CHICAGO, Ill. (WMBD) — Illinoisians in the LGBTQIA+ community will still have access to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, thanks to the Illinois Department of Human Services.
The IDHS announced that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in Illinois will continue to provide mental health support services for LGBTQIA+ youth, according to a news release from the department.
The IDHS also said this comes after the federal government ended funding last month for specific support on the 988 Lifeline.
“The Trump Administration’s decision to end these specialized services is a cruel reversal of proven practices,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. “Unequivocally, in Illinois, we stand side by side with each member of the LGBTQIA+ community, including transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming youth. If you need help and you call 988, you’ll be met with the compassion, competence and respect.”
The IDHS said that after its launch in 2022, the 988 Lifeline created a subnetwork of crisis counselors trained to work with LGBTQ+ children and adults under 25, who are "disproportionately at risk for suicide and other mental health struggles."
They said suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 14, and the third leading cause of death among 15 to 24-year-olds. LGBTQIA+ young people are also more than four times as likely to attempt suicide compared to their peers.
IDHS said each month in Illinois, the LGBTQIA+ youth subnetwork of the 988 Lifeline receives more than 1,600 calls and 600 chats or texts.
A representative is available 24/7 in English or Spanish by calling or texting 988. Those calling or texting the number are not required to share any identifying information, the release said.
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July 17, 2025 at 03:55PM
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