Latest news with #NationalSuicidePreventionLifeline
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Epstein's former lawyer: Ghislaine Maxwell should get immunity in exchange for secrets
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988. Jeffrey Epstein's former lawyer has suggested that the sex-trafficking financier's only convicted accomplice should be granted immunity from further prosecution in exchange for coming clean in front of Congress. Ghislaine Maxwell, 63, is the only associate held criminally or civilly liable in connection with the allegations against Epstein. In 2016, she sat for a deposition in a civil lawsuit, in which she denied recollection of nearly two dozen flights on Epstein's private jet with an underage Virginia Giuffre, who would go on to become the trafficking duo's most outspoken accuser. Epstein's flight logs showed Giuffre and Maxwell on the plane at the same time 23 times before she turned 18, Fox News Digital reported previously. Giuffre died of suicide earlier this year. "[Maxwell] knows everything," Alan Dershowitz, a former attorney for Epstein, told Fox News' Shannon Bream on "Fox News Sunday." "She is the Rosetta Stone." An unidentified friend of Maxwell's said in a recent interview with the Daily Mail that she would be open to testifying before Congress. Maxwell's attorney declined to confirm or deny the reporting. "If she were just given use immunity, she could be compelled to testify," Dershowitz said. "I'm told that she actually would be willing to testify, and there'd be no reason for her to withhold any information. So I don't see any negative in giving her the kind of use immunity that would compel her to testify. So she ought to be summoned in front of a congressional committee." The comments come days after federal authorities said they would ask a federal judge to unseal secret grand jury materials in an attempt to shed more light on Epstein's criminal enterprise. Dershowitz, however, warned that most of the material of interest to the public is not in the grand jury materials, but in sealed court documents, some of which he has already seen. He cautioned, however, that not all the allegations leveled at people in Epstein's orbit would be credible. "As long as there's nothing redacted about the accuser's lack of credibility, then the public has the right to make its own decision," he said. "Just because somebody's name is mentioned doesn't really mean very much." Under federal law, use of immunity is a legal protection that prevents a witness' testimony or any evidence drawn from it from being used to prosecute them criminally, so long as they tell the truth. In 2021, more than two years after Epstein's death in custody while awaiting his own trial, Maxwell was convicted of helping him traffic teen girls. She received a 20-year sentence and has appealed her case to the U.S. Supreme Court. "She arranged every single trip with everybody," Dershowitz said. "She knows everything."
UPI
4 days ago
- Health
- UPI
Optional LGBTQ suicide prevention lifeline service ends
LGBTQ supporters march to the U.S. Capitol during WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C., on June 8 but on Thursday lost access to a suicide prevention lifeline option tailored for that community. File Photo by Leigh Vogel/UPI | License Photo July 19 (UPI) -- The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline ceased its optional service for LGBTQ callers on Thursday after the Trump administration in June ordered it to end. Callers can dial 988 to reach the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which became active three years ago, but there is no option for LGBTQ callers, many of whom are young. "This is a tragic moment," said Mark Henson, vice president of government affairs and advocacy for The Trevor Project. "Many LGBTQ youth who use these services didn't know they existed until they called 988 and found out there is someone on the other end of the line that knows what they've gone through and cares deeply for them," Henson said. The non-profit Trevor Project has operated the specialized LGBTQ suicide lifeline since 2022, but the "press 3 option" for LGBTQ callers no longer is available. Although the option is gone, LGBTQ callers will be helped, but they won't be directed to those who might specialize in assisting those who identify as LGBTQ. "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, mental health crises or any other kind of emotional distress," officials for the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said. SAMHSA is the federal agency tasked with managing the 988 suicide lifeline after President Donald Trump signed enabling legislation during his first term in office. Congress had allocated $33 million for the LGBTQ lifeline for 2025, but those funds have been spent, according to SAMHSA. Instead of seeking more funds, the Trump administration ended the option.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
3 years later, 988 Lifeline sees higher volume but special option for LGBTQ youth cut
Three years after the launch of the three-digit 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, the service is seeing increases in call volume, state-level support and reported effectiveness, as well as reductions in specialized offerings, including one designed to help LGBTQ youth. "This year, the 988 Lifeline continued to provide life-saving help to millions of people, with about a 20% higher volume of calls, texts and chats compared to the year prior," Dr. John Palmieri, acting director of SAMHSA's 988 Lifeline Office, told ABC News via email. SAMHSA is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the division of the Department of Health and Human Services which oversees 988. "Recent evaluation work affirms the effectiveness of the 988 Lifeline, with studies showing that the vast majority of suicidal callers saying they thought their crisis call helped them and stopped them from killing themselves," he added. A network of more than 200 crisis call centers field calls, chats and texts on behalf of the Lifeline, offering support to callers experiencing suicidal crises and other forms of mental distress. This network has existed in some form for at least a couple of