Opposition to Non-consensual Police and Counselor In-Person Crisis Intervention (Suicide and Crisis Hotlines)

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A note about suicide and crisis hotlines.

Myself, and queer community peers, stand in opposition to non-consensual police intervention and forced psychiatric incarceration. The Trevor Project hotline does not have a no-intervention policy. Some smaller, less well-supported hotlines do, including the Trans Lifeline hotline.

It's a complex topic with no fully black and white perfect answer. I can't ignore that at least a few lives have been saved. But does that outweigh the immense damage and risk? Would those lives have been saved by other intervention strategies? These are questions to start asking.

Trans Lifeline FAQ: Why No Non-Consensual Active Rescue?

Since we launched, Trans Lifeline has abided by three unwavering principles: 1) all our operators must be trans; 2) we believe in the power of peer support from shared lived experience; 3) we do not call emergency services to assist a caller in danger without their request. ... Operators are often trained on the theory that any caller who mentions suicidal ideation is at risk and requires immediate intervention. While at first glance an understandable blanket policy, non-consensual active rescue entails a number of risks that are made significantly more severe when a caller is trans.

Article: Suicide Hotlines and the Impact of Non-Consensual Interventions

Those struggling with suicidal thoughts may stay silent instead of reaching out to suicide hotlines because they fear non-consensual intervention and the harmful impact of police involvement.

Article: Social media posts warn people not to call 988. Here's what you need to know

Liz Winston, who authored the Instagram post calling 988 "not friendly," said she wanted people to understand all the potential outcomes of calling so they wouldn't be blindsided by the "traumatizing system" that she experienced. Last summer, Winston was having suicidal thoughts and visited a hospital in New York. She hoped to speak with a psychiatrist but instead was involuntarily detained in the psychiatric wing of the emergency room. She said that she did not receive any counseling during the 24 hours she spent there and that the experience was "extremely traumatic."

Article: Who’s Listening When You Call a Crisis Hotline?

Many of these hotlines that call themselves confidential will also geolocate callers (via landline, cell company, IP address, or GPS chip in your mobile phone)—which you might not know unless you’ve read the terms of service in full before dialing the number.

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