On Friday, June 20, the NC Department of Health and Human Services announced that the United States Department of Health and Human Services is eliminating federal funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline that’s dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth services.
Beginning on Thursday, July 17, 2025, people who call 988 will no longer have the option to press 3, which is the extension specific to LGBTQ+ youth considering suicide.
In an attempt to reaffirm North Carolina’s commitment to serving everyone who calls 988 for crisis care, NCDHHS Director of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services Kelly Crosbie issued the following statement:
“The need for mental health care for young people in North Carolina has never been greater, and we are committed to reaching every person in every community in every corner of our state. North Carolina is a national leader in 988 implementation, with calls being answered in under 14 seconds on average, with every call being answered. This will not end with the elimination of federal dollars to support the 988 option to press 3 for the LGBTQ+ community. More than 8,000 North Carolinians call the 988 Lifeline each month for support. Everyone can and should still call 988, including members of the LGBTQ+ community. Experienced and trained 988 operators will respond to all calls and ensure that people receive the support and resources that they need.”
The move by the federal government is just one instance of the effort of the administration of President Donald Trump to eliminate all elements of diversity, equity and inclusion in government matters.
According to state health officials, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 14, and is a leading cause of death among 15–24-year-olds.
They also state that LGBTQ+ young people are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers.
State officials note that resources are available on the NCDHHS Suicide Prevention website for “social or family situations, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, thoughts of suicide, alcohol or drug use, or if you just need someone to talk to.”
The state also offers a “Crisis Services Communications Toolkit” that includes free flyers, posters and other resources to promote and explain crisis services in communities in English and Spanish.
Those experiencing a mental health crisis can call the 988 Lifeline 24/7 and they can also text or chat. Targeted resources are available for veterans, Spanish speakers, and currently for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults.
North Carolinians can also call the Peer Warmline (1-855-PEERS NC [855-733-7762]) 24/7 to speak with a Peer Support Specialist. Those are “people living in recovery with mental illness and/or substance use disorder who provide support to others who may have similar life experiences and can benefit from their lived experiences.”
In addition, NCDHHS crisis services include mobile crisis teams that can come to a person, as well as community crisis centers – that is, safe places where people in distress can get help from a licensed clinician without needing to go to the emergency room.
When I left Britain there used to be a volunteer organization that had a toll free number for people who were in dreadful distress, contemplating suicide. I seem to remember that they were called The Samaritans. I remember thinking how difficult it must be to try to touch someone who’s suicidal, and trying to give them at least enough hope not to slit their wrists then and there. I always believed those volunteers were heroic.
I don’t think they ever got a penny of taxpayer funds.
With funding we could hope they had the right training to help people in a very difficult time in their lives. But we know the current federal government doesn’t beleive in its role of helping those that are struggling. Just helping the wealthy.
—————
Is that why Trump’s abolishing tax on overtime, tips, and Social Security?
The people struggling are the ones he is pulling healthcare from, so when the single mother waitress losses her job she wont have healthcare for her kids or herself. THAT is how he is funding a massive tax cut for the wealthy.
————-
I think your waitress will be very happy that her tips will no longer be taxed.
And she’s not wealthy.
No, the funding is not being pulled from the single mother waitress who loses her job and doesn’t have healthcare for her kids and herself. It’s cutting funding for a specific telephone line at the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline so “…people who call 988 will no longer have the option to press 3, which is the extension specific to LGBTQ+ youth considering suicide.”
IF you ARE LGBTQ+ youth, you can still call 988 and talk to a TRAINED counselor, just like before. The only difference is that you don’t Press 3. Nothing has changed.
Deborah, I was referring to Austin’s comment pointing to his belief that the positives in the bill outweigh the negatives. Keep up.
To further expound on why I disagree with Austin on the Big Debt Bill is that most of the tax benefits go to the wealthiest. While there are some tax benefits for some workers, they are going to be offset by the Tariff tax driving up prices and the national debt will grow so we are now at a point where interest rates will never return to the low levels that drove our housing market growth and will just bankrupt our children’s future.
We need to increase taxes on wealthiest and corporations AND cut spending and bring back true fiscal responsibility by balancing the budget during periods of stable economic growth. No complicated.
Chris : I never said any such thing. In fact, I never even mentioned the Big Beautiful Bill.
Chris, you have a reading comprehension problem.
And you should be more careful. Your prejudice is showing.
Austin, you do realize where those tax benefits are being proposed. Duh, in the Big Debt Bill.
Let’s work on your context next time when you are attempting to use budding reading comprehension skills. LMAO
Chris, you twist language, you put words in other people’s mouths, and you misrepresent what they said.
All.
The.
Time.
Your M.O. consists of making straw man arguments and then critiquing them. It’s fallacious, and sly.
LOL, twist words? I just referred to the Big Debt Bill versus spelling out the few items in the bill that are a positive to working class people which are all included in the Big Debt Bill. LOL. Reading comprehension really isn’t your thing. Maybe you should go study before commenting here anymore.
But you be you.
… says the guy who believes that single mother waitresses are wealthy.
