Discussion What would happen if the Trump admin defunded the CTB prevention hotline or CTB prevention programs?

[TAW122]

In the past few months, there was a news article about how the Trump administration is seeking the defund the CTB prevention service for LGBTQ+ youth (article linked below):

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/06/18/nx-s1-5438405/lgbtq-988-lifeline-samhsa-hhs

So this brings up a question for discussion. What would happen (even hypothetically speaking) if the Trump admin decides to ban or even heavily hamper, defund, or dismantle (ideal) the CTB prevention hotline and similar CTB prevention programs that would actively intervene against people who would attempt, ideate, or plan CTB? Personally, even though I did not vote for Trump, I, as a pro-choicer, would be in support of such an action because I understand and seen the paternalistic and authoritarian practices that the hotline as well as CTB prevention programs employ against CTB individuals. While there may be opposition and such, I personally think that if the state won't provide medical assisted death or peaceful, dignified exits for people who really want to go, then at the minimum, laissez faire off bodily autonomy would be step in the right direction, and while there may be more people who may end up CTB'ing, overall, it would still be a net positive towards the overall sum of bodily autonomy for most individuals.

A lot of opponents of such a change may cite that there would be unnecessary people who may end up dying, but the counterargument I have for that is that there would be less people wanting to CTB to begin with and perhaps even more who would open up due to the lessened risk of unwanted intervention and impingment upon one's bodily autonomy as well as civil liberties. Given that scenario (even if hypothetical) what do you think would happen if the Trump admin did something like that, either to a large degree or even to a smaller degree? This includes the rollback, defunding, and even dismantling of similar CTB prevention programs or even making it where the CTB prevention hotline is less prevalent and such.

 

[VargosMelon]

Well the issue I have is that he's not just defunding CTB hotlines, just LGBTQ+ hotlines, I can't help but see it as another extention of him rescending resources from these indivduals -- such as removing the mention of trans people from government websites. I believe that a lot of these hotlines are possibly the (maybe) the only outlet sometimes of support for these individuals. I can't say I have any resources to back up that claim. I guess another issue I have is what about the people who do want support, or aid, and they can't find it in their communities, family, or otherwise -- where do they reach out to?

 

[Forveleth]

...I understand and seen the paternalistic and authoritarian practices that the hotline as well as CTB prevention programs employ against CTB individuals.

This viewpoint comes from someone who actively wants to die and does not want interference. Therefore you see hotlines as the "enemy". Many, many people call the hotlines because they need someone to talk to and many get actual help calling. Your viewpoint here is very narrow and biased.

...there would be less people wanting to CTB to begin with...

This does not make any sense. People do not get the desire to kill themselves because suicide resources exist. As the US continues to move towards fascism, more and more people are having a hopeless outlook on life. I do not think suicide rates are decreasing anytime soon.

...and perhaps even more who would open up due to the lessened risk of unwanted intervention...

Open up to whom? Look at the threads on this site. So many people are here because they have no friends or family to talk to about this. Not only because they are afraid of intervention but because they have no one who genuinely cares about them. The threat of intervention is only one of the reasons people do not reach out.

...and impingment upon one's bodily autonomy as well as civil liberties.

While I suspect calling the hotline is one of the most common ways people get hauled off to a psych ward, it is often done by the police. Police loooooooove to haul people off and lock them up and, again, a fascist state favors an unchecked police force. If anything, lockups would increase. Also many medical facilities that people are hauled off to are privatized. Meaning their funding does not come from the government but from the bank accounts of their prisoners patients. Government funding does not affect them. Even if medical facilities no longer wanted to take psych patients, there are plenty of private prisons to hold them. Society just wants those people out of the way and will not change because government funding is cut.

I disagree with your reasoning on this. If hotlines are defunded, there are going to be many, many more people pent up and not reaching out at all. I think we would see an increase in drug use (or other escapism activities) and probably an increase in suicide.

 

[popcorn1234]

This viewpoint comes from someone who actively wants to die and does not want interference. Therefore you see hotlines as the "enemy". Many, many people call the hotlines because they need someone to talk to and many get actual help calling. Your viewpoint here is very narrow and biased.

This does not make any sense. People do not get the desire to kill themselves because suicide resources exist. As the US continues to move towards fascism, more and more people are having a hopeless outlook on life. I do not think suicide rates are decreasing anytime soon.

Open up to whom? Look at the threads on this site. So many people are here because they have no friends or family to talk to about this. Not only because they are afraid of intervention but because they have no one who genuinely cares about them. The threat of intervention is only one of the reasons people do not reach out.

