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The Trump administration on Thursday afternoon officially terminated the
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ Youth Specialized Services program, which gave callers under age 25 the option to speak with LGBTQ-trained counselors.
The announcement that the specialized service would be shuttered was made
last month by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA). The agency said it would “no longer silo LGB+
youth services” — notably removing the “T” representing the transgender community — and would instead “focus on serving all help seekers.”
“Everyone who contacts the 988 Lifeline will continue to receive access to skilled, caring, culturally competent crisis counselors who can help with suicidal, substance misuse, or mental health crises, or any other kind of emotional distress. Anyone who calls the Lifeline will continue to receive compassion and help,” the agency stated at the time.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline launched in July 2022, two years after President Donald Trump signed the National Suicide Hotline Designation
Act, making 988 the universal number for the national suicide prevention
line. The bipartisan legislation noted that LGBTQ youths “are more than 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide than their peers and stated that SAMHSA “must be equipped to provide specialized resources” to high-risk populations, including LGBTQ youths.
All the better. Help them reach their goals!
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/trump-shuts-down-lgbtq-youth- suicide-hotline-rcna219090
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