The option on the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline that specializes in serving LGBTQ+ youth will no longer operate after the Trump administration no longer plans to provide funding.
The decision was made by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The rationale behind the move was to “focus on serving all help seekers,” a SAMHSA statement said. The termination of the lifeline option will be effective July 17.
The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group that helped the government administer the “press 3” option, released a statement that called the decision “devastating.”
“Suicide prevention is about people, not politics,” the statement said. “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.”
According to the Trevor Project statement, the LGBTQ+ youth option was used by hundreds of thousands of individuals in 2024 during times of need. Tamera Hunter, chief executive officer of Townhall II Integrated Health Services for Portage County, said the decision has caused an uproar in the local community. She added it’s challenging losing a resource like the “press 3” option.
Hunter also said the line option’s termination could also have a grave impact on the LGBTQ+ youth community, potentially leading to individuals feeling scared to reach out for help.
“We want to engage them and help them feel warm, comfortable and have a place to call and feel understood,” she said. “I worry about ending that line and the further isolation that could create, and the repercussions of what that social isolation means.”
Townhall II offers 24/7 crisis services on the 988 line for Portage County, as well as mental health treatment and counseling for adults and adolescents. Hunter said Townhall II will increase its efforts to specialize in helping the LGBTQ+ youth community in light of this decision.
“We’ve really tried to do what we can so that the LGBTQ+ community feels comfortable walking in our doors and feel loved no matter what,” she said.
Coleman Health Services is another health center that focuses on crisis intervention and mental health support in Portage County and other Ohio areas. Kathy Myers, director of communication and advocacy, said she was greatly disappointed when she learned the line option would eventually be terminated.
“It’s taking an easy step away from people who might need that easy step,” she said. “It creates somewhat of a barrier, because if you want to talk to someone who is specifically trained in LGBTQ concerns, while we will still answer all of that, it’s just another hurdle.”
Coleman Health Services offers mobile response stabilization services (on-site crisis assistance) for individuals under 21, a 24/7 crisis line and a 24/7 crisis services building located in Ravenna.
In a statement on the LGBTQ+ youth option lifeline shutting down, Myers said Coleman Health Services is prepared to make those in need of assistance feel welcomed and comfortable.
“We want to assure the community that we are here for everyone, no matter how they identify,” Myers said. “We provide the same compassionate crisis and hotline services to LGBTQ+ individuals as we do to anyone experiencing a mental health crisis. Our crisis staff in Portage County and our 988-trained staff elsewhere in Ohio are equipped to meet individuals where they are, assess risk and offer effective coping strategies and interventions.”
For additional mental health resources, reach out to these crisis intervention services in the Portage County area:
- CARES Center
- Counseling and Psychological Services
- Mental Health and Recovery Board of Portage County
- National Alliance on Mental Illness of Portage County
John Engoglia is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].
