Youth and Young Adult Crisis Line

Specialized crisis services for LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults through a dedicated crisis line.
- 24/7/365 Crisis Line Services for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and other diverse identities (LGBTQIA+) youth and young adults in state.
- The goal is to provide immediate, confidential, and 100% free crisis counseling support through multiple modalities: call, chat, and text. This service will deliver immediate crisis de-escalation, work towards the reduction of acute suicide risk, and facilitate the collaborative development of safety plans.
- Crisis Service Delivery:
• Provide 24/7/365, free, and confidential crisis intervention and emotional support to LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults via phone, text, and chat by implementing a dedicated routing option specifically for NYS youth and young adults;
• The crisis line must be able to accommodate non-English speakers, including established procedures for language access;
• Support de-escalation, emotional regulation, and stabilization during crisis situations;
• Deliver immediate crisis de-escalation to reduce acute emotional distress, support emotional regulation and stabilization, and reduce immediate suicide risk through evidence-based crisis intervention;
• All crisis line staff must be trained in suicide assessment and intervention and use evidence-based suicide assessment screens;
• Collaboratively develop safety plans as appropriate;
• Provide culturally competent, non-judgmental, and gender-affirming support that recognizes the unique experiences and challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ youth and young adult population;
• Any warm transfer must take place after crisis counseling has been provided and the immediate risk has been assessed and de-escalated;
• The crisis line must provide follow-up services to contacts as needed with the consent of the caller/texter/chatter in a timely manner;
• Connect help seekers to appropriate New York State-specific behavioral health, peer support, community-based, and other affirming resources, as appropriate;
• The crisis line must meet the following performance standards:
▪ Calls answered within 2 minutes;
▪ Chat/texts answered within 4 minutes;
▪ Minimum 90% answer rate;