While I suspect calling the hotline is one of the most common ways people get hauled off to a psych ward, it is often done by the police. Police loooooooove to haul people off and lock them up and, again, a fascist state favors an unchecked police force. If anything, lockups would increase. Also many medical facilities that people are hauled off to are privatized. Meaning their funding does not come from the government but from the bank accounts of their prisoners patients. Government funding does not affect them. Even if medical facilities no longer wanted to take psych patients, there are plenty of private prisons to hold them. Society just wants those people out of the way and will not change because government funding is cut.

I disagree with your reasoning on this. If hotlines are defunded, there are going to be many, many more people pent up and not reaching out at all. I think we would see an increase in drug use (or other escapism activities) and probably an increase in suicide.

I agree, I think there should still be hotlines, but there should be no intervention.

 

[TAW122]

Good points and originally I made this thread as a way to garner discussion on what would happen and while my position itself may not always be agreeable, others have brought up very interesting counterarguments and points. I will say that I agree on having somewhat of a compromise to our existing system; which is some messaging and programming about CTB prevention or what not, but no active impingement, intervention, interference upon the individual(s) unless they pose a serious, imminent risk to the greater public or others (not just themselves). With such a compromise, that would respect the rights of the individual as well as their dignity while also having support for the people that seek the support (of CTB prevention and intervention) rather than imposing blanket CTB prevention on everyone, regardless of whether they approve or not, regardless of whether they are a threat to others or not. As the current system stands where CTB prevention is imposed on ALL those who are deemed a risk to themselves or others, it results in people not opening up, resorting to brutal means to escape (either failing and suffering more, or those who do succeed end up possibly causing collateral damage to those around them - society's fault), and many other consequences, but I digress..

 

[Dejected 55]

To be fair, and don't make the mistake of thinking I like Trump or any of this... but, what was defunded regarding LGBTQ+ and the hotline was the recently enacted special services. In theory they were supposed to be hiring/training people specifically to handle those calls and whenever someone LGBTQ+ called in the call went to those specialists.

I'm not sure there is any evidence, though, that those "specialists" were particularly special. The suicide hotlines are infamously ineffective and useless from anyone I've ever heard who tried calling them, myself included. They appear to follow scripts and either want to get you to police/medical if they think you're about to do it OR get you off the phone as fast as possible. There is very little help going on those help hotlines.

So... to that end... while I have no doubt the current administration is targeting LGBTQ+ support in general, I think in this one specific case they aren't actually going to change the already ineffectiveness of these services. I don't think throwing money at these existing hotlines will make them care and try harder.

I feel for people who need support and make an effort to reach out for it... but they haven't really been getting the help they need.

 

[here_for_now]

This viewpoint comes from someone who actively wants to die and does not want interference. Therefore you see hotlines as the "enemy". Many, many people call the hotlines because they need someone to talk to and many get actual help calling. Your viewpoint here is very narrow and biased.

This does not make any sense. People do not get the desire to kill themselves because suicide resources exist. As the US continues to move towards fascism, more and more people are having a hopeless outlook on life. I do not think suicide rates are decreasing anytime soon.

Open up to whom? Look at the threads on this site. So many people are here because they have no friends or family to talk to about this. Not only because they are afraid of intervention but because they have no one who genuinely cares about them. The threat of intervention is only one of the reasons people do not reach out.

While I suspect calling the hotline is one of the most common ways people get hauled off to a psych ward, it is often done by the police. Police loooooooove to haul people off and lock them up and, again, a fascist state favors an unchecked police force. If anything, lockups would increase. Also many medical facilities that people are hauled off to are privatized. Meaning their funding does not come from the government but from the bank accounts of their prisoners patients. Government funding does not affect them. Even if medical facilities no longer wanted to take psych patients, there are plenty of private prisons to hold them. Society just wants those people out of the way and will not change because government funding is cut.

I disagree with your reasoning on this. If hotlines are defunded, there are going to be many, many more people pent up and not reaching out at all. I think we would see an increase in drug use (or other escapism activities) and probably an increase in suicide.

yep no more freedom in america it's a facist dictatorship and also so real, no one cares in my family if i kill myself or not, they just care about how THEY WOULD FEEL

very selfish but that's the world we live in.

 

[Hellis]

Even if the hotlines are useless to many of us, their disappearance signals a negative change in how people like us as a whole are viewed. They don't really care about the money they save, it's all means of sending a message through censorship.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I don't really hold the same hatred towards the helplines- we're not being forced to phone them. I imagine some people call them because they genuinely want to be talked down. Of course, whether they are effective is another matter. Plus, the way they're held up as the fix to all problems pisses me off.

