Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is Harming The Nation's Response to the Mental Health Crisis, Psychiatrists Say

The Committee to Protect Public Mental Health says that Kennedy has implemented changes to the nation's health agencies "in ways that endanger lives."

In 2024, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent campaign for president released a highly polished documentary about his vision for solving the interconnected crises of addiction and mental illness in the U.S. In travels throughout the country, Kennedy, a recovering addict himself, met with advocates and people who were struggling to recover from substance abuse disorders. Throughout the documentary, he floated ideas that seemed New Age-y (”healing farms”), and some that sounded like throwbacks to a contentious era of involuntary commitment.

Now serving as the nation’s top health official, Kennedy has begun to implement some of these ideas, while also orchestrating devastating funding and staffing cuts to the federal agency dedictated to addressing the mental health and opioid crises. With the government shut down, the agency, SAMHSA, is currently operating with 98 staff members or 13% of its usual number, according to a contingency document.