California Partners with The Trevor Project to Expand 988 Training as Federal Actions Target LGBTQ Youth Health Care

California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a statewide partnership with The Trevor Project to provide new, specialized training for more than 1,000 crisis counselors serving on 11 of the state’s 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline centers, with a focus on better supporting LGBTQ youth. The training will roll out beginning in December and continue through March 2026 as part of a broader state commitment to LGBTQ youth mental health.

According to the California Health and Human Services Agency , the initiative is being framed explicitly as a response to recent federal moves under former President Donald Trump’s administration to limit protections and services for LGBTQ young people, including the termination of “Press 3,” a specialized option within 988 for LGBTQ youth, and efforts to restrict access to gender-affirming care.

The Trevor Project stated that the United States federal government is considering multiple nationwide actions to restrict transgender and nonbinary young people’s access to what it describes as “best-practice health care,” including legislative proposals in Congress and potential rules from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In a public statement, The Trevor Project emphasized that research has linked access to transition-related health care with significantly lower rates of depression and suicide risk among transgender and nonbinary youth.

The organization’s statement framed these federal initiatives as part of a broader pattern of policy efforts targeting transgender young people’s medical autonomy and access to affirming care. At the same time, California officials characterized the state’s 988 training initiative as a direct contrast, presenting it as an example of a jurisdiction investing in expanded support for LGBTQ youth.

CalHHS reported that starting in July 2025, The Trevor Project conducted detailed surveys with leadership and crisis counselors across all 11 California 988 centers to tailor the training content to the specific needs of the state’s crisis workforce. The resulting curriculum is designed to deepen counselor understanding of LGBTQ identities, common support needs, risk factors for suicide and self-harm, and best practices for compassionate and effective crisis interventions with LGBTQ youth.

Mark Henson, Vice President of Advocacy & Government Affairs at The Trevor Project, said that the organization’s research found that 35% of LGBTQ youth living in California seriously considered suicide in the past year, underscoring the importance of counselors understanding both these young people’s identities and the unique challenges they experience. He described the partnership with CalHHS as a way to ensure 988 crisis counselors receive the specialized preparation needed to offer culturally competent care to LGBTQ youth.

California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Kim Johnson stated that the state is “committed to meeting every young person where they are, with compassion, understanding, and support,” and said the new training reinforces the responsibility to ensure that LGBTQ youth who reach out to 988 encounter counselors who are “equipped, prepared, and affirming.”

CalHHS reported that California has seen a notable increase in LGBTQ youth contacting the state’s 988 centers for help, particularly after the federal termination of the “Press 3” option that had previously directed LGBTQ callers to specialized support. Early internal data cited by the agency indicate that more LGBTQ young people began seeking assistance through the general 988 line once that dedicated pathway was removed, increasing the urgency for all counselors to have LGBTQ-specific training.

Governor Newsom said the state is “putting more resources toward providing vulnerable kids with the mental health support they deserve” and described the partnership with The Trevor Project as a way to improve critical 988 services for LGBTQ youth at a time when, in his view, federal policymakers are “abandoning the well-being” of these young people. First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom added that California intends to “meet cruelty with kindness” by ensuring that LGBTQ youth are not left without access to affirming crisis support as federal changes take effect.

The Trevor Project highlighted that its crisis services—available by phone at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org , and by texting “START” to 678678—are staffed by trained counselors who specialize in supporting LGBTQ young people. By collaborating with California’s 988 centers, the organization aims to extend this affirming approach into a system that serves youth across a wide range of identities and locations.

California officials and advocates involved in the partnership consistently described LGBTQ youth in inclusive terms, emphasizing respect for transgender and nonbinary identities and highlighting the need for crisis responses that affirm all aspects of a young person’s identity. They present the training initiative as a model for how states can adapt crisis systems to meet the specific needs of LGBTQ youth at a moment when policy debates over their rights and health care continue at the federal level.