Active Minds News

September 15, 2025 — Each year from September 15 to October 15, we honor Hispanic Heritage Month. It's a time to recognize the rich cultures and vital contributions of Hispanic and Latine communities across the United States. At the heart of these communities lie storytelling and community care: practices that not only preserve culture and identity but also nurture mental health and well‑being. Here are some nonprofit organizations doing essential work at the intersection of mental health, culture, and community: Latinx Therapy is dedicated to enhancing access to culturally responsive care and bilingual mental health services. The Trevor Project offers Spanish-language services, support for LGBTQ+ youth, crisis intervention, and community building. Raíces Texas serves immigrant communities, providing legal and mental health advocacy and supporting families during challenging times. Mijente centers Latinx and Chicanx organizing and collective power, including the voices of those who have been historically marginalized in mainstream mental health spaces. Reading is another powerful way to connect, heal, and grow. These books by Hispanic and Latine authors bring stories that reflect cultural nuance, hope, and resilience: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros A classic coming‑of‑age story about identity and finding one’s voice. Crying in the Bathroom by Erika L. Sánchez A contemporary set of essays exploring mental health and vulnerability. Children of the Land by Marcelo Hernández Castillo A memoir that weaves together immigration, memory, family bonds, and life between borders. We encourage you this month to support Hispanic and Latine‑led nonprofits, attend local cultural or mental health events, and share stories from your own community! We want to hear from you. Storytelling has always been a powerful force in Hispanic and Latine cultures — and your story matters. If you have a personal experience, family tradition, or reflection that speaks to identity, mental health, or cultural resilience, we invite you to share it with us. Your voice and unique perspective could inspire others! 📣 Interested in contributing your story for Hispanic Heritage Month? Send us a message and we’ll follow up with details on how to be featured.

July 17, 2025 — Effective today, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services program has been shut down. While the general 988 hotline remains open to all, callers can no longer "Press 3" to receive specialized support from an LGBTQ+-affirming provider. This move cuts a literal lifeline, removing a vital, specialized resource that has provided crisis services to an estimated 1.5 million LGBTQ+ young people since 2022. Despite this devastating federal decision, The Trevor Project's free and confidential crisis services remain fully operational and available 24/7 for any LGBTQ+ person who needs support. To understand the full impact of this shutdown, what The Trevor Project is doing, and how you can take action, explore our conversation with The Trevor Project below. 3 Questions with the Trevor Project What can youth and young adults do right now to respond to this decision? There are several ways people can take action in response to this decision. Right now, we encourage youth and young adults to sign our petition calling on Members of the U.S. Congress and the administration to protect 988 Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ youth specialized services. People can also share and support The Trevor Project’s Emergency Lifeline Campaign for LGBTQ+ Youth. Perhaps most importantly, LGBTQ+ youth and young adults should know that The Trevor Project’s highly trained crisis counselors remain available 24/7, regardless of the 988 Lifeline’s move. Our crisis lines can be reached at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678678. What do we risk losing when a program that has served 1.5 million young people disappears? The 988 Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ youth services program has, as of May 2025, served 1.5 million LGBTQ+ youth since its launch in September 2022. The loss of this program will be devastating for LGBTQ+ youth. LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide compared to their peers. The 988 Lifeline’s specialized services for veterans and for LGBTQ+ youth were specifically created because these communities are at disproportionately higher risk of suicide. These services are based on risk levels, not identities. It’s clinical best practice to connect these groups with counselors who understand their unique needs. LGBTQ+ youth need to speak with counselors who understand their identities, the coming out process, and the unique challenges that they often report experiencing because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. By getting rid of highly trained counselors with specialized skills, the Administration is putting these young Americans’ lives at risk. How do you think this decision will be remembered in the broader context of LGBTQ+ rights and youth mental health? Suicide prevention is about people, not politics. The reality that the federal government decided to end a lifeline that has served 1.5 million American youth at a time when they need it most will go down in history as an especially dangerous and devastating attack on LGBTQ+ youth in this country. 3 Action Items from Active Minds Sign the Trevor Project’s Petition: Sign the petition and urge Congress to take action and help us protect this life-saving program by funding the subnetwork and directing SAMHSA to maintain the 988 LGBTQ+ subnetwork moving forward. Share your Story: Whether you or someone you know has struggled with mental health, sharing those experiences can inspire others to speak up and take action. Record a short video sharing your story to support Active Minds’ legislative goals. Not sure where to start with telling your story? We’ve got your back! Join hundreds of young adults, advocates, and mental health leaders at the Active Minds Conference for an experience designed to ignite the power of storytelling! Be a Social Media Champion: Share information about the 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services shutdown, remind everyone that The Trevor Project is still a safe space 24/7, and mobilize your followers to stay informed and advocate for change.

July 14, 2025 — Starting July 17, the “press 3” option on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, a dedicated line created to support LGBTQ+ youth, will be discontinued. After three years and more than 1.5 million calls and texts, the Trump administration has announced it is ending this specialized support. While the broader 988 Lifeline will remain available, the LGBTQ+ youth-specific hotline, launched in 2022, will no longer operate. Sure, they’re saying that “everyone who contacts the 988 Lifeline will still get access to caring counselors.” But let’s be real: generic support isn't enough. When you're struggling, you need someone who understands your experience and doesn’t make you explain or defend your identity. Without that, many LGBTQ+ youth may hang up, shut down, or never reach out in the first place. Thankfully, The Trevor Project and other LGBTQ+ crisis services and advocacy organizations are doing what they’ve always done: showing up.

I want every LGBTQ+ young person to know that you are worthy, you are loved, and you belong — despite this heartbreaking news. The Trevor Project’s crisis counselors are here for you 24/7, just as we always have been, to help you navigate anything you might be feeling right now.

May 16, 2025 — A season-long initiative spotlighting six New England nonprofits, the program will feature monthly partnerships, in-park experiences, and social media stories to promote open dialogue.

May 12, 2025 — The Ice Bucket Challenge is back, reimagined by the University of South Carolina's MIND club to support mental health awareness, and inspired by the 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge, which supported the ALS Foundation and brought awareness to the fight against ALS.