988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline restores LGBTQ+ youth support

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline LGBTQ+ youth support mental health services crisis hotline The Trevor Project

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has restored its specialized “Press 3” option, which connects LGBTQ+ youth to trained counselors. The service was reinstated on September 30, 2026, following a congressional mandate and bipartisan funding requirements after being suspended by the Trump administration in July 2025.

While the specialized routing has returned, The Trevor Project, which helped launch the program in 2022, confirmed that its role in the federal service has not been restored after a proposal to rejoin was rejected.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stated that the restoration complies with congressional directives. However, HHS officials indicated that the service will operate in alignment with administration policies regarding gender identity, noting a commitment to executive orders concerning biological sex and gender ideology.