Health
Illinois Will Continue Providing LGBTQ+ Youth Support on 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline Amid Federal Cuts
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline national conference in Chicago on April 30, 2024. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)
The 988 suicide prevention hotline in Illinois will continue to provide mental health support services for LGBTQ+ youth despite federal funding cuts, the Illinois Department of Human Services announced Thursday.
The announcement comes as the Trump administration’s elimination of the specialized LGBTQ+ youth services for the 988 hotline goes into effect nationwide.
In addition to preserving services, IDHS is working to expand crisis counselor training specific to supporting LGBTQ+ youth and is continuing to advertise the 988 hotline with LGBTQ+ affirming messages and imagery, according to a news release.
“988 is a way to connect, especially in moments when things feel heavy,” IDHS Secretary Dulce Quintero, a member and advocate of the LGBTQ+ community, said in a news release. “In Illinois, we’re focused on keeping those connections strong, and making sure people know they’re not navigating this alone.”
Last month, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that runs the 988 national hotline, announced the elimination of the hotline’s LGBTQ+ youth specialized services program.
“On July 17, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will no longer silo LGB+ youth services, also known as the ‘Press 3 option,’ to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option,” according to a SAMHSA announcement last month, notably removing the letter ‘T’ from the LGBTQ+ acronym. ‘T’ represents the transgender community.
After launching in 2022, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, established a network of crisis counselors specifically trained to work with LGBTQ+ youth and adults under 25, who are disproportionately at risk for suicide and other mental health struggles.
In Illinois, the 988 hotline’s LGBTQ+ youth specialized services program supports more than 1,600 calls and 600 chats or texts per month, according to a news release. The hotline’s contact centers in Illinois are funded by IDHS.
The social services organization PATH serves as one of Illinois’ 988 contact centers, handling chat, text and phone calls from individuals in multiple areas of the state.
“The loss of dedicated 988 support for LGBTQIA+ individuals is not just a policy change,” PATH CEO Adam Carter said in a news release. “It is the loss of a life-saving connection. For many, speaking to someone who shared their identity was the difference between staying silent and reaching out. This is a matter of life and death.”
Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]