As for what would happen. Some people would have nowhere to reach out to. Then, they would either make a CTB attempt or not. Succeed or, not. If they try something in public, they'll likely still be stopped- whether they had called a helpline or not. It wouldn't make a difference to the prevention of a suicide knowingly taking place. If they see it, of course they'll try to stop it. The person could be off their face on drugs for one. How do you assess someone's mental capacity from a distance?

Truthfully, I don't really get it either. Why should someone be shocked that whilst ringing a 'suicide prevention hotline', they try to prevent them from committing suicide? It kind of does what it says on the tin! It's obvious to me that if you're certain that you want to suicide, you don't ring someone who's job it is to prevent it at all costs.

As for targetting LGBTQ lines- that's disgusting. That's more or less sending out a message (as I interpret it anyway) that: We don't mind if you kill yourselves. Charming.

 

[Dejected 55]

Even if the hotlines are useless to many of us, their disappearance signals a negative change in how people like us as a whole are viewed. They don't really care about the money they save, it's all means of sending a message through censorship.

I don't know that it represents a change at all. From my perspective, they don't really care anyway... the helpline is something to check a box for people to pretend they are helping and also they say "you should have called the helpline" as a way to make your death your fault... or "we tried to help but he wouldn't listen" as a way to wash their hands of society being horrible.

It checks a box and lets them pretend and go on ignoring the plight of many people who could actually be helped by an improved society.

So, I don't think pulling the funding for a system that isn't really intended to help is actually harmful. Now, IF it was a service that cared and tried and at least made an honest effort... we'd have a discussion. But a figurehead of help that doesn't actually? Naah... they aren't even pulling funding to save money, they are doing it to check a different box for people who truly don't give a fuck so they think their money isn't being "wasted" anymore.

 

[Hellis]

I don't know that it represents a change at all. From my perspective, they don't really care anyway... the helpline is something to check a box for people to pretend they are helping and also they say "you should have called the helpline" as a way to make your death your fault... or "we tried to help but he wouldn't listen" as a way to wash their hands of society being horrible.

It checks a box and lets them pretend and go on ignoring the plight of many people who could actually be helped by an improved society.

So, I don't think pulling the funding for a system that isn't really intended to help is actually harmful. Now, IF it was a service that cared and tried and at least made an honest effort... we'd have a discussion. But a figurehead of help that doesn't actually? Naah... they aren't even pulling funding to save money, they are doing it to check a different box for people who truly don't give a fuck so they think their money isn't being "wasted" anymore.

That's fair, I agree actually. Guess I didn't view it that way before.

 

[TBONTB]

In the past few months, there was a news article about how the Trump administration is seeking the defund the CTB prevention service for LGBTQ+ youth (article linked below):

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/06/18/nx-s1-5438405/lgbtq-988-lifeline-samhsa-hhs

So this brings up a question for discussion. What would happen (even hypothetically speaking) if the Trump admin decides to ban or even heavily hamper, defund, or dismantle (ideal) the CTB prevention hotline and similar CTB prevention programs that would actively intervene against people who would attempt, ideate, or plan CTB? Personally, even though I did not vote for Trump, I, as a pro-choicer, would be in support of such an action because I understand and seen the paternalistic and authoritarian practices that the hotline as well as CTB prevention programs employ against CTB individuals. While there may be opposition and such, I personally think that if the state won't provide medical assisted death or peaceful, dignified exits for people who really want to go, then at the minimum, laissez faire off bodily autonomy would be step in the right direction, and while there may be more people who may end up CTB'ing, overall, it would still be a net positive towards the overall sum of bodily autonomy for most individuals.

A lot of opponents of such a change may cite that there would be unnecessary people who may end up dying, but the counterargument I have for that is that there would be less people wanting to CTB to begin with and perhaps even more who would open up due to the lessened risk of unwanted intervention and impingment upon one's bodily autonomy as well as civil liberties. Given that scenario (even if hypothetical) what do you think would happen if the Trump admin did something like that, either to a large degree or even to a smaller degree? This includes the rollback, defunding, and even dismantling of similar CTB prevention programs or even making it where the CTB prevention hotline is less prevalent and such.

I don't think being pro-choice means you can't advocate For support for those who need or desire it. I think it's clear that discontinuing these hotlines would result in more suffering. There's a lot of that these days.

 

[Dejected 55]

I don't think being pro-choice means you can't advocate For support for those who need or desire it. I think it's clear that discontinuing these hotlines would result in more suffering. There's a lot of that these days.

I don't know that will be true. I view these hotlines we have today as similar to the anti-depressants that have the side-effect of causing more depression. How many people killed themselves because of being prescribed antidepressants that might still be here today IF they had been listened to and helped more sincerely than just giving them pills and shuffling them off for the next in line?

