Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding answers about his recent decision to cut critical state funding for mental health services. Across Nevada, the now-terminated federal funding had been supporting essential mental health services, including crisis support hotlines, community-based initiatives, peer support services, and workforce training to support individuals in crisis and ensure continuity of care.
“Nearly 474,000 Nevadans experience mental health conditions, yet the state continues to rank among the worst in the nation for access to care,” wrote Senator Cortez Masto. “Federal mental health dollars serve as a lifeline, helping state and local agencies deliver essential services, particularly in rural and underserved areas.”
“Without federal support, these programs face severe disruption. State agencies and nonprofit partners will be left without the resources needed to maintain critical mental health programs, jeopardizing essential access to those who rely on them most, she continued. “Communities across Nevada and the nation deserve reliable, accessible mental health care at every level of need. HHS’ abrupt decision to end this federal mental health funding undermines that goal.”
Senator Cortez Masto requested that HHS provide the following information about the March 24th termination of Nevada’s Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services American Rescue Plan Act Supplement:
- The rationale for terminating Nevada’s mental health funding early;
- Whether HHS conducted any analyses of the immediate and long-term effects of terminating the funding early;
- What steps HHS will take to help sustain programs in Nevada that were previously supported by the terminated funding;
- How HHS will ensure that individuals receiving services through programs previously supported by the now-terminated funding do not face gaps or delays in care;
- And what alternative federal funding sources to support mental health services are available to states affected by this termination.
The full text of the letter can be found here.
Senator Cortez Masto has been a leader in the Senate on mental health issues. She helped fund and implement the 988 Suicide & Crisis lifeline, and passed bipartisan legislation to expand behavioral health crisis support services. She successfully fought to include $1 billion to support mental health services in schools in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
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