Services with a policy of no active rescue, sometimes called no non-consensual rescue, are services that will not contact emergency services without your direct permission, regardless of age or situation. The volunteers may ask if you’d like them to contact 911 for you, but if you say no, they will not. They will only contact the police if you directly ask them to or say “yes” when they ask you. In this guide, those services are marked with a plus sign (+). Services that generally follow this practice, but make exceptions for situations that involve a threat to someone else’s safety or the safety of a minor are marked with an asterisk (*). These options may be considered safer for people who would not feel safe or protected by police, people who are not out to their families, and people who are in emotional distress and want to be able to speak freely without the fear of involuntary hospitalization. 

Services with a policy of active or non-consensual rescue are services that have a policy of contacting emergency services/police without your permission if the volunteer handling your call decides to do so based on how much identifying information you’ve given them, if they feel like you’re a threat to yourself or someone else, or if you disclose the fact that a minor is being abused. It’s important to know that depending on who picks up your call, saying something like “I want to die” or “I don’t want to be alive anymore” out of frustration or hurt may be interpreted as a suicidal threat, and may result in them contacting emergency services, regardless of your intention. These are still good services for people experiencing more mild distress that would not flag them as being in need of emergency services, and people who are experiencing severe distress and want someone to speak to and contact emergency services on their behalf. However, if police showing up to your home would make you uncomfortable or unsafe, out you, or place you at greater risk of abuse, harm, or housing instability, you should proceed with caution. These services are marked with a percent sign (%).

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