California to supply LGBTQ suicide prevention hotline after Trump administration axes it

California will associate with the Trevor Venture to supply suicide prevention help to LGBTQ+ youth, state officers introduced Wednesday. The announcement comes weeks after the Trump administration mentioned it’s going to now not present nationwide suicide and disaster hotline companies to LGBTQ+ youth.

LGBTQ+ youth are significantly weak to suicide danger due to how they’re mistreated and stigmatized in society, mentioned the California-based Trevor Venture, a number one LGBTQ+ advocacy group.

The Trevor Venture began offering specialised help to LGBTQ+ youth via the nationwide 988 Suicide & Disaster Lifeline in September 2022. Often called the “Press 3 option,” the service connects LGBTQ+ youth and younger adults beneath 25 with a educated counselor. Since its launch in 2022, the “Press 3” line has related greater than 1.5 million folks in disaster with assets.

The Trevor Venture served as the only real supplier for the pilot part of 988 LGBTQ+ youth specialised companies earlier than transitioning to function considered one of seven facilities that at the moment make up the LGBTQ+ Youth Subnetwork.

The group mentioned it served greater than 231,000 disaster contacts in 2024 and educated and supported practically 250 workers members and counselors to help the hotline.

However final month, the Trump administration introduced that as of July 17, it will now not present the “Press 3 option” for “LGB+ youth” — omitting the “T” for transgender — on the nationwide psychological well being hotline with the intention to “focus on serving all help seekers.” The administration mentioned federal funding for the service included $29.7 million for the 2023 fiscal yr and $33 million for the 2024 fiscal yr.

“This is devastating, to say the least,” Trevor Venture CEO Jaymes Black mentioned final month of the choice. “Suicide prevention is about people, not politics. 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.”

California mentioned Wednesday the Trevor Venture will prepare the state’s 988 disaster counselors on the best way to help LGBTQ youth. The state mentioned 12 nationwide name facilities are at the moment staffed throughout California with counselors educated to answer callers needing help throughout suicide and behavioral well being crises.

The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention listed suicide because the second main explanation for loss of life amongst youth aged 10 to 14 and the third main explanation for loss of life amongst younger folks aged 15 to 24 in 2022. The Trevor Venture’s 2024 nationwide survey on the psychological well being of LGBTQ younger folks discovered that 39% of LGBTQ+ youth had critically thought of making an attempt suicide prior to now yr, together with roughly half of transgender and nonbinary youth. The survey additionally discovered that half of LGBTQ+ youth who reported wanting psychological well being care had been unable to get it.

For the reason that pandemic, California has made youth psychological well being assets a key precedence. The state started an overhaul of California’s psychological well being system in 2022, with a $4.7 billion funding into increasing assets and rising entry to companies to Californians aged 0-25.

Further psychological well being help obtainable to California youth embrace the California’s Youngsters and Youth Behavioral Well being Initiative, which affords behavioral well being companies and helps for kids, youth and households. The initiative additionally gives focused companies for LGBTQ+ youth, together with increasing group areas, rising workforce helps and elevating consciousness about suicide prevention.

Should you or somebody you recognize is combating emotions of melancholy or suicidal ideas, the 988 Suicide & Disaster Lifeline affords free, round the clock help, info and assets for assist. Name or textual content the lifeline at 988, or see the 988lifeline.org web site, the place chat is obtainable.

Initially Revealed: July 16, 2025 at 2:41 PM PDT