U.S. — The Trump administration is working to reinstate a specialized LGBTQ+ option for youth contacting the 988 crisis intervention hotline. The administration ended the "press 3" option in July 2024 after providing one month's notice, stating that funding had run out. Federal officials announced at that time that LGBTQ+ youth could still access help through the 988 general services.

The administration states it is working to bring back the "press 3" service by the end of the year. Congress previously directed officials to allocate $33 million toward LGBTQ+-specific interventions for youth. Vibrant Emotional Health, which administers the 988 service, has issued a call for applications from crisis centers to manage the returning "press 3" lines. These applications are restricted to crisis centers that are current and active members of the 988 network.

The Trevor Project, a New York-based non-profit focused on suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth, may not be eligible to offer the service it helped develop for the 988 Lifeline. The organization is not currently an active member of the 988 network. The "press 3" option previously allowed callers to press the number 3, text 'PRIDE,' or use online chat to reach counselors trained to work with LGBTQ+ young people. This option fielded 1.6 million contacts while it was active, according to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Trevor Project handled approximately half of the "press 3" program's traffic. The organization also independently operates its own 24/7 crisis line for LGBTQ+ young people.

Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin, commented on the situation. "The Trump administration never should have shut down the 'press 3' option and put young Americans at further risk," Baldwin said. She added that the service should be restored "without needless limitations and with the most qualified, experienced people answering the phone calls and text messages from these vulnerable young people."

Dr. Christine Yu Moutier, Chief Medical Officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, noted that it "would not make sense" to keep The Trevor Project ineligible. She described it as a "longstanding, high-quality and trusted resource" for LGBTQ+ individuals. Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, expressed concerns about the changes. "This troubling development indicates a dangerous step toward degrading the clinical standards to serve high risk groups that the 'press 3' specialized services were founded on," Black said. He also stated that he worries the next iteration of 988's LGBTQ+ youth services "may exclude transgender and non-binary youth entirely." A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that the department is working with Vibrant Emotional Health to restore the service by the end of the year as directed by Congress. Six other crisis centers that previously worked on the LGBTQ+ youth program are active in the 988 network.