Trump Cut $1 Billion in Mental Health Services for Students. ADDitude Readers Responded.
Recently, the Trump administration abruptly terminated $1 billion in funding for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a bill designed to address the growing mental health crisis among American youth. Here, ADDitude readers weigh in.
June 6, 2025
On April 29, the Trump administration announced it was cutting $1 billion in funding for federal grants used to hire and train 14,000 mental health professionals in 260 public school districts across 49 states.
The grants originated in 2022’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a bill that passed the Senate with unanimous consent following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where 22 people died, including 19 elementary school children. The bill was largely seen as important recognition of and support for an escalating mental health crisis among American youth.
In April, the Trump administration eliminated all funding for these grants, blaming Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives associated with them. Specifically, the administration objected to grant money being used to train and recruit diverse mental health counselors who reflect the demographic make-up of the students they serve.
Meanwhile, research shows that BIPOC students benefit from access to a diverse cohort of mental health professionals1, and the inverse is true as well.
“We see studies that show a bias in the way that Black children, in particular, are treated in the health care system compared to white children,” said Tumaini Rucker Coker, M.D., during the ADDitude webinar “Equity in ADHD Care.” “It is directly related to racial bias. Black families are less likely than white families to have concordance or a shared lived experience with their healthcare providers, and studies have shown that Black adults are more likely than white adults to report lower levels of trust in their providers as well.”
[Read: “As Inclusion Disappears, My Mask Reappears”]
Furthermore, “studies show that Black families tend to have worse outcomes with white doctors,” said Napoleon B. Higgins, Jr., M.D., during his ADDitude webinar “Health Equity in ADHD.” “That is that is a sad thing to hear, but if we can educate more providers, maybe we could change that.”
Recently, ADDitude invited its readers’ reflections on news of the $1 billion in cuts to youth mental health services. Nearly 200 people responded, and many of them expressed concern that all students’ mental health may suffer because of the cuts, but especially those with autism, ADHD, and learning differences, who may benefit from seeing school counselors with similar lived experiences.
[Read: “DEI – and Neurodivergence – Are Under Attack”]
ADDitude Readers React to Mental Health Funding Cuts
“As a school social worker and the parent of a child who has an IEP, I consider Trump’s cuts to funding for public school mental health to be gross negligence. I think that it highlights his ignorance on the issues plaguing our youth. I also find it irresponsible. Our kids still are not okay ever since COVID. I believe that it will impact the services that my son receives.”
“Students need to feel safe and be OK within themselves before they can take in the knowledge to learn anything. Cutting access to mental health services means that students who are at-risk learners due to factors outside a school’s or educator’s control may become disengaged learners. This leads to more problematic and potentially anti-social behavior.”
“As a former teacher of students with disabilities, I am concerned. Students need safe places to go and get mental health support. Parents are doing their best but don’t always have the resources to support their children.”
“All three of my children are neurodiverse, and this can take a toll on their mental health. Having supports like counselors, DEI programs, and other accessibility programs is vital. I now have two children in college and one entering high school.”
“I am a school counselor and my son has ADHD. We’re already incredibly behind on providing mental health services to students. These cuts are only going to significantly increase the percentage of students whose health needs are hardly or never addressed.”
“Every child should have the support they need to excel in school. School mental health services are critical for this.”
“I don’t understand why we are defunding mental health awareness, advocacy, and resources. It really doesn’t make any sense to me. It seems like we had made such strides forward in mental health, but now we’re going backward for some reason. I understand cutting expenses to cut spending and improve the national deficit, but it seems like we are cutting very vital and necessary things. It’s like trying to cut back on your own budget by deciding to not buy groceries anymore.”
Understanding Trump’s Funding Freeze: Next Steps
- Read: Generation AnXiety — Findings on ADHD & the Mental Health Crisis
- Learn:Youth Mental Health Care Is Vital. And Hard to Access.
- Watch: Mental Health Out Loud Webinar
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