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LGBTQ+ Youth 988 Crisis Line Shutters as Funds Run Dry, Lawmakers Push Reinstatement

A bipartisan coalition in Congress is demanding fresh funding for culturally competent counselors after the program ended July 17.

Genna Brown used an LGBTQ+ crisis hotline for the first time when she was 10 years old.
Close-up of a mental health crisis helpline sign reading 'Call or text 988, free and confidential' at a BART station in Lafayette, Calif., on Feb. 21, 2025.
Resources and hotlines are available for operators staffing the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to direct people to on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024 in Salem, Ore.
US Rep. Shanice Davids, D-Kansas, speaks about the 988 hotline ending its services for LGBTQ+ youth on Thursday, July 17.

Overview

  • The 988 Lifeline’s specialized “Press 3” option for LGBTQ+ youth closed July 17 when its congressionally directed $33 million pilot funding was fully expended.
  • SAMHSA said that continuing the LGBTQ+ subnetwork would have required diverting resources from the main 988 Lifeline, which remains fully operational for all callers.
  • Since its launch in fiscal 2022, nearly 1.5 million of the 16.5 million total crisis contacts have been routed to counselors trained in LGBTQ+ youth support.
  • Jaymes Black, CEO of the Trevor Project, condemned the shutdown as a dangerous political decision that endangers vulnerable young people in crisis.
  • Rep. Sharice Davids and a bipartisan group of lawmakers are urging the administration to restore dedicated funding and reinstate the specialized hotline option.