In a striking move with far-reaching implications, the Trump administration has begun formal steps to dismantle federally funded mental health support for LGBTQ+ youth, proposing the elimination of “specialized services for LGBT youth” under the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and broader Behavioral Health Crisis Services, according to the Department of Health and Human Services' Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees Letter. 

Two months ago, an early version of the president's budget was leaked by The Washington Post, showing plans to cut key mental health programs. Among them were services for LGBTQ+ youth through the 988 Lifeline, support for Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers, Assertive Community Treatment for people with serious mental illness, and grants that help families and individuals navigate mental health challenges. 

Yesterday, The Trevor Project, one of the prominent LGBTQ+ support organizations for 988, announced that the Trump Administration had notified them that their contract would be severed on July 17, 2025. 

If officially approved by Congress before the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, the proposed cuts could drastically alter the landscape of mental health care for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth in America, eliminating trusted, identity-affirming crisis support at a time when demand is only growing.

Cutting Ties By Cutting Contracts

On Oct. 17, 2020, Congress passed and President Trump signed into law the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-172) that designated 988 as the new national three-digit emergency number focused on suicide prevention and mental health crisis response. 

Within two years of its creation, the Department of Health and Human Services developed a strategy to provide access to competent, specialized services for high-risk populations such as LGBTQ+ youth, minorities, and individuals in rural communities with the integration of contractors and subcontractors in those specialized fields. 

The seven groups that provide 988 services to LGBTQ+ young people are:

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 988 Lifeline Performance Metrics, as of Feb.1, the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline's LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services has received 1,284,075 contacts since its launch in July 2022. 

In a separate document from the one stated above, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a “FY 2026 Budget In Brief”, where the agency maintains that “HHS is committed to ensuring that individuals receive the care and support they need to lead healthy and productive lives. The budget maintains $520 million for the 988-Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to provide immediate access to mental and behavioral health services for people in crisis.”

However, it appears that the “assurance” of commitment comes with the assumption that any mental health crisis will be without any relation to an LGBTQ+ basis. 

The Demographic At Harm

The Trevor Project estimates that at least one LGBTQ+ youth (ages 13-24) attempts suicide every 45 seconds. It is a number that is expected to only shrink with the anticipation of eliminated resources in the US. 

“Suicide prevention is about risk, not identity. Ending the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ youth specialized services will not just strip away access from millions of LGBTQ+ kids and teens, it will put their lives at risk,” said Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, in a news statement last month. “These programs were implemented to address a proven, unprecedented, and ongoing mental health crisis among our nation’s young people with strong bipartisan support in Congress and signed into law by President Trump himself.”

A Looming Future 

The key component of this proposal is that it has yet to be approved by Congress, as is customary in the appropriations process. With FY 2026 coming soon, starting Oct. 1, 2025, a decision on funding will need to come before then. With only several months until that looming deadline, many organizations and public figures have come forward to publicly lobby Congress and urge their respective lawmakers to maintain funding for 988 caller support care. 

One such act is the Open Letter, endorsed by The Trevor Project, where celebrities like Eugene Lee Yang, Doechii, Pedro Pascal, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more voice their mutual support for protesting against the administration’s move to eliminate support for one of the most at-risk demographics in the nation. 

And more so, several senators have collaborated to write public letters to  Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, voicing their disagreement with President Trump's recommendations on discretionary funding altogether. 

Spearheaded by Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, the group of senators wrote, “Given the Administration has claimed addressing youth mental health as a priority, elimination of specialized services specifically designed for at-risk youth is irresponsible. We urge you to reconsider and support continued funding for the program.”

If these proposals are passed by Congress before the start of the next fiscal year, the future could look very different for at-risk youth in America.