INDIANAPOLIS — National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline was there for Shea Estell when they needed it most.
“If I couldn't sleep, if I couldn’t get my mind off it, if I was having an episode. My parents had called a couple of times to say ‘Hey, we’re worried about them,'" Estell said.
Estell lives with Borderline Personality Disorder.
Last summer, they were experiencing frequent erratic episodes.
They said calling 988 helped.
“That’s life saving. It has a couple times. Genuinely without that line at that time there’s a very good chance I wouldn’t be here," they said.
The life-saving care Estell received could be going away.
A leaked budget draft reportedly revealed plans to get rid of the lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services.
The program is funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and could be on the chopping block as soon as October.
“It makes me deeply afraid of the very real impact it will very quickly have and already had simply from this news story on these very vulnerable queer people," Kathy Slaughter said.
Slaughter is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked with LGBTQ youth for over 15 years.
She says mental health services in general are in short supply.
“When you add the layer of being culturally competent and affirming towards LGBTQ people, that’s demand supply problem is even worse," she said.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
LGBTQ young people are at significantly increased risk.
“There have been no resources and when you put that together with the way people are treated, marginalized, denied housing, even denied acknowledgment of their relationships, you increase mental health issues, you increase suicide rates, attempts and completions,” Clinical Psychologist Jeannie DiClementi said.
Estell encourages others to have compassion.
“Think about this being your kid. Think about this being someone in your family," they said.
Mental health experts recommend The Trevor Project as an alternative.
You can connect to a trained counselor who understands the challenges of LGBTQ youth.
Call 1-866-488-7386, or Text 678678.
