SAMHSA ends LGBTQ+ option as 988 marks three‐year milestone

The Substance Abuse and Men‐tal Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) on July 17 officially discontinued the “Press 3” option on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — a specialized feature that connected LGBTQ+ youth with counselors trained to support their unique mental health needs. The decision coincides with the third anniversary of the lifeline's launch on July 15, 2022, and follows the expiration of congressionally allocated funding that had sustained the LGBTQ+ subnetwork. In response to the change, at least one crisis center provider has stated it is prepared to manage a potential increase in calls to the main lifeline.