Trump administration shuts down LGBTQ youth suicide hotline
Thursday afternoon, the Trump administration officially ended the specialized LGBTQ service program of 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which gave callers under the age of 25 the possibility of speaking with advisers trained by LGBTQ.
The announcement that the specialized service would be closed was made last month by the Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (Samhsa) substance. The agency said that it would no longer be silo lgb +youth services ” – notably by removing the” t “representing the transgender community – and” would concentrate instead on the service all Help researchers.
“All those who contact the 988 Lifeline will continue to receive access to qualified, attentive and culturally competent crisis advisers who can help with suicidal crises, abuse of substance or in mental health, or any other type of emotional distress. Anyone who calls the link will continue to receive compassion and aid, “said the agency at the time.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline was launched in July 2022, two years after President Donald Trump signed the National Act -Designation Suicide Hotline, making 988 the universal number for the national suicide prevention line. Bipartite legislation noted that young LGBTQs “are more than 4 times more likely to contemplate the suicide than their peers and have declared that Samhsa” must be equipped to provide specialized resources “to high -risk populations, including young LGBTQ.
The specialized LGBTQ hotline was deployed in October 2022, initially as a pilot program, receiving between $ 29.7 million and $ 33 million per year, according to Samhsa. Also known as “Press 3 options”, the program gave 988 appellants the possibility of “pressing 3” to connect with a trained advisor to help young lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (they could also send an SMS 988 with the word “pride”). Nearly 1.5 million contacts have been sent to the LGBTQ service since its launch, according to data available on the Samhsa website.
The TREVOR project, an organization of intervention and prevention of suicide of young LGBTQ, was initially the only supplier of the specialized service, but finally seven suppliers were part of the subnet of young LGBTQs of 988.
Jaymes Black, CEO of the Trevor project, qualified the termination of the “unfathomable” service.
“This administration has made a dangerous decision to make politics with the real life of young people,” Black said in a statement. “The Specialized Services program of 988 Lifeline was created to serve Americans at most at risk of suicide – including veterans and young LGBTQ + – with crisis of best practices that meet the unique needs of these populations.”
The option for 988 calls to press 1 if they are veterans or members of the service in search of specialized services will remain in service.
“Unfortunately, more children will die in America because of this cup.”
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.
The representative Seth Moulton, D-MASS., Who co-paid the legislation that paved the way at 988 Suicide & Crifeline, spoke on Wednesday of the dismissal of the LGBTQ Youth Service in an interview with MSNBC.
“The children will die,” said Moulton when he asked him about the effects of termination. “This is actually the kind of thing that Republicans should care if they really care about American children, because an extraordinary percentage of people who call this life buoy in a moment of crisis say that it saved their lives.”
“As a veteran, I know how much it means for my veteran colleagues to be able to press a button when they call 988 and connect directly to a veterans crisis advisor-someone who is trained to deal with veterans. Well, LGBTQ children also need it,” he added. “Unfortunately, more children will die in America because of this cup.”
It was not only the Democrats who criticized the decision to close the LGBTQ youth service of 988. At a press conference outside the Capitol on Thursday, representative Mike Lawler, RN.Y., joined several of his colleagues from all over the aisle to express themselves against the termination of the program.
“This line of life has provided help – it connected young people with trained professionals who understand what they are going through, and in many cases, it has saved lives,” said Lawler. “Cutting a functioning program, which meets a real and increasing need, simply makes sense.”
When asked for comments on the termination of the claims of the LGBTQ service and criticism, a spokesperson for Samhsa said NBC News on the June declaration of the agency announcing the upcoming termination of the service.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Social Services, of which Samhsa is a part, said that the Press 3 option had lacked funding led by the congress and added that the continuous operation of the specialized service would have required reallion funds far from the main line of life 988, perhaps resulting from massive service reductions.
Although 988 abandoned its LGBTQ Youth Service, LGBTQ young people and young adults looking for aid for intervention in specialized crisis and assistance in suicide prevention can always contact the TREVOR project for such services by calling the 1-866-488-7386, by teaching the start of 678678 or visiting TheTreVorProject.org/Get-Help.
Some states also plan to help fill the gap left by the end of the specialized service of 988 for young LGBTQ.
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday that the State Health and Social Services Agency would associate with the TREVOR project to provide 988 advisers in state crisis an increased training in addition to the training they already receive.
“While the Trump administration continues its attacks on LGBTQ children, California has a message to the community: we see you and we are there for you,” Newsom said in a statement. “We are proud to work with the Trevor project to ensure that each person in our state can get the support they need to live a happy and healthy life.”