And workers who get overtime. And old folk on Social Security.
—————
One of us is certainly living in a make believe little fantasy world – but it’s not me.
Wow. Austin, you really are struggling with your reading. You ok?
The hotline isn’t cancelled, dummy, just the ultra specific, specialized, for a very few minorities only hotline. If it was a white males only hotline that got cancelled, you wouldn’t be complaining. Besides, if I had the money for 10 hotline positions why would I focus only on a portion of the at risk population instead of having all 10 spots be able to serve the whole community? Seems pretty simple and a good solution to use my tax money a little more wisely.
So let’s get this right. Conservatives do all they can to isolate and strand kids struggling with their sexual identify so when those kids hit their very bottom, they now will no longer have people specifically trained to deal with the unique nature of that type of repression’s impact on their young lives.
Yeah, conservatives’ pro-life rhetoric has never been about kids. Conservatives just want to control and repress anything or anyone that doesn’t fit their view of how the world should work. And of course, they use the Christian faith (incorrectly) as their justification for discrimination and hate. Kinda like some other groups that blend religion and political power.
Chris my grandfather used to tell all his kids and grandkids, put on your big boy pants and get over it. 15 kids over 35 grandkids and multiple great grandkids and not a single one ever committed suicide so Chris put on your big boy pants and get over it. You hate WHITE people, conservatives and TRUMP, everyone on here knows it.
Keep talking Chris!
You are demonstrating that I’m correct in asserting that Leftists have real mental health issues.
Anger issues too.
Nice rant. However, finite tax dollars have to be spent more wisely. Catering to a small sub-group is not doing so. Services are still available to the LGBT crowd, just like they are available to everyone else. How can we all get along if everyone keeps wanting to be counted separate and apart? Not complicated, dummy.
Why would you think I hate white people Rebel? I am embarrassed by people in the white community who deny the historical impact of racism on today’s black community as an excuse to label DEI as racist but happy to discuss those topics as they are indeed more complex than they were in the world of open racism of the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s 70s and 80s.
Weird.
I do indeed hate Trump and his policies based on ignorance of immigrant’s contributions to our economy, how tariffs work, foreign relations, his use of lies on a daily basis in most of his communications, and most importantly anti science views based on his hatred of people more intelligent than himself (hence his attacks on higher education, science and the broader research community which have historically made us the greatest nation in the world.)
But you be you.
———
Chris finally admits he is consumed with hatred.
There you have it.
I never used the word consumed. Just stating a fact. Trump is bad for America’s future. Not complicated.
* Chris : stop hating.
You’ll feel better.
Good
That being said Chris please tell us why the stock market is doing so well today if Trumps policies are so bad.
TACO.
No reason the state cannot continue this.
I don’t understand why they can’t use the same suicide hotline as everyone else in the country. Why do they have to have their own designated suicide line? I think he should discontinue it. Shut it down. They are no more special than anyone else. I don’t care if they’re gay or not gay. If they can’t use a normal suicide hotline because of their sexual preference, that’s their problem. Anyone trained in suicide prevention would know exactly what to do whether you’re gay or straight. It’s a waste of taxpayer money and federal money to have a suicide line strictly dedicated to the alphabet soup.
ditto
It’s the same hotline, just you press 3 when you call it to speak with people trained in LGBTQ+ issues. Those people are the ones being laid off. Mental Health is not a monolith and there are a lot of different specialties. The hotline provides lots of different specialties to make sure people calling in speaks to the right person trained in that specialty/area. Only the LGBTQ+ specialty is being removed and the suicide rates among that group are high.
Right, why remove the specialty for LGBTQ given that it is conservative political agenda to isolate and degrade people in the LGBTQ community? Just another attempt to hurt those that the conservatives view as outside their realm of acceptable people. You know, along with Brown people, black people, Muslims and democrats, Pathetic, hurtful and just mean of the Trump administration. But bullies have to bully.
But you be you.
Part of the swamp. Who determines what “need” is? And who gets it? Who pays for it?
I have a suggestion, a hotline for everyone, not just the ABCDEFU group. 911.
Why not a dedicated line for straight white males? Or would that be racist??? And sexist??
Funny how it’s “evil” when the positions are reversed, ain’t it?
The question is why would straight white males need one? Are they being isolated and discriminated against or shamed for existing as God made them? Nope. But thanks for sharing your ignorance and bigotry for all to see by repeating the lie that providing care those marginalized in our society is somehow taking something away from you.
the people who know? the value of this should staff & fund it. i have done this personally with this message on my voicemail: SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP
We get it. you don’t have empathy or sympathy for other people’s problems until they impact you. Got it. Just like every other modern conservative.
‘we’ ? have a turd in your pocket ? just kidding ! years ago @ initial visit to my new MD she asked if i need psych counseling, ‘no’ because i had (then) primo parents, relatives,friends. ‘if you are having a mental emergency hang up & dial 911’ & dun. does r bradbury’s ‘fahrenheit 451’ opening paragraphs resemble this situation ? predict it ?
Weird