Goal Achieved, LLC

Late Tuesday night, RFK, Jr. cancelled every grant at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. By Wednesday afternoon, following general outrage, the Secretary reversed this decision without explanation, concluding a day of chaos caused by the administration.

What happened at SAMHSA wasn’t just “administrative chaos”- it was a gut punch to every practitioner, parent, advocate and community member who knows what these programs mean in real life. For hours, the people we sere were treated like political afterthoughts. For me, it was as if SAMHSA went dark…. like a city in a blackout.

Those of us on the ground felt that disruption in our spirit. When funding for postpartum support, suicide prevention, overdose education, and trauma services can be wiped out overnight — even briefly — it shakes the sense of safety our communities depend on.

Black families, Black clinicians, Black social workers… we carry the weight of these decisions in ways policymakers rarely understand.

I’m grateful to see leaders calling this out with clarity and courage. But I’m also holding space for the frustration, the fear, and the exhaustion that so many of us felt watching this unfold. Our work is too sacred to be tossed around like this. Our communities deserve stability, respect, and leadership that understands the stakes.

If others in this space felt that same knot in your stomach — that moment of “not again” — you’re not alone.

Let’s keep naming it, supporting each other, and demanding better.