Colleges in New York will now have to print the 988 suicide and crisis hotline on student ID cards under a state law that just took effect.
The Student Lifeline Act was passed during the state legislative session that recently ended and it took effect Tuesday.
It requires that higher education institutions provide crisis resource information to students, including on ID cards. It also requires that they establish an education campaign about the mental health crisis lifeline.
“Our youth really do need support in many different ways,” said state Assemblymember Sarah Clark, who sponsored the bill. “And I think the 988 line has been something as a resource that's been unique and different and gives quick access for the help that you may need in any one moment, whether it is a true crisis or just a little extra support needed in the moment.”
Sean Waddington from Fairport, a recent college graduate, advocated for the Student Lifeline Act. For him, it was personal.
“As someone who's been in crisis mode ... it doesn't come at a convenient time. You know, you don't decide when a panic attack comes, right?” Waddington said. “So having 988 on the back of a student ID is something every single student carries with them — ‘cause we need it to get into buildings, to get into dorms ... it seems mundane but that little, tiny thing can be a game changer for so, so many.”
While he sees the new state law as a win, he said it comes at the same time as a setback — a federal decision last month to end funding for 988's LGBTQ Youth Specialized Services program. That takes effect on July 17.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released a statement that omitted the “T” for trans and “Q” for queer in the program’s title. The program has been in effect since 2022.
"The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will no longer silo LGB+ youth services, also known as the ‘Press 3 option,’ to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option,” the statement reads. “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. Anyone who calls the Lifeline will continue to receive compassion and help.”
Waddington said that move is potentially dangerous.
“This mandate to remove LGBTQ care means that queer folks are not going to have someone to turn to at the very, you know, the most pivotal moments, the life or death moments that they're reaching out for help,” he said. “And they're not getting the right kind of help, that's going to lead to some really, really horrible, horrible outcomes.”
The program received $33 million dollars in 2024, according to a memo from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The decision to end the program takes effect later this month.
State Sen. Samra Brouk, chair of the senate mental health committee and a sponsor of the Student Lifeline Act, called the federal decision “abhorrent.”
“The fact that they've decided to target this very marginalized group of people who are already feeling under threat — that even when they're seeking crisis help, they're trying to make it even more difficult — I'm shocked,” Brouk said. “And I think it's absolutely the wrong choice.”
For people accessing 988 within New York state, the training requirements include comprehensive care for crisis lifeline staff who answer calls and texts.
“Part of that includes being able to better speak to different marginalized groups, right? And one that we specifically spoke about was about our LGBTQ plus youth, and in particular, our trans youth,” she said. “And this is why we do these things, because you never know what's going to happen with the federal government.”
The Student Lifeline Act was a policy largely driven by input from young people and included feedback from higher education institutions, Brouk said. It passed both houses unanimously.
An additional $5 million statewide public awareness campaign, “We Hear You,” will also encourage people to use the state’s 988 crisis hotline when they or someone they know is struggling with mental health or substance abuse.
According to the Governor’s office, the campaign will “focus on distinct populations that could benefit from 988 but had lower recognition of this service in focus groups. This includes first-responders and health care professionals; school-aged youth and college students; and Black, Latina and LGBTQ+ individuals.”
