01 / Safety & support
Use a real response service for immediate help.
| Situation | Direct route |
|---|---|
| Immediate danger | Call 911. |
| Mental-health or suicide crisis | Call or text 988. Maine DHHS also lists the Maine Crisis Line at 1-888-568-1112. |
| Domestic violence | Maine statewide helpline: 1-866-834-4357. |
| Sexual assault support | Maine statewide helpline: 1-800-871-7741. |
| Suspected child abuse or neglect | Maine child-protection hotline: 1-800-452-1999. |
| Non-emergency service navigation | Call 211 or use 211 Maine. |
Numbers are drawn from Maine DHHS and the listed service providers. This website is not monitored for emergencies and cannot send help. [1] [2]
02 / Safety & support
Protection orders have their own process.
Maine’s Judicial Branch provides instructions for protection from abuse and protection from harassment. Self-represented applicants have specified in-person and email options; use the current instructions for the correct kind of case. Emailing a request does not itself create protection. A judge must act. [3] [4]
Read the order you receive, including who is protected, restrictions, permitted exceptions and hearing information. Bring questions about contact, exchanges, work locations or overlapping family orders to a lawyer or advocate. A message inviting contact is not a reliable basis for ignoring a court restriction.
Do not use a parenting app, a relative, the child or this website to get around prohibited communication. When several orders appear inconsistent, ask promptly for legal help about what controls and how to seek clarification. Do not improvise a loophole.
03 / Safety & support
Preserve information only when it is safe and lawful.
Save original messages and relevant notices without editing their meaning. Record dates and what you observed in a secure private location. Do not provoke an encounter to create a recording, enter another person’s account or ask a child to investigate. Ask a lawyer about recording and evidence rules before relying on a particular method.
If you are describing an event, distinguish direct observation from inference and from what someone told you. An inability to preserve a recording does not make a concern unimportant. Safety and a timely report take priority over assembling a polished evidence package.
Limit distribution. A public post can reveal a protected location, a child’s identity or another person’s confidential information. A trusted adviser can help decide which materials belong in a private legal process rather than on the internet.
04 / Safety & support
Take reports seriously. Test disputed claims fairly.
Genuine reports of danger deserve a safe route to help and a fair assessment. Knowingly invented claims can also cause serious harm. Those principles do not require choosing a side before the facts are examined. An allegation that is not established is not automatically a deliberate lie; an accusation is not automatically a finding.
If an allegation is made against you, preserve the full communication and relevant records, follow existing restrictions and seek legal advice about responding. Do not contact a protected person to demand a retraction. Do not make a child rehearse a version of events. A focused factual response is different from a public retaliation campaign.
05 / Safety & support
Keep the child out of the adult confrontation.
A child should not be asked to pick a legal strategy, deliver accusations or defend a parent’s public reputation. Use an advocate, lawyer or qualified clinician for the relevant professional task. For a non-emergency concern about distress, contact the child’s healthcare provider and explain what you have observed. [5]
The children and family-conflict guide focuses on everyday support. It is not a treatment plan or an instruction to continue unsafe contact.
06 / Safety & support
Ask what happens after the referral.
Before ending a call, ask what the next step is, whether another organization needs your permission to contact you, and how you can safely follow up. Keep contact preferences accurate. A referral is useful only when the receiving service can actually be reached.
For legal advice, fees and access needs, use the Maine legal-help guide. For a place to live, childcare or food, use the financial-help guide. You do not need to read political commentary to reach either.
Questions families ask
Can I report an emergency through JTforME?
No. Use 911 or the appropriate crisis service. This site does not monitor emergency requests.
Does filing a protection request mean an order has been granted?
No. Follow the court’s instructions and verify what the judge actually ordered.
Can I ignore a no-contact order because the other person asked me to talk?
Do not assume consent changes a court restriction. Ask a lawyer about the order and lawful options.
Sources & how to use this page
- Maine DHHS · Hotlines and crisis numberswww.maine.gov
- 211 Maine · Local service referrals211maine.org
- Maine Judicial Branch · Abuse and harassmentwww.courts.maine.gov
- Maine Judicial Branch · How to request a protection orderwww.courts.maine.gov
- American Academy of Pediatrics · Finding mental health care for a childwww.healthychildren.org
Research checked November 4, 2026. Practical workflows and accountability standards are JTforME’s guidance or proposals, not official orders. Current law, court instructions, actual orders and program decisions control. Source-linked research is not a diagnosis or proof of any individual allegation. Report a specific correction through corrections and right of reply without sending private child records.