Federal substance abuse chief cancels contracts — and roils longtime agency partners

WAPO ^ | 4-20-18 | Amy Ellis Nutt

[spintreebob]

As the nation’s opioid epidemic rages on, the federal agency charged with leading the government’s response to substance abuse is changing the way it helps local communities. But critics say the move risks leaving programs with fewer resources until the new plan is in place.

The controversy began in January with a low-key announcement by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Rather than continue hiring contractors to pair experts with communities, as has been done for years, SAMHSA’s new approach will “utilize local expertise” to provide technical assistance and training.

This effort will “focus on the specific needs of states and local jurisdictions to address the opioid crisis in their areas,” according to the announcement, which mentioned the immediate release of $12 million in funding toward that.

Three months later, with the agency canceling or failing to renew more than a dozen long-standing contracts, some of the groups involved question the logic of severing the relationships and alliances they had forged with individual programs.

will save $50 million, an agency spokesman acknowledged.

[spintreebob]

So outside contracting firms from the beltway had juicy contracts to tell flyover country how to handle the Opioid crisis. They obviously failed in the past 9 years.

So Trump's admin is now saying hire local which will save 50 million. ... But the Beltway contractors are out hundreds of millions. So unfair.

[headstamp 2]

The sound of K-Street screaming.

[Lurker]

More winning.

L

[PapaBear3625]

“long-standing contracts” = Obama/Democrat cronies. No wonder the WashPost is in a snit about it.