Latest news with #LGB
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump administration to shutter specialized LGBTQ+ suicide lifeline option
A part of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth — known as 988 option 3 — is being terminated under the Trump administration, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced. "On July 17, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will no longer silo LGB+ youth services, also known as the 'Press 3 option,' to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option," a statement Tuesday from SAMHSA read. The agency said those who contact 988 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." It's unclear if staff for the specialized option 3 care line will be cut or moved to the general 988 line. CBS News has reached out to SAMHSA for more information. The nation's 988 hotline brings critical access to care for those battling mental health emergencies. Nationwide, calls increased 40% soon after the three-digit number was officially launched in 2022. Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ young people, described the planned change as "devastating." "This means that, in 30 short days, this program that has provided life-saving services to more than 1.3 million LGBTQ+ young people will no longer be available for those who need it," Black said in a statement Wednesday. "Suicide prevention is about people, not politics. 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 news comes in the middle of Pride Month, which Black called "callous." He also criticized "the administration's choice to remove the 'T' from the acronym 'LGBTQ+' in their announcement," saying, "Transgender people can never, and will never, be erased." Sen. Tammy Baldwin also condemned the agency's move as "cruelly and needlessly taking" away a crucial resource for LGBTQ+ people in crisis. "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," she said in a statement. Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin, wrote the legislation that created the three-digit 988 hotline. The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees SAMHSA, has announced plans to reorganize and fold its functions into a new Administration for a Healthy America. SAMHSA has also lost staff to job cuts this year, including some who worked on the 988 hotline team. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here. The Trevor Project's trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at or by texting START to 678678. For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@ Teen questioned after family's quadruple murder Iranians evacuate capital Tehran, some say the regime is frightened Parents, brother of slain Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman speak about her death
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
Trump administration removing 988 hotline service tailored to LGBTQ+ youth in July
The decision was was made to 'no longer silo' the services and 'to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option,' the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) said in a statement dated Tuesday on its website. Advertisement News of the LGBTQ+ service shutting down comes as the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors on Wednesday. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The Trevor Project said it received official notice Tuesday that the program was ending. The nonprofit is one of seven centers that provides 988 crisis support services for LGBTQ+ people — and serves nearly half of the people who contact the lifeline. " Suicide prevention is about people, not politics," Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black said in a statement Wednesday. '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.' In its statement on the 988 decision, SAMHSA referred to the 'LGB+ youth services.' Advertisement Black called the omission of the 'T' representing transgender people 'callous.' 'Transgender people can never, and will never, be erased,' he said. The Trevor Project will continue to run its 24/7 mental health support services, as will other organizations, and leaders of 988 say the hotline will serve anyone who calls with compassion. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 49,300 suicides in 2023 — about the highest level in the nation's history, based on preliminary data. Studies have shown that LGBTQ+ youth are at higher risk of suicide, including a 2024 analysis by the CDC that found 26% transgender and gender-questioning students attempted suicide in the past year. That's compared with 5% of cisgender male and 11% of cisgender female students. Young transgender people flooded crisis hotlines with calls after President Donald Trump was re-elected. Trump made anti-transgender themes central to his campaign and has since rolled back many civil rights protections and access to gender-affirming care. Trump signed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 into law in October 2020. The specific 988 subprogram for LGBTQ+ youth cost $33 million in fiscal year 2024, according to SAMHSA, and as of June 2025, more than $33 million has been spent on the services. The Trump administration's 2026 budget proposal called for keeping 988's total budget at $520 million even while eliminating the LGBTQ+ services. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to wrap SAMHSA and other agencies into a new HHS office called Administration for a Healthy America, where it would coexist with employees from other agencies responsible for chemical exposures and work-related injuries. Advertisement
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Why is Trump administration shutting down LGBTQ youth suicide hotline? What we know
The Trump administration is set to shut down the national LGBTQ youth suicide lifeline soon, NBC News reported. On Tuesday, June 17, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will not use its LGBTQ youth services any longer. The youth services, also known as the 'Press 3 option,' will no longer be used effective July 17. The agency said that it will "no longer silo LGB+ youth services' to 'focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option." The "T" representing the trans community in the initialism will be removed. The Press 3 option was first rolled out in 2022 as a pilot program in a government contract with the Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ people. Anyone in distress could call 988, following which they would be given the option to 'press 3' to connect with counselors who were trained to help people up to the age of 25. Initially, the Trevor Project was the only provider of the youth-specialized service. However, now it is one of seven centers that make up the LGBTQ Youth Subnetwork. The project came about under legislation that President Donald Trump signed during his first term. It acknowledged that there was a disproportionately high suicide rates among LGBTQ youths. SAMHSA said that young people who are affected can still get assistance, but from the general hotline number. '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. Anyone who calls the Lifeline will continue to receive compassion and help,' the agency said. Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black referred to the new move as 'devastating,' adding, 'Suicide prevention is about people, not politics.' He noted that the program helped over 1.3 million young LGBTQ people with lifesaving services. '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," Black said in a statement. Black urged Congress to reserve the decision, assuring the public that the Trevor Project will continue to assist those who need help. 'I want every LGBTQ+ young person to know that you are worthy, you are loved, and you belong — despite this heartbreaking news. The Trevor Project's crisis counselors are here for you 24/7, just as we always have been, to help you navigate anything you might be feeling right now,' Black said. This month, the Department of Health and Human Services' proposed budget for 2026 removed the hotline;s youth-specialized services program. Talking about the proposed cut, Rachel Cauley, a spokesperson for the White House Office of Management and Budget, said that the proposed budget wouldn't 'grant taxpayer money to a chat service where children are encouraged to embrace radical gender ideology by 'counselors' without consent or knowledge of their parents.'
