The federal government pulled the plug on a suicide crisis lifeline service for LGBTQ+ youth. What does that mean for LA?

The national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will no longer provide specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth.

Since 2022, callers have had an option to press "3" and be connected to crisis responders specifically trained to support young LGBTQ+ people. In that time, the program answered nearly 1.5 million calls, texts or chats seeking help.

But as of Thursday, "Press 3" will no longer be a choice for 988 callers following a directive issued last month by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The government said it was shutting down the option "to focus on serving all help seekers." Advocates have responded by calling the move devastating to at-risk young people.

"I am heartbroken that this administration has decided to say, loudly and clearly, that they believe some young people’s lives are not worth saving," said Jaymes Black, the CEO of The Trevor Project, an L.A.-based organization that helped jumpstart the specialized 988 program and answered many of the national lifeline's calls and messages for LGBTQ+ youth.

"I want every LGBTQ+ young person to know that you are worthy, valued, and loved exactly as you are," Black continued in a statement.

What does this mean for Los Angeles?

In California, state and local groups are taking action to fill the gap.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced yesterday that the state's Health and Human Services Agency is partnering with The Trevor Project to train the state's 988 crisis counselors to support LGBTQ+ youth calling for help. California has 12 crisis call centers.

In L.A. County, the Board of Supervisors moved this week to explore options to keep providing special routing for LGBTQ+ people who call 988.

What do specialized suicide prevention programs for LGBTQ+ youth provide?

LGBTQ+ people are "more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers," according to research cited by the Trevor Project.

Casey Pick, director of law and policy for the organization, said specialized services for LGBTQ youth removes a barrier to access by providing them with care that they know is tailored to their experience, and that doesn't make assumptions about their identity.

"They know that when they reach out to us that they don't need to explain who they are or their feelings. They don't need to worry about the person on the other side of the phone being confused or even possibly hostile to their identity," she said. "They know that we are here for them, that we are particularly concerned and particularly value their lives."

A spokesperson for The Trevor Project said the shutdown meant it was losing $25 million in federal funding and would be forced to lay off more than 200 staff members.

Half of the organization's contacts with youth came through 988, the spokesperson said, while the other half come through its direct services, which are still available around the clock here and at (866) 488‑7386.