The Trump administration is discontinuing specialized suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth on the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This decision by the federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will end the specialized support for LGBTQ+ youth on July 17. The 988 Lifeline, established in 2022, provided trained counselors with similar life experiences to offer support to high-risk groups like veterans and LGBTQ+ youth.

The move to end these services has sparked criticism and concern from organizations like The Trevor Project, which administers the services. Jaymes Black, the CEO of The Trevor Project, expressed dismay over the decision, calling it incomprehensible and devastating. SAMHSA stated that while it will no longer isolate LGBTQ+ youth services, all individuals contacting the 988 Lifeline will still have access to skilled and culturally competent crisis counselors.

The LGBTQ+ youth service was initially launched as a pilot program with the 988 helpline in 2022 and has received approximately 1.3 million contacts from LGBTQ+ individuals since its inception. The decision to terminate this specialized service comes at a time when the high risk of suicide among LGBTQ+ youth is a well-documented issue. Mental health advocates emphasize the importance of specialized crisis services for LGBTQ+ youth and highlight that such services have been instrumental in saving lives.

Despite the discontinuation of services on 988, LGBTQ+ youth are encouraged to reach out to organizations like The Trevor Project for support. However, it is noted that these organizations may not have the same capacity as the 988 Lifeline. Calls are now being made to continue funding suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ children, emphasizing the critical need for nonpartisan support in addressing mental health crises within this vulnerable population.