Latest news with #crisisintervention
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Health
- Associated Press
Trump administration removing 988 hotline service tailored to LGBTQ+ youth in July
The 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will stop providing tailored support options to LGBTQ+ youth and young adults on July 17, according to a statement on a federal agency's website. The decision preempts the Trump administration's 2026 budget proposal to cut funding for 988's LGBTQ+ youth and young adult services, and is raising alarm bells among LGBTQ+ advocates. Federal data shows the LGBTQ+ youth program has served nearly 1.3 million callers since it started in September 2022. The services were accessible under the 'Press 3' option on the phone to by replying 'PRIDE' via text. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. ___ 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. 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. 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.' 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. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
CNN
3 days ago
- Health
- CNN
Trump administration to end 988 suicide prevention specialized service for LGBTQ+ youth in July
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.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine Republicans, red flag opponents want to give voters another referendum option
Jun. 17—AUGUSTA — Maine Republicans and opponents of the initiative that will go to voters this fall to make it easier to confiscate weapons from a person in crisis want to put another option on the ballot that would include changes to existing law and funding for mental health services. The proposal was unveiled Tuesday morning at a press conference hosted by Maine House Republicans. It would establish two new crisis receiving centers offering services to people undergoing mental health crisis and provide funding for five community behavioral health clinics. The proposal also would require school resource officers to undergo training every two years on extreme risk protection orders, which can be used to temporarily remove a person's firearms, and would prohibit a court from issuing an order denying a person the right to purchase or possess a dangerous weapon except in certain circumstances, including the issuance of an extreme risk protection order. And it would create a grant fund to support the extreme risk protection order process and address the underlying mental health issues that prompt the orders to be issued. "This competing measure strengthens our yellow flag law," said Rep. Jennifer Poirier, R-Skowhegan, who is leading the effort to get the measure on the November ballot as an alternative to the red flag initiative that has already qualified. The Maine Gun Safety Coalition gathered more than 70,000 signatures of Maine voters to qualify the red flag initiative for the ballot. The question would provide a pathway for family or household members, in addition to law enforcement, to petition a court to temporarily remove someone's weapons. Unlike Maine's current yellow flag law, it would eliminate the need for a mental health evaluation before a judge can order the temporary confiscation of weapons through an extreme risk protection order. Critics of the red flag effort say it infringes on 2nd Amendment Rights and have said Maine's yellow flag law, which took effect in 2020, is working well. Usage of the law has spiked in the aftermath of the 2023 Lewiston mass shooting as law enforcement awareness of and training around the law has increased. Lawmakers have three options when receiving a qualified citizens initiative: Enact it without changes, send it to voters, or send it to voters with a competing measure. It's rare, however, for lawmakers to add competing measures — the last time that occurred was in 2003, according to legislative records. Democrats, who control both chambers of the Legislature, have indicated they plan to send the red flag initiative to voters without an effort to pass it. Poirier called on Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, and House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, to move forward with a work session on the competing measure, though it was unclear Tuesday afternoon if that would happen. Lawmakers are in the final days of the session and leaders have indicated they plan to conclude their work by Wednesday. "We have options to either go into a straight work session in committee or take this up on the House floor, and we're waiting for them to answer that call for action," Poirier said. Spokespeople for Daughtry and Fecteau did not immediately respond Tuesday to questions about whether a work session would be scheduled or if the proposal would be taken up on the House floor. If the proposal is approved by lawmakers as a competing measure, it would appear as a third option on November's ballot, which would ask voters if they want to approve the red flag proposal, the competing measure, or neither. The proposal calls for $1 million in ongoing annual funding and a one-time allocation of $2 million to fund crisis receiving centers in Kennebec and Aroostook counties. Funding was previously allocated for those centers, but Gov. Janet Mills' proposed budget removed that as part of a cost savings measure. A newly released budget proposal from legislative Democrats also eliminates funding that had been set aside previously. The proposed ballot measure also includes $2 million in one-time state funding and supporters said the state could apply for an additional $7 million in federal funding for community behavioral health clinics. David Trahan, executive director of the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine, a group that advocates for gun owners and hunters, spoke at Tuesday's press conference in support of the proposed competing measure. "I think we all know mental health services are desperately needed in rural areas, and in order to do that, we need a commitment from the Legislature," Trahan said. Copy the Story Link
