LGBTQ+ suicide hotline workers in NY and NJ face layoffs after federal funding cut

A dozen crisis workers in New York and New Jersey are expected to lose their jobs after a federal agency cut funding for LGBTQ+ specific services on the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

They are among more than 200 employees at the Trevor Project who were notified of pending layoffs, according to a letter sent to their union and obtained by Gothamist.

The cuts come amid a broader rollback of federal support for LGBTQ+ programs, including efforts to limit access to gender-affirming care and reframe antidiscrimination protections.

Until recently, people who called or texted 988, the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, could press 3 to be routed to LGBTQ+ affirming counselors. But the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which funds the service, said last month it would stop financing the option, citing its $33 million cost.

More than 1 million people have used the LGBTQ+ line since it launched in 2022, SAMHSA said.

The following day, the Trevor Project, a national nonprofit contracted to handle over half of those calls, notified New York's Communications Workers of America Local 1180 that 212 of its unionized staff could be laid off on July 17. Six other union workers funded partly through the 988 program are also affected, according to the June 18 letter.

“People are going to die,” said Gloria Middleton, president of CWA Local 1180, which represents the workers. “We are going to see that happen.”

Middleton said most of the dozen local workers affected are based in New York, with three in New Jersey. She said she plans to protest the cuts alongside civil rights groups at a rally outside Trump Tower on Saturday.

The Trevor Project said it was given just 30 days’ notice of the funding loss and called it “an impossible situation.”

Middleton said she has seen crisis calls increase since the start of the year.

“Since Donald Trump came into office, the calls have escalated with people needing to have help so they don’t decide to take their lives,” she said.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The layoffs come as New York’s mental health infrastructure is already strained. A nonprofit that operates one of the city’s in-state 988 call centers announced in April that it may have to lay off a third of its staff due to a $10 million budget gap.

The state’s Office of Mental Health said it is preparing for a surge in call volume and may rely on backup national centers to fill the gaps. A spokesperson called the federal funding cuts “cruel” and said they eliminate a life-saving service.

‘Kids are going to die.’

The Trevor Project estimated that 12% of young LGBTQ+ people in New York have attempted suicide, and 39% have seriously considered it, according to a 2024 report.

Nearly half of those surveyed reported being unable to access mental health care, despite wanting it.

City Councilmember Erik Bottcher, a Manhattan Democrat who co-chairs the LGBTQ+ caucus, said he was one of them. Bottcher told Gothamist he attempted suicide at 15 and spent a month in a psychiatric hospital.

“Somewhere in New York City, there is a young person who is contemplating ending their life,” he said. “We need to reach them and give them the help that they need. This is gonna make that even more difficult. Kids are going to die.”

Bottcher said lawmakers are already discussing ways to respond, including urging federal officials to restore funding and seeking state and local dollars to keep LGBTQ+ crisis care accessible.

New York City and state lawmakers have responded to federal rollbacks by passing legislation to expand access to gender-affirming care and protect providers. The city budget passed last month includes nearly $14 million for transgender health and services — the most ever allocated.

In New York City, City Hall spokesperson Zachary Nosanchuk said Mayor Eric Adams remains committed to supporting LGBTQ+ New Yorkers and highlighted new city investments.

“Mayor Adams is dedicated to protecting the mental health of all New Yorkers, including members of our city’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community,” Nosanchuk said in a statement. “That’s why the Adams administration’s ‘Best Budget Ever’ invests an additional $5 million in the 988 crisis intervention and suicide prevention lifeline, and establishes the LGBTQ+ Emergency Support Fund – a rapid-response initiative to provide critical financial assistance to LGBTQ+ organizations and providers who have been affected by federal funding cuts.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call 988 or visit NYC 988 online.