Support Cafe responds to federal funding cut

The Support Cafe, formerly The Recovery Cafe, in downtown Rochester will have to dip into reserves to continue providing specialized services for those in need.

That comes from the cafe's executive director, Pat Brown, who learned earlier this week that the Trump administration has announced the cancellation of roughly $11.4 billion in COVID-era funding for grants linked to addiction, mental health and other programs. 

Brown received word of the cuts Tuesday night via email from the Indiana Department of Health, which urgently requested pausing all work associated with the funding, as it awaits guidance on the effective stop date. 

County health departments and other nonprofit groups also are being affected. For the cafe, the funding is directly tied to free services offered by its licensed therapist, August Cox. 

"We've been working more closely with 4C Health and finding ways that we can help them with capacity and share patient care," Brown said. "Things have been hitting a stride, and now this is kind of a big blow to that."

Fortunately, the cafe has some money set aside to continue providing therapy services. 

"We've got probably a six week reserve where we can still provide these services at no change," Brown said. 

He added that state and local health departments have expressed a desire to help after that window of time. 

"We have groups around the state, and here at home, looking for money to help us continue working this way," he said. "They see as providing an essential service."

Brown spoke highly of Cox and noted it would be a huge loss for the community if her services weren't available. 

"There are not very many places where you can walk in and see a licensed clinical therapist within a few minutes," he said. "She's addressed everything from suicide and eating disorders to addiction and divorce."

Acknowledging the value she brings, especially to a small town, Brown noted the cafe worked to ensure it had a few weeks of padding for her services.

Additionally, since the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was launched, there have been talks about threats to funding and possibilities of services being disrupted at the cafe. 

"It seems to me that the things that DOGE is doing are targeting the people who are already in a compromised position in life, and that's just evil, cruel and unnecessary," Brown concluded.