The Trump administration is working to reinstate a specialized LGBTQ+ option for youth contacting the 988 crisis hotline, but the organization that helped create this service might be excluded.
The Trevor Project, a leading nonprofit in LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention, may not be permitted to offer the service it once helped develop for the 988 Lifeline.
The 988 hotline, often referred to as the 911 for mental health emergencies, has been acknowledged for reducing suicide rates among teens and young adults. It provides specialized options for various groups, including veterans and Spanish speakers. However, in July, the Trump administration halted the “press 3” option for LGBTQ+ youth with only a month’s notice.
The administration cited a lack of funding as the reason for ending the service. Efforts are now underway to restore it by year’s end, following a Congressional directive to allocate $33 million for LGBTQ+-specific youth interventions.
Nonetheless, The Trevor Project might not be reinstated to provide the services it has specialized in.
Dr. Christine Yu Moutier, Chief Medical Officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, stated that excluding The Trevor Project would not be logical, describing it as a “long-standing, high-quality and trusted resource” for LGBTQ+ individuals.
This decision adds to the ongoing tumult surrounding services for LGBTQ+ youth, who face higher suicide rates than the general population. Concerns about the service’s revival are heightened by the Trump administration’s broader attempts to dismantle protections for transgender and non-binary individuals as more are seeking crisis support.
Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, spearheading a bipartisan effort to reinstate the service, criticized the Trump administration for ending the “press 3” option, describing it as a move that endangered young Americans. She urged the president to reinstate the service without unnecessary restrictions, ensuring experienced professionals handle calls and messages from vulnerable youth.
The Trevor Project handled the bulk of 988’s LGBTQ+ youth services
Previously, the lifeline’s specialized service enabled individuals to press 3, text “PRIDE,” or use online chat to connect with counselors trained to assist LGBTQ+ youth.
The “Press 3” service managed 1.6 million contacts during its operation, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Trevor Project managed nearly half of these interactions.
After discontinuing the “Press 3” option, federal officials stated that LGBTQ+ youth could still access help through the 988 hotline’s general services, which would no longer focus specifically on certain groups.
The relaunch of ‘Press 3’ may not include The Trevor Project
Vibrant Emotional Health, which administers the 988 service, is seeking applications to manage the return of the “Press 3” lines.
However, applications are restricted to crisis centers that are “current and active” members of the 988 network. The Trevor Project is not active due to the previous cancellation of the service it was known for.
Six other crisis centers involved in the LGBTQ+ youth program remain active in the 988 network, serving both the general public and LGBTQ+ individuals. Only The Trevor Project was specifically dedicated to serving LGBTQ+ youth.
Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, expressed concerns that the developments could lower the clinical standards intended for high-risk groups, for which the ‘press 3’ services were originally designed.
A Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson did not directly address questions about The Trevor Project’s eligibility, stating instead that the department is collaborating with Vibrant to restore the service by year’s end as directed by Congress.
Moutier acknowledged that other crisis centers provide quality care to LGBTQ+ youth, emphasizing the need for “psychological safety” for these often marginalized individuals. She noted that while it’s too early to be concerned about the relaunch, how it is implemented is crucial.
“There is potential for significant benefit, but also some risk,” she commented.
Concerns shroud relaunch of the ‘Press 3’ option
Although the service itself might be reintroduced, its operational framework remains uncertain. LGBTQ+ advocates worry, partly due to the Trump administration’s indication that anti-transgender policies could shape the program’s relaunch.
This month, a SAMHSA leader informed Illinois Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi that the agency must determine the best method to restart the service while adhering to a Trump executive order targeting transgender rights, which labels “gender ideology extremism” as a threat to women and asserts there are only two sexes.
The Trevor Project’s Black fears the revised 988’s LGBTQ+ youth services “could entirely exclude transgender and nonbinary youth.” The organization continues to run its own 24-7 crisis line for LGBTQ+ youth independently.
Research indicates that LGBTQ+ youth face an increased risk of suicide, including a 2024 CDC study showing 26% of transgender and gender-questioning students attempted suicide in the past year, compared to 5% of cisgender male and 11% of cisgender female students.
Black emphasized that “while anti-LGBTQ+ politics may be altering the purpose of this lifeline to save young LGBTQ+ lives, politics has no place in suicide prevention.”
— Devi Shastri
