Trump administration confirms it’s restoring LGBTQ+ youth crisis line it eliminated last year

The Trump administration says it is working to restore specialized suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by the end of the year, nearly a year after shutting them down. However, the implementation is being complicated byTrump administration’s exclusionary policies regarding transgender Americans. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the move.In a statement to The Advocate, an HHS spokesperson said SAMHSA is "working with the 988 Network Administrator Vibrant Emotional Health to reactivate Press 3 operations by the end of the year." The spokesperson described the effort as part of Congress’s fiscal year 2026 directive to restore the services.In a Tuesday correspondence to a bipartisan group of lawmakers obtained earlier by The Advocate, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said on behalf of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that it is evaluating how to restore the 988 Lifeline's specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth, commonly known as the "Press 3" option, following Congress’s direction in fiscal year 2026 funding legislation. The letter was addressed to Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat, and copied to Reps. Sharice Davids of Kansas, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Seth Moulton of Massachusetts. Rep. Michael Lawler, a New York Republican, was also copied on the letter.Related: California moves to restore a lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth that Trump eliminatedBut the agency also said any restoration would need to comply with President Donald Trump's Executive Order 14168, which requires federal agencies to recognize only two sexes and rejects federal recognition of transgender identities."SAMHSA is currently assessing the most appropriate approach to implementing this congressional directive for the 'Press 3' option within the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, while ensuring compliance with Executive Order 14168," Chr