decades, beginning with the precursor to 988 -- the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which was started in 2005. During his first term, President Donald Trump signed into law the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2018, which designated 988 as the new three-digit number to call in case of a mental health emergency. The new number, intended to be easier to remember and access in times of crisis, officially launched on July 16, 2022. Since that launch date, the Lifeline has answered over 13 million calls, chats and texts across the U.S. and its territories, according to SAMHSA. "The transition to 988 three years ago sparked coordinated efforts across the country -- inspiring local governments, states, Tribes and healthcare providers to improve crisis care response systems in communities nationwide," Palmieri said. Despite increasing state-level support for the Lifeline, recent downsizing efforts across the federal government have had an impact on the ability to "build out a crisis continuum of care across the country," Hannah Wesolowski, chief advocacy officer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, told ABC News. "Interestingly, the administration has proposed flat funding for 988 for fiscal year 2026, so that was really encouraging that they're proposing keeping funding levels at [$519.6 million]," Wesolowski said. "But with a lot of the changes within HHS, we've seen a fair number of the staff within the 988 behavioral health crisis coordinating office depart the administration." The Trump administration has implemented significant workforce reductions for HHS and SAMHSA over the last few months. HHS also recently announced a major restructuring effort, which includes plans for additional staffing cuts and and the reorganization of some of the department's agencies, including SAMHSA, under a new entity called Administration for a Healthy America. Asked how these changes to SAMHSA's place within the federal government may impact its oversight of 988, SAMHSA told ABC News via email that, "The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will continue daily, life-saving work, helping thousands of people every day and millions of people every year." MORE: Trump administration to close LGBTQ+ suicide hotline program next month In addition to the federal funding of 988, states offer varying levels of funding to support the Lifeline's operation. Many states have chosen to either adopt fees or recurring state appropriations in order to maintain efficient service and availability of counselors. Currently, twelve states charge a small tax on phone bills every month to fund 988 operations. This funding structure is modeled after the one used to fund 911 call centers. Those twelve states include Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Vermont. The permanent funding fees range from no cost in New York to $0.60 in Delaware. An additional five states -- Arizona, Utah, Kansas, Georgia, Florida -- have implemented recurring state appropriations, meaning those states' legislatures offer funding through their annual budget. "We've seen an increased commitment by states to create sustainable funding mechanisms for the service and a growth in local response to people in crisis," Palmieri said via email. While states have been increasing resources to support 988, the Lifeline's offerings nationwide are about to change. Currently, callers to the Lifeline are prompted to press numbered options for certain specialized services -- 1 for the Veterans' Crisis Line, 2 for the Spanish-language subnetwork and 3 for LGBTQ-youth centered care. SAMHSA recently announced that the Press 3 option, which provides specialized care for LGBTQ youth, will no longer be a part of the Lifeline. That repeal was announced during LGBTQ Pride Month, just under three years after the subnetwork was first established as a pilot program in 2022. The cut came as a surprise to those working on the specialized line, including The Trevor Project, which has been operating this type of service for ten years, according to Interim Vice President of Advocacy and Government Affairs Mark Henson. Henson told ABC News that the federal funding for the service allowed The Trevor Project and other organizations to "double our capacity to serve youth." Since the launch of Press 3, Henson says the option has fielded over 1.3 million calls, chats and texts. Monthly calls have also increased from 1,752 at the option's launch to 69,057 answered contacts in its last reported data from SAMHSA in May 2025. In a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a bipartisan group of Congressional representatives responded to the cut announcement, noting that the subnetwork has averaged approximately 2,100 contacts per day. "These numbers reflect the critical, ongoing demand for this targeted support," the members said. "To a young person feeling alone and scared, 988 is truly a lifeline." MORE: LGBTQ, legal groups slam UPenn for 'caving' to Trump's trans athlete ban In a statement announcing the discontinuation, SAMHSA said the move comes in response to significant operation costs and "to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option." "The Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus included a Congressional directive for $29.7 million to fund the specialized services," SAMHSA said. "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." Despite the evident utility of the specialized option, "Press 3 option has run out of Congressionally directed funding," an HHS spokesperson wrote in a statement to ABC News, adding, "continued funding of the Press 3 threatened to put the entire 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in danger of massive reductions in services." The Trevor Project remains adamant that the change to the program will do more harm than good because it neglects the specific challenges that people in the LGBTQ community face. "I think there's a fundamental lack of understanding that suicide prevention is about risk and not about identity," Henson told ABC News. "It's because of the life experiences and the stigma and the bullying associated with LGBTQ+ young people that make them more than four times as likely to attempt suicide." "It's