House Republicans are asking for a detailed account of how Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) spent more than $8 billion in taxpayer money that it got for Covid-19.
The Republicans say previous responses from the agency did not detail how much of these funds were spent and how.
Here are some key excerpts from letter.
“Unfortunately, even after prompting by the Committee staff, SAMHSA is not providing the full accounting for billions of dollars in expenditures as requested. SAMHSA needs to be fully forthcoming with information about nearly $8 billion in Covid supplemental funds received by SAMHSA and awarded to states.”[…]
“In addition, SAMHSA reported more than $900 million has been “invested” in the 9-8-8 crisis care system since FY 2022. This is a massive amount of money, and SAMHSA has not produced specific data showing how these funds are being used, or even if they are being used.”
“SAMHSA’s description of the December 2022 cybersecurity incident impacting the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is also troubling. SAMHSA reported that it is still awaiting the final report from its third-party security assessor.
“Further, SAMHSA suggested that the Committee direct detailed questions to the FBI, given the ongoing nature of the investigation. Given that this incident is being investigated by law enforcement, this indicates a much more significant and concerning event.”
Click here to read the Committee’s April 2023 letter to SAMHSA.
August 10, 2023
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use
Department of Health and Human Services
Administrator
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857
Dr. Delphin-Rittmon:
We are in receipt of your May 26, 2023, letter, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) supplemental response by email on July 11, 2023, in response to our April 4, 2023, letter, regarding a full accounting of expenditures of certain funding received by SAMHSA.
Unfortunately, even after prompting by the Committee staff, SAMHSA is not providing the full accounting for billions of dollars in expenditures as requested. SAMHSA needs to be fully forthcoming with information about nearly $8 billion in COVID supplemental funds received by SAMHSA and awarded to states. Specifically, the Committee would like to understand whether significant amounts of these funds have actually been spent or are just sitting in bank accounts.
In addition, SAMHSA reported more than $900 million has been “invested” in the 9-8-8 crisis care system since FY 2022. This is a massive amount of money, and SAMHSA has not produced specific data showing how these funds are being used, or even if they are being used.
SAMHSA’s description of the December 2022 cybersecurity incident impacting the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is also troubling. SAMHSA reported that it is still awaiting the final report from its third-party security assessor. Further, SAMHSA suggested that the Committee direct detailed questions to the FBI, given the ongoing nature of the investigation. Given that this incident is being investigated by law enforcement, this indicates a much more significant and concerning event.
Letter to Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D. Page 2
We appreciate SAMHSA providing information about the improved health outcomes reported by clients receiving services from SAMHSA-funded programs in FY 2022.
Therefore, pursuant to Rules X and XI of the U.S. House of Representatives, we request that SAMHSA respond or produce the following by August 23, 2023:
Tables of the following information to account for COVID-19 supplemental funding: a column showing obligation amount per state and a second column listing expenditures per state based on the Payment Management System and Federal Financial Report draw- down reports. (Please see attached template to format your response).
Tables of information accounting for each of the following programs that received COVID-19 supplemental funds: Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs); Suicide Prevention Programs; Project AWARE; Tribal Behavioral Health Grants; Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, & Recovery Services Block Grant; Mental Health Block Grant; National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network; and Community Based Substance Use Disorder Services. For each of these programs, please include in these tables of information a column showing obligation amount per state (or tribe, where applicable) and a second column listing expenditures per state (or tribe where applicable) based on the Payment Management System and Federal Financial Report draw-down reports. (Please see attached template to format your response).
Tables of the following information to account for the more than $900 million “invested” in the 9-8-8 crisis care funding since FY 2022: a column showing obligation amount per state and a second column listing expenditures per state based on the Payment Management System and Federal Financial Report draw-down reports. Please clarifywhat SAMHSA means by “invested.” Does this mean obligated? (Please see attached template to format your response).
Why has the final report from the third-party security assessor not yet been submitted? To what extent has the lack of a final report impeded SAMHSA’s ability to implement additional security measures? What recommendations have been made? Have these recommendations been implemented? If not, why not?
For the FY 2022 client reports, please provide the number of clients reporting improved health outcomes along with the percentages that SAMHSA already provided.Your cooperation with this request is appreciated. If you have any questions, please contact Alan Slobodin of the Committee staff at (202) 225-3641.
Letter to Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D. Page 3
Cathy McMorris Rodgers Chair Energy and Commerce Committee
Brett Guthrie Chair Subcommittee on Health
Sincerely,
H. Morgan Griffith Chair Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
CC: The Honorable Frank Pallone, Ranking Member The Honorable Anna Eshoo, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Health The Honorable Kathy Castor, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
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7 thoughts on “(READ) Republicans ask govt. mental health agency to account for $8 billion in Covid funds”
William Bayer
There is some question about the ability of most (or any) people to actually conceive of the size of the numbers being discussed in relation to government expenditures on various projects.
The scale of the situation is reminiscent of the figures used to describe the number of stars in our own Milky Way galaxy — around 100,ooo,ooo,ooo (100 billion) — and the average distance between those stars — 5 light years — and the number of galaxies in the Universe — perhaps 2,000,000,000,000 (2 trillion) — and the average distance between galaxies in the Universe — 9,900,000 light years.
Some people can site the numbers, but that’s not really the same thing as being able to grasp the enormity involved. At some point, it becomes simply a number followed by a big bunch of zeros.
“Direct detailed questions to the FBI”. That is Deep State speak for lawyering up, since the FBI works feverishly to cover up (or create) corruption than actually pursuing real criminals. 20 year sentences for possible tresspassing, zero for bribery, embezzlement and conversion.
As a mental health worker, I see SAMHSA doing less and less, in fact they used to print informational brochures that workers could order to give to mental health clients/patients, but now they just put a download there and you have to have them printed yourself. I work for a small psychiatric hospital and we do not have the budget for expensive printing, so patient information suffers. I do see a whole lot of useless items on their website, stuff that really has very little to do with mental health and substance abuse recovery. A lot of woke stuff, but nothing to address the public crisis going on right now with mental health and substance abuse.
There is some question about the ability of most (or any) people to actually conceive of the size of the numbers being discussed in relation to government expenditures on various projects.
The scale of the situation is reminiscent of the figures used to describe the number of stars in our own Milky Way galaxy — around 100,ooo,ooo,ooo (100 billion) — and the average distance between those stars — 5 light years — and the number of galaxies in the Universe — perhaps 2,000,000,000,000 (2 trillion) — and the average distance between galaxies in the Universe — 9,900,000 light years.
Some people can site the numbers, but that’s not really the same thing as being able to grasp the enormity involved. At some point, it becomes simply a number followed by a big bunch of zeros.
“Direct detailed questions to the FBI”. That is Deep State speak for lawyering up, since the FBI works feverishly to cover up (or create) corruption than actually pursuing real criminals. 20 year sentences for possible tresspassing, zero for bribery, embezzlement and conversion.
Oh, is this the same group that sent out crack pipes, etc?
As a mental health worker, I see SAMHSA doing less and less, in fact they used to print informational brochures that workers could order to give to mental health clients/patients, but now they just put a download there and you have to have them printed yourself. I work for a small psychiatric hospital and we do not have the budget for expensive printing, so patient information suffers. I do see a whole lot of useless items on their website, stuff that really has very little to do with mental health and substance abuse recovery. A lot of woke stuff, but nothing to address the public crisis going on right now with mental health and substance abuse.