988 Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Services Cease Operations After Funding Exhaustion
988 Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Services Cease Operations After Funding Exhaustion
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth have officially ceased operations as of June 2025, eliminating the ‘Press 3’ option for callers seeking counselors specifically trained to address the needs of this demographic. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced last month that these services would conclude after fully expending over $33 million in allocated funds for the subnetwork.
Established as a pilot program in Fiscal Year 2022, the LGBTQ+ youth subnetwork was funded by Congressional directives, with allocations increasing to $33 million in FY24. Despite the termination of this specific service, SAMHSA assures that all individuals contacting the 988 Lifeline will continue to receive access to skilled, culturally competent crisis counselors for suicidal, substance misuse, or mental health crises. The lifeline’s other subnetworks, including the ‘Press 1’ option for the Veterans Crisis Lifeline and the ‘Press 2’ option for Spanish-speaking services, remain fully operational.
Since its launch in July 2022, the 988 Lifeline has handled nearly 16.5 million calls, texts, and chats, with an estimated 1.5 million routed to the specialized LGBTQ+ service. Advocacy groups like The Trevor Project, a key subcontractor for the specialized service, have strongly condemned the decision, citing concerns about the increased risk to vulnerable young people. Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, stated that the move puts lives at risk and expressed profound disappointment at the decision to end a service designed for a high-risk population.
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