WASHINGTON, D.C. (KTTC) – The federal agency that operates the nation’s suicide and crisis hotline program has found itself on the receiving end of layoffs.

It’s part of the new Trump administration’s initiative to trim spending through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the hand of Elon Musk.

In a social media post, a 988 Lifeline digital communications worker said a quarter of her team was cut, noting at its largest point her unit had about 30 people within the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The agency is under the umbrella of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Stacy Palosky stated the layoffs will impact awareness about 988 Lifeline. She stressed crisis counselors are not affected.

The 988 Lifeline was launched in 2022. It was previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

Since its start, the annual number of answered 988 calls, texts, and chats increased by 92%, with more than 5.7 million contacts made in 2024.

According to the latest finalized annual data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 49,000 people died by suicide in 2022. That’s one death every 11 minutes. The numbers show 1.6 million U.S. adults attempted suicide that year, with more than 13 million seriously thinking about suicide. The 2022 rate was approximately four times higher for men, with people age 85 and older having the highest rates of death by suicide.

The 988 Lifeline remains in operation despite the DOGE-related job cuts.

Calls and texts to 988 are free and can be made around the clock, every day of the year, for one-on-one support.

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