With LGBTQ supports removed from national crisis hotline, Shapiro allocates state resources

The Shapiro administration is allocating state resources to preserve specialized supports for LGBTQ callers that were removed from a national suicide and crisis hotline in July.

With the 988 hotline used by millions of Pennsylvanians, Gov. Josh Shapiro posted on X in mid-August that he was directing officials to train additional operators in the state to help LGBTQ youth who call in.

The line, available to anyone who calls 988, had an option for nearly three years available to LGBTQ callers seeking an operator specially trained to support them. Though that "press 3" option ended July 17, federal funding remains steady overall for the hotline.

"The Trump administration's decision to defund counseling for LGBTQ+ youth who are struggling with mental health is just cruel," Shapiro's post said. "So here in Pennsylvania, we're doing something about it."

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in a June statement, said it was making the change, "to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option."

The state Department of Human Services said in Monday statement it is working directly with the Trevor Project, a national suicide prevention nonprofit.

"At the governor's direction, DHS has worked with Pennsylvania's 988 call centers to facilitate direct connections to the Trevor Project line as part of our administration's continued efforts to provide support and resources that help populations that are especially at risk of suicide, including LGBTQ individuals, veterans, farmers, and others," said the statement by a spokesperson.

The "press 1" option for veterans seeking tailored support via 988 remains in place.

What is the suicide hotline?

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline was launched as a 1-800 number in 2005, and the shortened 988 number went live in 2022, with options to call, text or chat.

Starting that September, LGBTQ callers could be directed to specially trained counselors. Use of that portal grew to nearly 1.6 million contacts from its start through July 2025, according to SAMHSA data.

Total contacts overall to the line, for roughly the same time period, were 17.8 million — 20.1 million including veterans' calls.

The Health and Human Services Administration's 2026 budget finds overall funding for the hotline holding at $520 million.

"Everyone who contacts the 988 Lifeline will continue to receive access to skilled, caring, culturally competent crisis counselors who can help with suicidal, substance misuse, or mental health crises, or any other kind of emotional distress," SAMHSA said in its June 17 statement.

Why was the press 3 option important?

LGBTQ rights advocates in the commonwealth worry that won't be enough, as that community — in particular, transgender youth — has higher rates of depression, anxiety and risk of suicide compared to the general population. Nearly half of all trans youth in America seriously considered suicide last year, according a Trevor Project survey.

"It's horrible that that option was released," said Christine Michaels, CEO of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Keystone PA. "There was a lot of thought and research and training to have the press 3 option."

While many trained crisis counselors may be part of the LGBTQ community themselves, it's not necessarily a guarantee that they will be trained to address the specificity of these callers' experiences, said Sarah Rosso, executive director of the Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation, a LGBTQ nonprofit in Pittsburgh's North Side.

"If it's not being routed in that way to a trained counselor, it's kind of a roll of the dice," she said. "The last thing anybody wants is for someone to call and for that crisis worker to not have the capacity and skill they need to support that young person."

State support

Shapiro's decision to increase supports for Pennsylvania hotline operators "makes sense," said Michaels, though no monetary specifics were provided in the governor's X post.

"The goal when someone calls for help is not to have to give them another number to call," she said. "A lot of the(se operators) are well-trained mental health professionals, so it's not a leap to think they could handle those calls."

Many who work in the mental health space are spotlighting the Trevor Project suicide hotline — it, too, has text and chat options — as an alternative. The nonprofit has been around for nearly three decades, when it set up the first 24/7 LGBTQ crisis line.

Pennsylvania's call centers that comprised the 988 line provided contacts with information on the Trevor Project's resources prior to the "press 3" option's elimination, said Pennsylvania's DHS in its Monday statement. It said call centers will continue to direct LGBTQ callers to this hotline.

Bolstering local resources

While the Trevor Project is a great resource, said Rosso, it has lost funding this year and may not have the capacity to take on the number of LGBTQ youth diverted from the defunct portal within 988.

She hopes to develop more local capacity in Allegheny County. That may look like alerting youth to resources in their area where they can go for trusted support, services or even a place of refuge if they are dealing with retaliation from their family or bullying.

The Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation, for instance, offers after-school programs and support groups for LGBTQ youth ages 14 to 21.

Those in the Allegheny County area who are seeking mental health support for their loved ones can also attend the NAMI Keystone McKeesport Family Support Group. Its next meeting is Sept. 3 in the Greater Allegheny Penn State Frable Building, room 122, in McKeesport.

Anna Lisa Haughwout, who runs the meetings, said the group has had around between 15 and 20 people since it started a few months ago, and that numbers continue to grow. Call 412-527-6600 for more information.

Additionally, the Trevor Project's crisis line is 1-866-488-7386 and available 24/7.

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