The Trump administration's move to eliminate specialized suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has sparked outrage among mental health advocates. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced this decision, which will take effect on July 17. Activists, including The Trevor Project's CEO Jaymes Black, condemned the decision, arguing that it undermines support for a vulnerable population. Although SAMHSA assures that all callers will still receive help from skilled counselors, concerns persist about the impact this change will have on LGBTQ+ youth, who experience disproportionately high rates of suicidal ideation.
"This is devastating, to say the least," Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, said in a statement.
"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."
"Just last year alone, approximately 40% of LGBTQ youth considered suicide," he says, citing data from the most recent survey.
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