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By Monica Sager
Live News Reporter
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Timothy Jansen came out as gay to his family and friends years ago, and found he was mostly supported. While some admitted they were struggling with the concept, they told jim they loved him and would figure it out. He says he's one of the lucky ones.
"Most people don't have that," the 57-year-old Maryland native told Newsweek.
Now CEO of the nonprofit 988 support network Community Crisis Services, Jansen spends his days on the ground and on the phone talking with individuals in need.
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At a time when, despite so many civil-rights advances, LGBTQ+ Americans still face disproportionate rates of mental health challenges and suicide risk, the importance of specialized support for the community cannot be overstated, he said.
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What is 988?
In 2020, Congress designated the 988 dialing code to be operated by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The 24/7 hotline is made up of a patchwork of over 200 local and state funded crisis centers across the country. Counselors at these centers answer calls, texts and chats from people in distress.
Jansen said only about 15% of the calls Maryland-based Community Crisis Services fields are suicide related. For those, a specialist helps to ensure the caller is safe in the moment. Other calls, however, can be about coming out to family members or other non-life-threatening situations.
The substance abuse and mental health services (SAMHSA) administration is the lead federal agency that awards funding and support for 988.
SAMHSA also funds Vibrant Emotional Health, a national non-profit which supports the network, data, training and routing of the 988 Lifeline.
"Having 988 is so critical," Dr. Tia Dole, chief 988 Lifeline officer at New York-based Vibrant Emotional Health, told Newsweek. "We have served so many people...We help them, but really they are saving themselves."
Since rolling out, 988 has had touchpoints with nearly five million people. Of those interactions, about 665,000 were via text message.
"The beautiful thing about crisis lines in general and 988 specifically is that people can call and be anonymous," Jansen said. "Generally, when folks reach out, they're scared. They're nervous. They're anxious. They're unsure of what they're getting into. It's daunting to call a stranger and ask for help."
Jansen said this is why the people at his crisis center and others throughout the country "just want to make things easy."
"My sadness is not the same as yours, but I know what being sad is about," he said. "I can relate to you being sad, maybe not the thing you're going through but I understand sadness, or anger or confusion or heartbreak. Connection with people over the universality of emotion develops a baseline or report with that person."
Counselors are trained to work with people at whatever pace the individual dictates, Jansen said. Some calls he has taken lasted six minutes and others have been six hours.
"What happens really is directed by the person calling," Jansen said. "It's really about getting to know them just in that moment."
Expanding the hotline
In 2022, following the successful pilot, 988 added specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults who want to connect with a counselor specifically focused on meeting their needs.
The LGBTQ+ community, particularly young people, are at significantly increased risk of self harm, according to data from The Trevor Project, a 988 partner. LGBTQ+ youth are more than four times likely to attempt suicide than their peers.
"It doesn't matter if you're male, female, trans, genderqueer, gender-questioning. It doesn't matter if you're old or young," Jansen said. "(The 988 line) is for everybody."
During the first 10 months of the LGBTQ+ Subnetwork launch within the 988 Line, it received roughly 480,000 contacts through calls, chats and texts, according to data from Vibrant Emotional Health.
Dr. Dole said those numbers show there is something wrong "with our society and the way that we treat people with their intersectional identity."
"They're just themselves. They're trying to live their lives," she said. "The research shows that one accepting adult can decrease the suicide rate."
A friendly voice
Jansen recalled sitting in the phone room at Community Crisis Services when the line rang. He picked up and someone said, "Oh my god you're nice."
"Literally all I did was answer the phone and sometimes it's as easy as that," Jansen said. "It's as easy as being a kind, soft voice."
"A lot of people who are LGBTQ folks don't have anybody to talk to or if they do, they're not comfortable with having the conversation yet because they don't know where the boundary is, where that person turns as their ally to a foe," Jansen said. "When you call, it's open."
Many of the calls Jansen and his peers field are from people wanting to just have a conversation but not knowing how to go about it. They walk through the scenarios and what to do together.
"Reaching out to 988 is just a way of finding some safe outlets and finding some allies," he said. "It's about hearing someone say 'So what if you like boys? Lots of people like boys' or 'So you're not sure what your gender is? Lots of people have issue. Let's figure out what you can do next.'"
If you are thinking about suicide, know someone who is or need to talk with someone, we encourage you to immediately call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). Or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor.
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