LGBTQ advocates hope for 'culturally competent' training with suicide prevention lifeline's shift to 988

This story contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Every 45 seconds, at least one LGBTQ youth in the United States between ages 13 and 24 attempts suicide, according to The Trevor Project.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 14 and 25 to 34, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but LGBTQ youth are four times more likely to consider, make a plan for or attempt suicide, The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention nonprofit for LGBTQ young people, says.

That's why advocates hope expanded, culturally competent services will be available to LGBTQ young people and others facing increased risks of suicide when the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline switches to its three digit number, 988, in July.

"When you are an LGBTQ person, and a young person, and you're a Black or brown LGBTQ person, or someone who's at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities, I do think we need just someone to talk to. Just one person … Just that communication, just that acceptance, just that affirmation from just one adult," said Preston Mitchum, director of advocacy and government affairs at The Trevor Project.

SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE WILL SOON BE 3 DIGITS: Is the country ready for the switch to 988?

According to The Trevor Project's research, LGBTQ youth who reported having at least one adult who is accepting of them were 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt.

When the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 became law, it specifically acknowledged the importance of suicide services for LGTBQ youth, minorities, rural individuals and other high-risk populations.

The switch to 988 is about more than just making a ten digit number three digits, Mitchum said. With an expected uptick in call volume, more training on best practices for suicide prevention among LGBTQ youths is essential, he said.

In practice, that type of training may be teaching how to ask for a person's pronouns or understanding how different responses and services are necessary for someone who is LGBTQ and homeless or LGBTQ and Black, Mitchum said.

"So culturally competent training can look like something that seems small like that, but makes a world of a difference," he added.

Additionally, when a 988 call does require some form of in-person assistance, the shift away from police and toward mobile crisis teams through 988 can address the trauma some communities associate with police calls, said Debbie Plotnick, vice president for state and federal advocacy at Mental Health America.

Sending police to a mental health crisis can send the wrong message to the person experiencing a crisis, said John Draper, executive director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, because it implies there is something criminal about being in crisis.

Often, police protocols require a person be transferred in the back of a car and in handcuffs, and sometimes the interaction with police itself can create further tensions, Plotnick added.

And young LGTBQ people who have experienced a trauma like police victimization have reported higher rates of suicide attempts, Mitchum said.

The shift to 988 also helps reframe the typically stigmatized perception to emergency response in the United States, said Dr. Morgan Medlock, state behavioral health commissioner in Colorado.

"The real power of shifting to 988 is that, frankly, individuals and families across this country can no longer feel that they're calling police on their loved ones. They are calling for help," she added.

In the long term, Draper said he hopes more 911 calls for people experiencing a mental health or suicidal crisis will be transferred to 988. Estimates for the share of 911 calls that concern mental health or suicidal crisis range between 8% to 15%, and sometimes up to 20% in certain communities, Draper said.

"This is a huge opportunity for 911, as well as 988, to address public health and safety issues in a very different way," Draper said.

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night, or chat online.

Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.