FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 19, 2025On July 17, the option went dead for LGBTQ+ youth to access specialized mental health support from the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Gavin Newsom’s office announcing a partnership with The Trevor Project to provide training on LGBTQ+ youth issues for the crisis counselors in the state who answer calls to the general 988 crisis line. The state supports the 988 services via a 7-cent annual fee on cellphone lines. Hannah Wesolowski, chief advocacy officer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said Congress could put the funding for the LGBTQ+ line in any final appropriations bill it passes. Federal lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have spoken out against the closure of the LGBTQ+ 988 option and urged that it be reinstated.