew Nixon said in a statement.
As of late February, the state says more than $1.8 billion in federal funds have been withheld by the Trump administration. That includes money that was anticipated or awarded, but not yet obligated. Gov. JB Pritker has been touring the state — and flooding national airwaves and podcasts — to talk about the cuts. On Wednesday, he expressed frustration about the latest funds slated to be terminated.
“At a time when Americans desperately need support for mental health and substance abuse, the Trump administration has again prioritized cruelty over care and cut essential funds states were relying on to fund lifesaving programs,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement.
IDHS Secretary Dulce M. Quintero called the cut “shortsighted and negligent.”
“This funding has an invaluable return on investment — saving lives and rehabilitating those struggling so they can once again become thriving members of their communities,” Quintero said.