This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or live chat at 988lifeline.org. For more resources, click here.
NATIONWIDE — The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline’s specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth will be shut down in less than 30 days, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced on Tuesday.
Currently, when individuals dial 988, they have to option to press “3” to reach counselors trained to work with LBGTQ+ youth. However, that option will no longer exist after July 17.
“This is a population that we know has elevated risks for mental health, elevated risk for suicide. And over the last couple of years, they have learned that this program exists, and they've been using it,” said Brandyn Churchill, an assistant professor of public administration and policy at American University.
It comes after funding was suspended for the help line’s LGBTQ-specific counseling in the Trump administration’s 2026 proposed budget. A total of $520 million in funding is being allocated toward 988, the same as provided in the Biden administration; however, that will no longer include support of the LGBTQ+ sector.
Churchill said if people contact 988 and aren’t matched with a counselor trained to provide the specific help they need, they might stop reaching out altogether.
“There's a very good chance, unfortunately, that people will die because of this,” Churchill said.“There's a very good chance, unfortunately, that people will die because of this,” Churchill said.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., who helped created the 988 helpline in 2020 and advocated for the later-added LGBTQ+ service, responded to the Trump administration announcement on Wednesday.
“I worked hard to stand up a special line for LGBTQ+ youth because we are losing too many of our kids to suicide, and it’s well past time we did something about it. Children facing dark times and even contemplating taking their life often have nowhere else to turn besides this 988 Lifeline, and the Trump Administration is cruelly and needlessly taking that away,” said Baldwin in a statement. “During Pride Month, a time to celebrate the progress we’ve made, the Trump Administration is taking us a step back and telling LGBTQ+ kids that they don’t matter and don’t deserve help when they are in crisis.”
Since the pilot program for LGBTQ+ youth was created for 988 in 2022, there have been over 1.2 million crisis contacts. The program was meant to address higher rates of suicide and mental health challenges among the LGBTQ+ community.
“I think what's going to be lost is the opportunity for these folks to connect with individuals who have specialized training and awareness and experience with those issues,” Churchill said.
Nearly 40% of LGBTQ+ young people considered suicide in the previous year, the Trevor Project found. The suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ youth has served as one of seven call centers within the subnetwork of 988 that has provided specialized services.
Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, released a statement in response to the notice the specialized program would be shut down.
“This is devastating, to say the least. Suicide prevention is about people, not politics," Black said in part. "The administration’s decision to remove a bipartisan, evidence-based service that has effectively supported a high-risk group of young people through their darkest moments is incomprehensible. The fact that this news comes to us halfway through Pride Month is callous – as is the administration’s choice to remove the ‘T’ from the acronym ‘LGBTQ+’ in their announcement. Transgender people can never, and will never, be erased."
Family Services in Green Bay picks up the 988 calls from Wisconsin. Family Services said more than 10,500 contacts were made in May, and approximately 1,000 contacts per month are from people routed to specialized LGBTQ+ services.
“Every person in crisis deserves to be heard, seen and supported by someone who understands their unique experiences,” said Tana Koss, vice president of programs and strategy at Family Services. “Removing this affirming resource endangers lives.”
Reports of shutting down the specialized service surfaced in late April. At the time, Baldwin and several other senators wrote a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., urging him to reconsider.
"Given the Administration has claimed addressing youth mental health as a priority, elimination of specialized services specifically designed for at-risk youth is irresponsible,” they wrote.
SAMHSA said the move is to focus more on “serving all help seekers” and that “everyone who contacts the 988 Lifeline will continue to receive access to skilled, caring, culturally competent crisis counselors who can help with suicidal, substance misuse, or mental health crises, or any other kind of emotional distress.”
SAMHSA also said the money allocated by Congress for LGBTQ-specific services has been spent.
“It's such a small funding amount relative to the federal budget,” Churchill said. “I think it's probably more driven by their desire to remove services for trans-identifying individuals, and particularly trans-identifying youth.”
Black said there is still time for Congress "to reverse this fatal decision" and urged the public to get involved by visiting its website.