Federal Data Users

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/05/29/nx-s1-5407849/samhsa-nsduh-trump-rfk-jr-hhs-cutsa

HHS has confirmed that NSDUH will continue, likely under the proposed AHA. I'm glad the NPR reported touched on the importance of experienced survey and subject matter experts overseeing the contract: 

Hilliard says the survey will continue as HHS reorganizes, and Kennedy has indicated that mental health and substance use issues will be managed by a new agency he plans to form called the Administration for a Healthy America.

But Hoenig says it's unclear how the survey will continue without her team of scientists. Hadland stresses that it's important to have scientists at the helm of the survey.

"This idea that there's sort of a group of experts overseeing the entire survey and really looking out for its future and the reliability and the validity of the questions in the survey is really critical," he says.

Jennifer Hoenig (former director of the NSDUH) posted this update on LinkedIn yesterday:

"As of this posting, we have not been recalled in any official capacity. Two staff members were asked to return and work on the Research Data Center (RDC) until the RIF is complete, and one has done so. No NSDUH staff have been asked to help transition any other NSDUH activities to my knowledge.

CBHSQRequest@samhsa.hhs.gov has been shut down, so no public questions can be submitted, nor can any data requests. This is likely for the best as there is literally no one left at SAMHSA with the knowledge to do it. The RDC is no longer taking applications, meaning that no new researchers can access NSDUH restricted data.

RTI has continued to work on NSDUH and they are the ones who are keeping the survey going, at least for now. RTI is doing ALL of the analysis and writing. Yes, CBHSQ staff in other offices who were not RIF'd are "reviewing" the reports, materials, etc. that are and will be coming out. However, I want to highlight, underscore, reiterate, etc. that these staff have NO prior training, knowledge, or statistical skills regarding NSDUH to do this job. We have often said that it takes a good year to really "know" NSDUH. And this is for highly trained statisticians. We now have budget analysts and grant managers overseeing the country's largest survey on substance use and mental health. This is not to knock their skills, but rather to point out the absurdity of the situation we all find ourselves in.

I am fully confident in my colleagues at RTI, who have been great partners through my years at SAMHSA. Many on that team have worked on NSDUH for years and years and care deeply about the survey. However, at the end of the day, as contractors they have to report and respond to the government. Considering recent MAHA report, and the fact that there are no statistical experts on NSDUH left in SAMHSA to advocate for the data, I don't know what to make of the NSDUH briefs coming out and the upcoming 2024 report.

When there are questions about 2024, who will answer them at SAMHSA? There were survey changes, some big, some small, and other projects behind the scenes that no one at SAMHSA will be able to speak about confidently.

Eventually all of the planning we did will run out.  Who at HHS, then, will influence the direction of the survey? These are questions that likely no one has the answer to at this time.

My time at SAMHSA was special. The team I worked with was special. NSDUH is special. I hope that  the unbiased data that has formed the basis of what we know about population-level mental health and substance doesn't quietly disappear."

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-m-hoenig/