LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -- The Trump administration reversed sweeping cuts to mental health and substance abuse grants late Wednesday night after initially canceling close to 2,000 programs totaling nearly $2 billion.
The Center, a local mental health organization, was among those affected by the cuts announced Tuesday night. John Waldron called the initial decision "a gut punch."
"The cuts came in the middle of the night," Waldron said.
The Center faced $700,000 in cuts that would have jeopardized its intensive outpatient programs for mental health and substance abuse services.
"It's going to even risk costing people their lives when they can't get the mental health services that they need," Waldron said.
The Center sent FOX5 the termination letter sent to them from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association.
It read in part:
"Although in its discretion SAMHSA may suspend (rather than immediately terminate) an award to allow the recipient an opportunity to take appropriate corrective action before SAMHSA makes a termination decision, after review and consideration, no corrective action is possible here since no corrective action could align the award with current agency priorities."
The potential cuts came just months after The Center opened its new community clinic in the Art District. Waldron said the programs serve critical needs in Nevada.
"In Nevada, somewhere in the neighborhood of 24% of the population has some level of mental health need," he said.
Waldron described the impact of the programs on individual clients.
"We have a young woman who hasn't been able to live on her own in years because of her substance abuse issues, who's now thriving, living in her own apartment. She's no longer living in a sober living home," Waldron said.
"She did that all through our mental health programming and those are the things that are at risk if we allow this to continue and we don't find the funding that we need to continue the program."
Late Wednesday night, The Center confirmed with FOX5 that the cuts had been reversed. Waldron called it "a welcome correction" and said the organization remained committed to serving the community.
"We are not backing down. We're not moving away from mental health. We're not moving away from any of our services. Anybody that comes through our doors is going to find help," he said.
Waldron issued a statement after the reinstatement news: "The Center urges continued bipartisan leadership to ensure stable, predictable funding for evidence-based mental health and addiction programs. Lives depend on it."
The cuts would have equaled roughly a quarter of the overall budget for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.