Updates & Analysis

In this update:  Administration Updates White House Replaces Covid-19 Informational Website With Lab Leak TheoryOn April 18th, the Trump Administration replaced the main Covid-19 informational website, covid.gov, with a website arguing the merits of the lab leak theory. The website details the Wuhan Institute of Virology, with its history of gain-of-function research, and the potential…

In this update:  Administrative Updates OMB Outlines Mass Reorganization of HHS in Leaked DocumentOn April 17th, a 64-page PDF was leaked from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) detailing plans for a mass reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The document – dated April 10th – includes a header noting…

In this update:  Administration Updates Several Battles Continue Over NIH Grants and ContractsOver the past week, funding battles continued over the future of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants and contracts:  Legislative Update House Passes Budget Blueprint On April 10th, the House of Representatives passed a budget resolution by a vote of 216-214, after delays due…

In this update:  NYS and NYC Opportunities OMH Releases RFP for HBCI Services for Individuals with I/DD On April 3rd, the New York State (NYS) Office of Mental Health (OMH) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for pilot Home Based Crisis Intervention (HBCI) teams that will serve youth with co-occurring mental health disorders and intellectual and/or…

In this update:  Administration Updates Trump Chooses Fox News Personality Sara Carter for Drug CzarOn March 28th, President Trump announced his selection of Sara Carter of Fox News to serve as the next head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), also known as the nation’s “drug czar”. Carter’s background does…

In this update:  NYS and NYC Opportunities OMH Issues RFP for Youth Safe Spaces ProgramOn March 27th, the New York State (NYS) Office of Mental Health (OMH) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for 3-5 pilot Youth Safe Spaces Programs targeting individuals ages 12-24. Funding will support both the development of new standalone Youth Safe…

In this update:  Administration Updates President Trump Signs Executive Order on Eliminating Information SilosOn March 20th, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) entitled “Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos.” The principal objective of the EO is to promote “intra- and inter-agency sharing” of unclassified agency records. Specifically, the EO orders the…

In this update:  Administration Update Trump Administration Rescinds Biden Covid-Era EOOn March 14th, President Trump rescinded President Biden’s Executive Order (EO) 13394 (which was titled “Ensuring a Data-Driven Response to COVID-19 and Future High-Consequence Public Health Threats”). The EO, established on Biden’s second day in office, directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)…

In this update:  NYS and NYC Opportunities OMH Issues RFP for Adult Forensic ACT and Treatment Apartment ProgramOn March 13th, the New York State (NYS) Office of Mental Health (OMH) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a single agency to develop:  Both the TAP and the FACT team will be in New York City.…

In this update:  Administration Updates Updates on Trump Health Care Nominees On March 13th, there were several updates on the nominations of President Trump’s health care appointees:  Court Rejects Move to Block DOGE Access to Medicare Payment Information On March 7th, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly refused to issue a preliminary injunction blocking employees from the Department…

This week, the New York State Assembly and Senate announced the one-house versions of the state’s budget legislation for State fiscal year (FY) 2025-26. Each chamber’s proposal is based on the Governor’s Executive Budget but may include modified appropriations and may include or exclude some of the accompanying Article VII legislative proposals. The three parties…

In this update:  NYS and NYC Opportunities OMH Issues RFP for Community Residence with Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Services On February 27th, the New York State (NYS) Office of Mental Health (OMH) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a single agency to develop:  Both the residence and the FACT team will be in New…