NEW YORK STATE HIGHLIGHTS RESOURCES TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH AMONG THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY IN RECOGNITION OF PRIDE MONTH

 

Enacted FY 2027 State Budget Also Funds Specialized Training for 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Counselors; Separate Line to Help LGBTQ+ Youth

Innovative Community Mental Health Programs Have Supported Hundreds of Individuals, Families from Often Marginalized Groups  

The New York State Office of Mental Health announced bold prevention initiatives underway to help reduce suicide risk among LGBTQ+ youth and to ensure everyone in this community has access to culturally appropriate crisis support when they are in need. Specifically, the Enacted FY 2027 State Budget will fund a specialized crisis line and train local 988 contact centers to handle concerns of LGBTQ+ individuals.  

“LGBTQ+ youth are at extremely high risk for mental health challenges, and we need to ensure that our supports and services meet their needs,” Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said. “These community-based programs are helping to connect LGBTQ+ youth with tailored supportive services enabling them to thrive in their community. These initiatives reflect Governor Hochul’s ongoing commitment to the mental health of all our youth.”  

LGBTQ+ youth and young adults experience elevated rates of suicidal ideation and face persistent barriers to accessing mental health care. Roughly 39 percent of LGBTQ+ youth in New York State seriously considered suicide, including 45 percent of transgender and nonbinary youth, according to a 2024 survey completed by The Trevor Project.  

As part of the Enacted FY 2027 Budget, New York State took additional steps to continue serving young people in New York’s LGBTQ+ community after the federal government suspended the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s ‘press 3’ option. OMH will receive $1.8 million to enhance the capacity of the 988 system by providing training for hundreds of local crisis counselors who answer calls, with a specific focus on handling concerns and needs of the LGBTQ+ community. 

The federally funded 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s specialized service for LGBTQ+ youth was serving between 50,000 and 60,000 young people per month before being shuttered in July 2025. While federal officials suggested in April this service could be revived, the ‘press 3’ option remains defunct, highlighting the need for this specialized service in New York State.  

Given the urgent need, OMH will also work with a provider to offer a specialized line and insulate the state in the event the ‘press 3’ option isn’t restored or is eliminated in the future. This funding will also position New York State as a leader in addressing suicide risk among the LQBTQ+ population. 

OMH is supporting innovative community projects aimed at reducing suicide risk among racial and ethnic minority populations and LGBTQ+ groups. There are four recently funded programs that are specifically focused on enhancing efforts to improve the mental health of young LGBTQ+ people.   

Access: Supports for Living Inc. developed the Youth Resilience, Education, and Advocacy for Children’s Health program –also called Youth REACH –to focus primarily on suicide prevention for youth and young adults from historically marginalized or underrepresented communities, with a special focus on LGBTQ+ individuals. Serving both rural and urban communities in Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, and Ulster counties, this program has connected with 323 individuals between ages 15 and 24, and who completed mental health safety plans.   

Among program highlights since launching, Youth REACH established a bilingual lending library with a focus on LGBTQ+ and mental health materials. The program also partners with schools and community providers to provide evidence-based training, including Teen and Youth Mental Health First Aid, naloxone delivery, and ‘Question, Persuade, Refer’ suicide prevention. 

NY Foundling’s Identity and Acceptance program is now serving 46 youths identifying as transgender, gender non-conforming, or non-binary up to age 21. This New York City-based service provider offers clinical services, events, community space, clothes, school supplies, materials, and other wrap-around services, with the goal of building a sense of safety and connectedness.   

This program has seven locations in New York City offering individual supportive counseling featuring peer mentors with lived experience. The program has created a youth advisory council to inform programming and runs a community closet providing free gender-affirming clothing and other items.   

The Albany-based Rainbow Access Initiative has launched its Prism Transcend Program, which has enrolled 52 youth and young adults between 16 and 24 from the Capital Region who identify as transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary. This program creates safe and inclusive peer support spaces, case management, and incorporates harm reduction strategies to foster community building among this population.  

Prism Transcend has established links with Albany High School, Skidmore College, and the State University of New York at Albany, facilitating workshops, suicide prevention awareness, and referrals for services. Capital Region youth use the program for support, positive development activities, and links to higher levels of care.  

The Buffalo-based Gay and Lesbian Youth Services of Western New York’s Transgender Youth Pathway Program has connected with 412 individuals and family members in Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. This program provides access to supportive relationships aimed at expanding resilience, and self-advocacy, while also fostering access to affirming mental health supports  

Transgender Youth Pathway offers individual one-on-one sessions with credentialed youth peer advocates who have lived experience. The program also provides a helpline that connects family members with parents and caregivers of transgender youth to provide mentorship and support.