Member Spotlight: The Trevor Project

By Katherine Scott, Senior Manager, Member Services & Certifications

The Trevor Project was founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award-winning short film ‘Trevor.’ Since then, hundreds of thousands of young people in crisis have reached out to The Trevor Project’s life-saving and life-affirming resources, including its 24/7 services supporting LGBTQ youth in crisis via phone lifeline, text, and chat. The organization also runs TrevorSpace, the world’s largest safe space social networking site for LGBTQ youth, and operates innovative education, research, and advocacy programs. They are now the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people.

The Trevor Project is committed to producing innovative research and takes a two-pronged approach to bring new knowledge and clinical implications to the field of suicidology. First, they partner with external research organizations, such as academic institutions, to carry out complex investigations that range from program evaluations to interventions. They also monitor, analyze, and evaluate anonymized data from youth served to produce insights into vulnerable populations, as well as social and risk factors for suicidal ideation and attempting suicide.

The Trevor Project’s crisis services programs were independently evaluated by the University of Southern California. The vast majority (96%) of youth with some risk level during their crisis contact de-escalated their suicide risk in the approximately 2-week period before completing the baseline survey battery. In addition, almost three-quarters of youth stated that they either would not or were unsure if they would have contacted another service if The Trevor Project did not exist.

Twenty-one years after the founding of The Trevor Project, it now serves more than 100,000 LGBTQ young people in crisis each year; but its growth isn’t over yet. The organization is currently focused on scaling its technology platforms and volunteer operations to serve even more of the over 1.8 million LGBTQ youth who are estimated to seriously consider suicide each year. The Trevor Project is excited to join the National Health Council to ensure that the public health crisis of LGBTQ youth suicide is addressed at all levels of mental health discourse.

If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or suicidal, contact The Trevor Project’s TrevorLifeline 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386. Counseling is also available 24/7 via chat every day at TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting 678-678.

To learn more about the Trevor Project, go to their website.

If you would like more information on NHC membership, please contact me.