2 days ago
- Health
Trump administration to close LGBTQ+ suicide hotline program next month
The federal government said on Tuesday it is ending the national suicide hotline's specialized support for LGBTQ+ youth next month. In a press release, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) -- which falls under the Department of Health and Human Services -- said the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline would close the LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services program on July 17. "The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will no longer silo LGB+ youth services, also known as the 'Press 3 option,' to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option," SAMHSA said in statement. "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," the statement continued. "Anyone who calls the Lifeline will continue to receive compassion and help." In September 2022, 988 launched a pilot program to specifically address the needs of LGBTQ+ Americans under age 25 by providing services with a counselor trained to support LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. In March 2023, the program expanded to 24/7 services. SAMHSA data shows more than 1.2 million LGBTQ+ people contacted 988 between July 2022 -- the beginning of the new three-digit number for the national suicide hotline -- and February 2025. The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focusing on suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ+ youth, was among those providing support for the specialized program. The organization said on Wednesday that it received notice the program was ending. "This means that, in 30 short days, this program that has provided life-saving services to more than 1.3 million LGBTQ+ young people will no longer be available for those who need it," Jaymes Black, CEO of the Trevor Project, sad in a statement. "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." Studies show that youth who identify as LGBTQ+ -- lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning or another non-heterosexual identity -- report higher rates of poor mental health and higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors than their cisgender and heterosexual peers. In 2023, more than three in five LGBTQ+ high school students said they experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, according to a 2024 report of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report also found that 41% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year and one in five did attempt suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide -- free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text the national lifeline at 988.
CNN
2 days ago
- Health
- CNN
Trump administration to end 988 suicide prevention specialized service for LGBTQ+ youth in July
LGBTQ issues Mental health Donald Trump MediaFacebookTweetLink Follow The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline's specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth will no longer be operation starting July 17, according to a statement from the US Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The administration said in its statement that everyone who contacts the 988 lifeline will continue to receive access to crisis counselors who can help with suicidal, substance misuse or mental health crises, or any other kind of emotional distress, but there will no longer be the LGBTQ+ specialized services. Soon after its launch in July 2022, the 988 Lifeline included a subnetwork for LGBTQ+ individuals to connect with specialized services, in which people dialing 988 are given the option to press 3 to reach crisis counselors trained to work with LGBTQ+ youth and adults under 25. According to the latest data from SAMHSA, more than 14.5 million people have called, texted or sent chats to the 988 Lifeline and have been transferred to a crisis contact center since July 2022. Nearly 1.3 million of those were routed to the LGBTQ+ specialized service. 'On July 17, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will no longer silo LGB+ youth services, also known as the 'Press 3 option,' to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option,' SAMHSA's statement said Tuesday. 'The Press 3 option was established as a pilot program in Fiscal Year 2022 under a government agreement with a third party. The Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus included a Congressional directive for $29.7 million to fund the specialized services. Federal funding in FY24 for the Press 3 services increased to $33 million,' the statement said. 'As of June 2025, more than $33 million in funds have been spent to support the subnetworks, fully expending the monies allocated for 988 Lifeline LGB+ subnetwork services.' In October 2020, President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan bill making 988 the universal telephone number to reach the national suicide prevention hotline. About two years later, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline launched under the Biden administration, transitioning what was a 10-digit number to an easier-to-remember three-digit number. People seeking emotional and mental health support can dial 988 for help in the same way they might dial 911 for medical emergencies. Since 2022, the federal government has invested some $1.5 billion in the 988 project, including expanding access to services for Spanish speakers, LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, and people who are deaf or hard of hearing by creating sub-lifelines or sub-networks for those groups. Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and the former Baltimore Health Commissioner, told CNN's Pamela Brown that the 988 suicide prevention hotline service should be a " bipartisan, nonpartisan initiative to get services to as many people as need them, including LGBTQ individuals." The administration is considering eliminating the service as a way to cut back on funding for next year's discretionary budget for mental health, according to an internal document reviewed by CNN. This month, the Trump administration officially proposed to eliminate the 988 Lifeline's LGBTQ+ youth services in budget plans for fiscal year 2026. While some supporters of the move may view it as an efficient way to save spending, critics have called it 'deeply upsetting.' 'It is deeply upsetting to see the administration reverse course on an evidence-backed, bipartisan program that has successfully provided life-saving crisis care to 1.3 million LGBTQ+ young people, and counting,' Jaymes Black, CEO of the nonprofit The Trevor Project, said in a news release last week when the proposed budget was posted. The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ youth, has been a subcontractor to the specialized service since 2022, serving as one of seven call centers. 'We are grateful to the many people who continue to urge this administration and Congress to protect access to these life-saving services alongside us. In a nation where our children's tears fall without distinction of how they identify, we must rise with one voice – across every faith, every belief, and every political line – now is the time for the full volume of our conviction,' Black said in part. 'Now is the time to act.' Some Democratic lawmakers have spoken out against retiring 988's specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth, including Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin. She said in a statement Wednesday that the Trump administration's plan to cut the specialized services comes at a time when it is estimated that nearly 40% of LGBTQ+ young people have reported seriously considering attempting suicide in the past year. In 2019, Baldwin, along with Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Jack Reed (D-RI), introduced the legislation to designate a three-digit phone number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. '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,' Baldwin said in the 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,' Baldwin said. 'This is not the final chapter of this story, and I'll fight tooth and nail to protect these children.'