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 911 audio reveals why Scott Wolf's estranged wife Kelley was hauled off to hospital by police at Utah resort
Scott Wolf's estranged wife was hauled off in handcuffs by police because she had threatened to kill herself at a swank Utah resort, newly-released 911 audio reveals. exclusively obtained the recording of Friday evening's phone call that led to Utah County Sheriff's deputies to haul Kelley Wolf, 48, off to the hospital following a serious 'mental health' incident. The 11 ½-minute call was made by an unidentified female friend who requested assistance at the Sundance Resort, citing concerns over Kelley's 'escalating mental health crisis' that she said had stretched over 'several weeks to months.' 'Last night she threatened to kill herself a couple times,' the panicked friend tells the dispatcher. 'I'm terrified she's gonna act on it.' The caller said Kelley's father had been on the phone with her while she made threats to take her own life, and had been trying to keep her on the line. She also noted that the mom-of-three had become increasingly paranoid and resistant to intervention when they tried to get her help in the past. 'She's been very skittish, very anti-getting help,' the caller said. 'I feel like she'll run or do not think she will cooperate.' 'She gets very upset that people think she's crazy and.... at times she's hopped on an airplane and left, and other times she's gotten in her car and left...' The woman described Kelley as 'blonde, 5ft. 5in, with very blonde hair, short like in a bob'. She also called her 'super-thin'. 'We have been trying to get her to get some help for weeks to months,' the caller said. 'She gets very upset if people thinks she's crazy.' She said there had been multiple 911 calls to the couple's home over recent months. Kelley, who announced her divorce to Party of Five actor husband Scott on June 10, captured the moment she was apprehended by police while filming herself on Instagram Live last Friday. According to the call, she had been staying at the resort, 45 miles away from the family's Park City home, since Wednesday. The caller notes that Kelley was believed to be staying at Sundance with her 11-year-old daughter at some point, but was alone at the time police were called for help. She also informs the dispatcher that there have been 'multiple 911 calls to her house in Summit County over the last month'. At several points, the caller can be heard attempting to coordinate with Kelley's father in real time to provide details to police, even relaying to the dispatcher: 'he says she's hysterical, send help'. Moments later she passes on another message from her father saying: 'if she finds out [about police] she will run.' When asked if Kelley has access to any weapons or firearms, the friend says no, but expressed concern about her mental state and potential use of other means. 'I don't think she does, but she's crafty so maybe...' she says. As the dispatcher confirms that deputies are on the way, the friend informs her of another incident that occurred at the resort's restaurant the previous day. 'She threw herself on the ground and was saying, "He's abusing me",' the caller says, referencing what appeared to be an incident witnessed by resort security and other guests. 'Security got involved, and she threatened to call 911.' Authorities later confirmed that Kelley was taken to Utah Valley Hospital in Provo on Friday, but only vaguely citing her 'concerning comments to a family member'. Neighbors told that Kelley has not been seen at the family home in Park City, since last Sunday, June 8. on Monday also confirmed that a family friend has been helping with the couple's three kids, Jackson, 16, Miller, 12, and Lucy, 11, while Scott had been out of town during his wife's apparent crisis. Days before the police visit, Kelley took to social media to announce the couple's split on June 10, nearly two weeks after what would have been their 21st wedding anniversary. 'It is with a heavy heart that Scott and I are moving forward with the dissolution of our marriage,' the Real World: New Orleans alumna began. 'This has been a long, quiet journey for me – rooted in hope, patience, and care for our children.' Not too long after, Wolf released a separate statement, revealing he had been the one who filed for divorce, calling it, 'the most difficult decision of my life'. Scott broke cover the first time since the shocking divorce announcement, during an emotional airport reunion with his youngest son on Sunday. The Party of Five star, 57, was seen being picked up by a family friend and son Miller after touching down in Salt Lake City. Exclusive photos showed the heartfelt moment the doting father-of-three became overcome with emotion during the encounter, hugging his son tightly and lifting him off the ground in a full bear hug. New of the couple's split came as a surprise to fans, and it took a bizarre turn three days later, when Kelley, while on Instagram Live, inadvertently captured the moment she was detained by police. Early in the footage of her encounter with police, Kelley could be heard saying: 'Oh my God, this is not happening! Fine, I'll go. I'll go on my own. Please, I'll go on my own!' 