Restart of crisis LGBTQ+ phone services planned [View all]

Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/AP

4 hours, 24 minutes ago


The Trump administration is moving to restart the specialized LGBTQ+ option for youth who contact the 988 crisis intervention hotline, but the group that helped pioneer the idea is being shut out.

The Trevor Project, the leading nonprofit for suicide prevention in LGBTQ+ young people, may not be allowed to offer the service it had helped develop for the 988 Lifeline just a few years ago.

The 988 hotline, which has been dubbed the 911 for mental health emergencies, is credited with reducing teen and young adult suicide deaths. It offers specialized options for certain groups, such as veterans and Spanish speakers, but in July the Trump administration stopped offering the "press 3" option for LGBTQ+ youth with a month's notice.

The administration said it ended the service because the funding ran out. It is now working to bring it back by the end of the year because Congress directed officials to allocate $33 million toward specific interventions for LGBTQ+ youth. However, The Trevor Project might not be allowed to offer the services it developed and specializes in.

Read more: https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2026/jun/27/restart-of-crisis-lgbtq-phone-services-planned/