New Resource: Understanding the Federal Funding Behind Overdose Prevention Services
By Lindsey Goggin
The Global Health Advocacy Incubator’s Overdose Prevention Initiative has released the Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations Crosswalk, a practical, plain-language tool that translates complex federal budget decisions into clear guidance for advocates and community organizations.
The Crosswalk compares Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funding lines across Fiscal Year 2024 through Fiscal Year 2026, helping users quickly see where Congress held steady, where it made cuts, and where programs face the greatest risk going forward. It’s designed to be used in three passes: evaluating total spending trends, assessing core state grant programs, and scanning targeted program lines that often serve high-risk populations.
Why it matters right now: With ongoing uncertainty around federal health funding, including the proposed consolidation of SAMHSA and several other federal health agencies into the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA), a push to merge key behavioral health block grants, and the brief disruption of $2 billion in grants in early 2026, advocates need concrete tools to make their case to decision-makers. The Crosswalk connects budget lines directly to on-the-ground service realities: waitlists, workforce capacity, continuity of care, and what happens when funding stalls even briefly.
Whether you’re educating coalition partners, or making the case for sustained investment in your community, this resource gives you the numbers and the narrative to advocate effectively. GHAI offers additional advocacy resources, including their new U.S. Federal Advocacy Action Guide, available on their free learning hub, HATCH, hatchadvoacy.org.
For more information and to access this resource, visit: https://www.advocacyincubator.org/news/2026-02-25-fy-2026-appropriations-crosswalk-the-funding-story-behind-the-headlines
Lindsey Goggin is the Associate Director of Communications for the Global Health Advocacy Incubator Overdose Prevention Initiative. In this role, she leads strategic communications to advance policy solutions that expand access to evidence-based care, reduce overdose deaths, and promote health equity. Prior to joining GHAI, Lindsey spent a decade in the telehealth and digital health policy space at the Center for Telehealth and eHealth Law, where she developed and executed communications strategies supporting policies on telehealth, health innovation, artificial intelligence, and equitable access to care. She also previously supported federal health clients at Booz Allen Hamilton, including the Veterans Benefit Management System, the Military Eye Institute, the Real Warriors Campaign, and the Department of Labor. Lindsey holds a Master of Public Health from The George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from James Madison University.