Dear PreventEd supporters, friends, and partners,

On the night of Tuesday, January 13th, the federal government abruptly terminated multiple SAMHSA grants that fund critical mental health and substance use prevention services across the country. PreventEd was among the organizations affected. Four of our federal contracts were cut without warning, placing overdose prevention, peer support, and school-based prevention programs at risk. These services have helped Missouri reduce overdose deaths for two consecutive years, alongside a dramatic increase in naloxone distribution.

Our MAT PDOA program, which was at risk of being terminated yesterday, was serving 333 individuals in Franklin County, the area of greatest need within our service region. These services included access to FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder, ongoing counseling, and coordinated, client-centered care with regional partners. Many of the individuals we serve are uninsured or underinsured, and the medications that support recovery are often cost-prohibitive without grant support. The sudden interruption of coordination and access pathways increased the risk of missed doses, loss of recovery momentum, and recurrence of substance use-risks that cannot be fully mitigated by reinstatement alone.

The next morning, we received official word that our grants have been reinstated. This is great news and offers a huge sigh of relief. However, it has cautioned us to take a lesson learned and remember that funding is not always guaranteed, and that things can change at a moment’s notice. These cuts would have had real consequences for real people in our community.

As we continuously work towards sustainability and growth of our programming, we need your support now more than ever. For immediate support, consider donating to PreventEd to ensure that our community will continue to have access to our services during this time of uncertainty. If you would like to hear more about our impact and how to partner, we urge you to connect with us.

We remain committed to preventing harm and saving lives. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. We couldn’t do this work without you.