'You got that arm?' said one of the deputies, and a noise that sounded like handcuffs being applied was then distinctly audible, as Kelley said: 'Wow. Wow.' She lambasted the officers: 'This is shameful, gentlemen. Look at this. Look at this woman. This is shameful. Be ashamed of yourselves, gentlemen.' A deputy assured her she was 'not going to jail,' while adding that she 'made some comments to your dad, and comments to people that concern - are concerning.' Kelley claimed: 'I think this is shameful and Scott Wolf has been abusing me and now you're abusing me more.' There is no indication that these allegations are true. It is unclear what Kelley meant by 'abuse.' She later posted an Instagram story of her personal effects laid out in front of her, including a handbag, a Gatorade bottle and a baseball cap. 'This is horrible. I have been taken against my will. Please check in on my kids. Also... I am happy!! Happier than I have ever been,' she wrote. 'I have NO idea why or how this is happening in AMERICA.' Kelley added: 'I am compliant, calm and respectful, and hopefully this is all sorted very quickly. In the meantime, be kind to each other. This is one of the darkest things I've ever experienced.' A press release by local law enforcement said: 'Deputies responded to the Sundance Resort for a report of a female that needed some help. 'Upon speaking with the female, our deputies learned that she had made concerning comments to a family member, and she also made similar comments to our deputies. For that reason, our deputies transported the female to a local hospital.' A spokesperson for the Utah County Sheriff's Office explained further: 'Typically, when we transport somebody in any of our patrol vehicles, they are placed in properly-fitted hand restraints, just for their protection and our protection as law enforcement as well.' The rep added: 'So that's what happened today: she was placed in hand restraints, placed into a vehicle, and transported by our deputies to a hospital.' The couple is yet to address the incident and specific details of their split, though their marriage appeared to be going strong as of February, when Wolf had gushed about his 'forever Valentine' on social media.
CTV News
5 days ago
- CTV News
‘Tragic accident': New Brunswick town ‘heartbroken' after child dies at race track
A fatality at a horse raceway in Woodstock, N.B. Saturday is under investigation. A small New Brunswick town is mourning the loss of a young child who died at a harness racing event on Saturday and is organizing crisis support services for the community. 'The Town of Woodstock is heartbroken following the tragic accident on June 14th during the opening day of harness racing at Connell Park Raceway that resulted in the loss of life of a young child in attendance,' said the town in a Facebook post Monday morning. 'Crisis support services for the community impacted by this tragedy are being organized through provincial crisis intervention healthcare providers.' The town says it will release more details on its website and social media channels as they become available. Child's death under investigation Police and the Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing Commission (APHRC) are both investigating the incident at the Connell Park Raceway in Woodstock, located roughly 100 kilometres west of Fredericton. Few details have been released, but the APHRC says the child died after they were struck by the starting gate during a live race at the track. 'Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the family, friends, and all those affected by this devastating loss,' said the APHRC in a statement. 'This is an unimaginable tragedy that has deeply impacted the harness racing community.' The commission says it is cooperating with police as they investigate the child's death and is also conducting its own internal review to 'examine the circumstances surrounding the incident and to assess any measures that can be taken to prevent anything like this from happening again.' The APHRC, which is responsible for governing, regulating and supervising harness racing in the Atlantic provinces, says it's also in communication with Horse Racing New Brunswick. The president of Horse Racing New Brunswick, Dr. Mitchell Downey, did not elaborate on the incident but said the organization is cooperating with police, the coroner's office and the APHRC in the investigation. 'The entire racing community is deeply saddened by the tragic events of June 14,' Downey said in an email to CTV News. The Woodstock Police Force confirmed in a Facebook post Saturday night that it is investigating a 'tragic incident that resulted in a fatality' at the Woodstock Raceway. 'We are in the early stages of the investigation, but at this time, it appears to be a tragic accident. In order to ensure a thorough investigation, the track will be closed until it is completed,' said Chief Mark Bennett in the post. 'Please bear with us, as we work through this difficult time. When more information becomes available, we will share what we can.' Police also shared the town's Facebook post Monday morning, urging people who are struggling with the news to seek help. 'The impact of this weekend's tragedy at Connell Park Raceway can be overwhelming,' said the Woodstock Police Force. 'The death of any member of a small community has a profound and lasting impact, but when it is a young child, widespread grief, fear and vulnerability are natural responses. Please do not hesitate to reach out.' Donations for the family Meanwhile, the Connell Park Raceway says the Woodstock Driving Club is accepting donations to help support the child's family with expenses. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