I do think there are people that care. I think there are people who can help and are qualified to help. I don't think many of those people work at these hotlines. That's the real tragedy here. Giving funding to the non-helplines checks a box and makes some people able to say "I helped!" without moving the needle. Taking that funding away doesn't likely hurt anyone really but in itself checks a different box for the people who don't give a fuck and are fine with "undesirables" killing themselves.

I wish we would actually fund people who are qualified and actually care to run something that could help people who need it. But that option doesn't seem to be on the table.

 

[brokenspirited]

The LGBTQ+ Youth Hotline was set up in 2022. It looks like the move is more about cutting costs and undoing policies from the Biden administration. While these services will no longer be separate, you can still access them via the general Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

SAMHSA Statement on 988 Press 3 Option

June 17, 2025
On July 17, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will no longer silo LGB+ youth services, also known as the "Press 3 option," to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option.
The Press 3 option was established as a pilot program in Fiscal Year 2022 under a government agreement with a third party. The Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus included a Congressional directive for $29.7 million to fund the specialized services. Federal funding in FY24 for the Press 3 services increased to $33 million. As of June 2025, more than $33 million in funds have been spent to support the subnetworks, fully expending the monies allocated for 988 Lifeline LGB+ subnetwork services.
Everyone who contacts the 988 Lifeline will continue to receive access to skilled, caring, culturally competent crisis counselors who can help with suicidal, substance misuse, or mental health crises, or any other kind of emotional distress. Anyone who calls the Lifeline will continue to receive compassion and help.
Last Updated: 06/17/2025

 

[TBONTB]

I don't know that will be true. I view these hotlines we have today as similar to the anti-depressants that have the side-effect of causing more depression. How many people killed themselves because of being prescribed antidepressants that might still be here today IF they had been listened to and helped more sincerely than just giving them pills and shuffling them off for the next in line?

I do think there are people that care. I think there are people who can help and are qualified to help. I don't think many of those people work at these hotlines. That's the real tragedy here. Giving funding to the non-helplines checks a box and makes some people able to say "I helped!" without moving the needle. Taking that funding away doesn't likely hurt anyone really but in itself checks a different box for the people who don't give a fuck and are fine with "undesirables" killing themselves.

I wish we would actually fund people who are qualified and actually care to run something that could help people who need it. But that option doesn't seem to be on the table.

Interesting thoughtful points. Do you know if there is any data that quantifies the impact of said hotlines? I imagine impossible to gather, but it would be nice to know if there's any evidence that they help or don't help. I honestly don't know. My only experience was a chat with on one...it didn't help!

 

[RadiantNumber]

There will be unfortunetly more deaths, and he (Trump) call himself pro-lifer, orange piece of crap

 

[Dejected 55]

Interesting thoughtful points. Do you know if there is any data that quantifies the impact of said hotlines? I imagine impossible to gather, but it would be nice to know if there's any evidence that they help or don't help. I honestly don't know. My only experience was a chat with on one...it didn't help!

I haven't seen any statistics. Just my own experience (also non-helpful) and dozens of other people I've seen here and elsewhere posting eerily similar experiences of disinterested people on the other end of the phone.

 

[alwaysalone]

Most people here: Hotliness don't help anyone

Also most people here: how dare trump think about getting rid of hotlines
LOL

 

[NeroJune9th]

Honestly I've never found the hotlines very helpful. I've tried the 988 chat a few times and it always feels like I'm talking to an AI

 

[vira]

Well the issue I have is that he's not just defunding CTB hotlines, just LGBTQ+ hotlines, I can't help but see it as another extention of him rescending resources from these indivduals -- such as removing the mention of trans people from government websites. I believe that a lot of these hotlines are possibly the (maybe) the only outlet sometimes of support for these individuals. I can't say I have any resources to back up that claim. I guess another issue I have is what about the people who do want support, or aid, and they can't find it in their communities, family, or otherwise -- where do they reach out to?

he is most likely aware of the suicide rate of trans/lgbtq+ individuals. his goal is to impede on their safety and health as much as possible. id assume he wouldn't understand our perspective, and probably thinks the hotlines are what stops almost all attempts ; you can definitely see what he's trying to do.

 

[WallTermite]

I'm glad I'm not American.

 

[verminnnn]

hot take perhaps but a lot of the people calling suicide hotlines don't want to die. that's why they're making an effort to reach out to somebody before they get to that point. i understand that a lot of the people on this forum are jaded and embittered by experiences they've gone through, perhaps rightly so, and you feel the existence of these resources is a threat to your own personal autonomy, but imho if you're pro-choice you should be pro-other people's choice to try to keep on living