A New Era of Mental Health: Increasing Youth Access to the 988 Lifeline and Campus Suicide Prevention

Thanks to advocacy by Active Minds, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing youth and young adults to redefine ideas about mental health, new report language will be used to advance youth access to crisis support, specifically the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For the very first time, there is now a push to place information about 988 on student ID cards.¹

Congress is now explicitly encouraging the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to coordinate the publication of the 988 Lifeline on student ID cards for both high school and college students. This has been a long-standing priority of Active Minds, according to their recent statement.

"This agreement affirms Congress's commitment to suicide prevention and youth mental health," said Anika Rahman, the director of policy at Active Minds. "The idea to publish the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on student ID cards originated with the Active Minds chapter at the University of Dayton, and this moment represents the full cycle of student advocacy—from ideation on campus to passage into federal law. These investments will help ensure that more young people are aware of and can access lifesaving support when they need it, reflecting our mission of championing a new era of mental health."¹

The nonprofit also shared news of fiscal victories for youth mental health: In 2026, there will be a $15 million increase for the 988 Lifeline and a $4 million increase for the Garrett Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention programs.

Active Minds is also actively recruiting youth aged 15 to 24 who are interested in shaping federal mental health policy and/or participating in an upcoming Hill/Advocacy Day to join the Active Minds Advocacy Policy Champions group, a program that enables youth to engage directly in federal advocacy efforts that advance mental health causes. As part of their signup, they ask youth to share what topics related to mental health they are interested exploring, what grade they are in, and (optionally) if they identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

This is especially relevant due to the recent loss of 988 LGBTQ+ specific services. On July 17, 2025, 988 stopped providing tailored support options to LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, which had been available under the “Press 3” option via phone call or by texting “PRIDE.”²

“Like all marginalized populations that have experienced historical and present-day discrimination, LGBTQ+ individuals can experience mistrust or harm when interacting with general mental health systems—related to any number of actions like misgendering, making assumptions, or overt discrimination,” Christine Yu Moutier, MD, the chief medical officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention shared with Psychiatric Times.³ “We encourage mental health professionals to lobby for dedicated LGBTQ+ mental health funding and tailored services, and join AFSP in pushing policy makers to restore the 988 LGBTQ+ specific crisis service,”

Youth interested in participating in the Active Minds Advocacy Policy Champions group can be directed to sign up here.

References

1. Active Minds secures first-time youth mental health provisions alongside federal funding increases for 988 Lifeline and campus suicide prevention. News release. February 4, 2026. Accessed February 4, 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/active-minds-secures-first-time-youth-mental-health-provisions-alongside-federal-funding-increases-for-988-lifeline-and-campus-suicide-prevention-302679300.html

2. Kuntz L. Loss of 988 hotline services tailored to LGBTQ+ youth. Psychiatric Times. June 19, 2025. https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/loss-of-988-hotline-services-tailored-to-lgbtq-youth

3. Kuntz L, Moutier CY. The loss of a vital LGBTQ+ suicide prevention resource: in conversation with AFSP’s Christine Yu Moutier, MD. Psychiatric Times. June 23, 2025. https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/the-loss-of-a-vital-lgbtq-suicide-prevention-resource-in-conversation-with-afsps-christine-yu-moutier-md