(PS6-56) Understanding Barriers to LGBTQ+ Demographic Data Collection in Pennsylvania's 988 Call Centers and Implications for Affirming Care

Abstract Text: Significance: Despite high prevalences of mental health conditions and increased risk for suicide among LGBTQ+ populations (Plöderl & Tremblay, 2015), entry into care is often hindered by a lack of access to mental health providers and high quality, evidence-based, affirming care (Rees et al., 2020; Wilson & Cariola, 2020). When looking at access disparities among LGBTQ+ youth, The Trevor Project’s 2020 report found that 46% of LGBTQ+ youth desired psychological or emotional counseling from a mental health professional but were unable to receive it in the past 12 months (The Trevor Project, 2020). The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline presents an opportunity for LGBTQ+ individuals of all ages to connect with professionals for support, gain referrals to other services in their communities, and more. However, utilization of 988 by LGBTQ+ individuals not opting into the Trevor Lifeline (press “3” option) is not well understood, particularly because of the lack of demographic data collected from those contacting 988. Consequently, LGBTQ+ individuals may not be receiving tailored referrals to services that are affirming or relevant to their identities.

Approach: To address this, we surveyed approximately 200 call takers working across 14 988 crisis centers in Pennsylvania with a mixed-method approach. The purpose was to identify their processes in collecting demographic data during 988 interactions, including how often they ask about demographics, their perceived value in collecting that information, their supervisors’ perceived emphasis on asking about demographics, how valuable they find LGBTQ+ identity affirmation to crisis work, their competency in providing LGBTQ+ affirming care, and whether they serve urban or rural counties. Interviews with a subset of respondents will be qualitatively analyzed to identify barriers to collecting demographics for LGBTQ+ populations.

Innovation: Results from this study will provide insight into areas for improvement within crisis line work, particularly revealing targets for training in the collection of demographic data throughout 988 interactions. Shifting the practice paradigm for crisis line staff to better integrate asking about LGBTQ+ identities into the interaction will support the delivery, connection, and tailoring of evidence-based care. Among these impacts, LGBTQ+ individuals contacting 988 will receive better informed support and referral options, another step to addressing inequities in mental healthcare.