LGBTQIA+ Youth and Young Adult Crisis Line
LGBTQIA+ Youth and Young Adult Crisis Line supports a provider’s New York crisis services and 988 counselor training to ensure LGBTQIA+ young people have continuous access to affirming crisis care.
Funder: New York State Office of Mental Health
Due Dates: October 1, 2026 (Questions) | November 12, 2026, 2:00 PM EST (Proposals and prequalification)
Funding Amounts: One five-year award: $1.8 million in year one, then $1.2 million annually for four years
Summary: Supports a New York-specific LGBTQIA+ youth crisis line and specialized training for New York State 988 counselors.
Key Information: Applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits already operating a 24/7/365 LGBTQIA+ hotline covering all 50 states and territories.
Description
The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) seeks an established provider to expand specialized crisis services for LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults across New York. The selected organization will adapt its existing call, chat, and text crisis line with dedicated New York routing, outreach, referral resources, and reporting. Services must provide free, confidential, culturally responsive and gender-affirming crisis counseling, safety planning, referrals, and follow-up.
The award also supports specialized training and technical assistance for New York State’s 988 Crisis Contact Centers. Training will reach approximately 600 employed and volunteer counselors across fourteen centers, with asynchronous resources for future counselors. The initiative complements the statewide 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and aims to ensure continuous access to affirming care for young people, including those exploring their sexual or gender identity.