their life experiences and the unique drivers that have increased their risk of suicidality and therefore, have tailored care," he added. For NAMI's part, Wesolowski said the organization is, "continuing to advocate with Congress," to reverse the decision to remove press 3, saying that, "members of Congress on both sides of the aisle express some concern around this." Despite the federal shifts, Wesolowski says she hopes the foundation of 988 is strong enough to withstand political changes, both now and in the future. "The goal has always been that anyone who's in a mental health crisis or emotional distress gets appropriate mental health care response," she said. "And I think right now, the [political] uncertainty is creating a lot of concern. [But] I think there's still strong bipartisan support and cross systems support." If you are experiencing suicidal, substance use or other mental health crises, or are worried about a friend or loved one, please call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to
UPI
18-06-2025
- Health
- UPI
Trump administration ending LGBTQ suicide hotline in July
Supporters of the LGBTQ community march to the U.S. Capitol on June 8. A specialized suicide lifeline for the LGBTQ community is ending on July 17. Photo by Leigh Vogel/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline no longer will offer a specialized service for LGBTQ callers as of July 17. The Trump administration issued a stop-work order to the non-profit Trevor Project, which has operated the specialized 988 LGBTQ suicide lifeline since 2022, the New York Times reported. Officials with the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration confirmed the stop-work order calls for the hotline to cease operation on July 17. Suicide prevention services remain available, but there no longer will be a "Press 3 option" for LGBTQ callers. "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," SAMHSA officials said in a prepared statement. Trevor Project Chief Executive Officer Jaymes Black said the end of the specialized hotline is very bad for the LGBTQ community. "This is devastating, to say the least," Black told The Hill. "Suicide prevention is about people, not politics." He called the specialized hotline a "bipartisan, evidence-based service that has effectively supported a high-risk group of young people through their darkest moments is incomprehensible." The LGBTQ suicide prevention service was established in 2022 to address the needs of respective callers, many of whom "experience distinct mental health issues," the New York Times reported. Such issues include discrimination and rejection by family members, which contributes to high suicide rates within the LGBTQ community. SAMHSA officials said the Press 3 service option received $29.7 million in federal funding for the 2023 fiscal year and $33 million for each of the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years. The specialized hotline's entire 2025 budget was spent as of June, and no more funding is coming, according to SAMHSA. The suicide prevention hotline will get the same $520 million in funding for the 2026 fiscal year as it did for 2025, Office of Management and Budget spokeswoman Rachel Cauley told NBC News. The budget won't "grant taxpayer money to a chat service where children are encouraged to embrace radical gender ideology by 'counselors' without consent or knowledge of their parents," Cauley said. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline was established in 2005, and President Donald Trump in 2020 signed legislation establishing the specialized service for LGBTQ callers. The specialized service received about 1.3 million calls, texts and online chat messages since 2022, according to SAMHSA. It also received an average of 2,100 contacts every day in February.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oakland County Sheriff's Office pushes to raise mental health awareness
The Brief Oakland County officials are hoping to push mental health awareness. Deputies throughout the week responded to three scenes involving three different people who took their own lives. The goal is to get help, call the hotline, call the police, or reach out to a trusted individual. OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255. Or text to 741-741 CLICK HERE for the warning signs and risk factors of suicide. Call 1-800-273-TALK for free and confidential emotional support. ----- The Oakland County Sheriff's Office is sounding the alarm for those struggling with mental health. Local perspective Three people took their own lives, all in the same small town. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard is spreading the word about mental health help. "There are people that want to help you through that patch of whatever you're facing and dealing with," Bouchard said. "And you're not as alone or as isolated as you may feel." What they're saying Deputies throughout the week responded to three scenes involving three different people who took their own lives. "Two were men, both over the age of 60, and one was a woman right around the age of 60," Bouchard said. That was all in the Clarkston area, he says, and it all happened in one day. "It just highlights the fact of how many people are feeling stresses of different things in life, and how many are suffering from mental health challenges and anxiety," he explained. Big picture view Bouchard says COVID magnified feelings of isolation and depression, and it hasn't gone away entirely, with him saying a third of their search and rescue calls in the past year have been related to just that. Meanwhile, it's not always adults they're looking for. "Lots of times, what we're seeing is even younger people, younger than high school, down into the grade school areas," he said. "We've gone out looking for 11-year-olds and 9-year-olds." It impacts anyone and everyone, including law enforcement. What you can do So the goal is to get help, call the hotline, call the police, or reach out to a trusted individual. "Sometimes we actually teach people that there are ways of saying it without saying it specifically," he said. "You can say 'Hey, do you have 8 minutes?' And that's kind of a code word for 'I need your help.'"
