The Trump administration is considering removing specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth from the 988 Suicide Prevention and Crisis Lifeline, as part of a broader effort to reduce federal health spending. This potential defunding, set to begin in October, would directly affect The Trevor Project, a key subcontractor providing these crucial services to LGBTQ+ youth. The decision comes amid a restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services into the Administration for a Healthy America, which could impact various health services. Despite bipartisan support for the 988 Lifeline, concerns arise that eliminating these services would endanger LGBTQ+ youth, who face higher suicide rates than their peers. The proposal has sparked significant concern among mental health advocates, who emphasize the Lifeline's role in addressing the mental health crisis among young people across the nation.

The Trump administration is reportedly planning to cut specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth from the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline as part of a broader budget reduction strategy for federal health spending. This has raised concerns among mental health advocates and organizations like The Trevor Project, which has been providing these services since 2022.

The Administration for a Healthy America, a new structure consolidating functions within the Department of Health and Human Services, is considering eliminating funding for the LGBTQ+ youth services, despite the 988 Lifeline's bipartisan support and its critical role in mental health crisis intervention.

The potential removal of the LGBTQ+ subnetwork from the 988 Lifeline, which has routed over 1.2 million calls to specialized services, comes amid ongoing discussions within the Trump administration, reportedly without input from the 988 team, according to an anonymous HHS source.

Statistics indicate that suicide rates among LGBTQ+ youth are significantly higher than their peers, underscoring the critical need for dedicated crisis support services. The 988 Lifeline allows callers to reach trained counselors by pressing 3, specifically catering to LGBTQ+ youth since its launch in July 2022.

Mental health experts, including former HHS assistant secretary Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, express concerns about the broader implications of the HHS restructuring, which could lead to shifts or eliminations in staffing and funding support for various 988 services, including those for veterans and Spanish speakers.

An internal memo suggests maintaining funding for Spanish-speaking services but cutting funds for LGBTQ+ youth services, along with removing financial support for other behavioral health centers of excellence catering to diverse communities.

The Trevor Project and other advocates emphasize the importance of maintaining specialized services within the 988 Lifeline to address the ongoing mental health crisis among high-risk youth populations, urging the administration to uphold its commitment to suicide prevention.