The LA County Board of Supervisors has been working towards reinstating the LGBTQ+ hotline, which the Trump Administration cut because they believed it to be unnecessary
This week, the LA County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to pass a series of motions aimed at bringing back LGBTQ+ resources to the 988 mental health line. Referred to as “Press 3,” the initiative allowed callers to speak to counselors trained specifically to help with LGBTQ+ challenges and has been available since the 988 introduced it three years ago. Last year alone, 700,000 people called 988 and were directed to these services.
The initiative was originally shut down in July earlier this year when its funding was pulled by the Trump Administration, claiming that the group doesn’t need specialized services. However, leaders in LA feel otherwise, as Supervisor Janice Hahn explained, “LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to consider suicide because of the hostility and isolation that they too often experience”.
The approved program requires approval from the same federal agency that originally eliminated the service, but if approved will only restore the “Press 3” option for LA county callers. LA County would then have to identify and fund one or more contracted crisis intervention service providers to supply the LGBTQ+ focused crisis service. Hahn and Supervisor Lindsey Horvath also backed motions that support pending legislation from State Assemblymember Mark Gonzàlez that would fund and reinstate the resource statewide.
The state is taking measures to ensure the safety of the community, as the Newsom administration has partnered with the Trevor Project to provide specialized training for the state’s 988 crisis counselors. There is even an act currently under review in the House of Representatives, proposed by Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi in September, that would require the Department of Health and Human Services to maintain specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth and reserve no less than 9% of 988 lifeline funds each year to sustain and strengthen those services. The recognition nationwide is what allowed LA County to take the first step towards supporting the LGBTQ+ community, which they hope will spur the rest of the state to action as well.