To:

Members of the Minnesota State Legislature

Leadership at the Minnesota Department of Human Services

Office of the Governor

From:

Peer recovery providers, community partners, recovery advocates, Certified Peer Recovery Specialists (CPRS), healthcare professionals, and concerned Minnesotans

We write collectively to express deep concern regarding the ongoing federal funding freeze affecting Medicaid-funded peer recovery support services and other services designated by the State of Minnesota as “high-risk.” While we recognize and support the importance of program integrity, oversight, and accountability, the current lack of clarity and resolution has created immediate and destabilizing consequences for providers, workforce members, and—most critically—the individuals and families who rely on these services.

Across Minnesota, peer recovery organizations are being forced to pause or significantly reduce services, furlough staff, and disrupt care relationships that are foundational to recovery. These impacts are not theoretical. They are happening now, in real time, to real people.

Peer recovery support is not ancillary to the behavioral health system—it is a stabilizing force. It is often the bridge between crisis and care, isolation and connection, relapse and recovery. When these services disappear abruptly, participants lose trusted relationships, continuity of support, and a sense of safety within systems that are already difficult to navigate.

We are particularly troubled by two compounding factors:

The withholding of federal Medicaid funds, pending submission of a sufficient state plan to address oversight concerns, without clear timelines or interim guidance for providers.

The implementation of state and federal pre-payment review processes without defined operational parameters or predictable reimbursement timelines.

Taken together, these issues have created an environment in which even highly compliant, ethical, and well-documented providers cannot responsibly continue operations. The result is workforce displacement, service interruption, and increased risk for individuals already navigating recovery in fragile systems.

We are asking for leadership—not blame, not delay, and not silence.

Specifically, we call on state leaders and the Department of Human Services to:

Provide clear, written guidance to providers regarding the scope, expectations, and anticipated duration of the federal funding freeze and pre-payment review processes.

Actively engage with federal partners to align state systems with federal expectations and expedite approval of any required corrective or compliance plans.

Explore and implement temporary or bridge funding solutions to prevent further service disruptions while federal-state alignment is underway.

Communicate transparently and consistently with providers, workforce members, and community partners to prevent misinformation and unnecessary harm.

Recognize and protect the peer recovery workforce, whose lived experience, training, and trust-based relationships are irreplaceable and cannot be rapidly rebuilt once lost.

Minnesota has long positioned itself as a leader in recovery-oriented systems of care. That leadership is being tested in this moment. The decisions made—or not made—now will have lasting consequences for public trust, system stability, and human lives.

We stand ready to collaborate, problem-solve, and support meaningful solutions. What we cannot do is continue operating in prolonged uncertainty while participants lose access to care and workers lose livelihoods without clear explanation or direction.

We urge swift action, clear communication, and decisive leadership to bring this situation to resolution.

Respectfully,