Crisis Call Diversion Program (Deflection)

What is the Crisis Call Diversion Program?

The Crisis Call Diversion Program, also known as Deflection, redirects non-emergency mental health-related 911 calls from the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) to Crisis Triage Workers (CTWs) from Seven Counties Services. These CTWs are part of the Deflection Team and work in the Behavioral Health Hub located within the 911 MetroSafe call center. This program operates 24/7 across all eight LMPD divisions.  

Who is the Deflection Team?

The Deflection Team consists of mental health professionals with crisis de-escalation skills and experience with mental health, substance use, and homelessness. The team includes: 

• Crisis Triage Workers (CTWs): Handles calls from MetroSafe, provides crisis and suicide intervention, suggests appropriate services, connects callers with mobile crisis response if needed.  

• Mobile Crisis Response Specialists: Provides on-site crisis intervention, assesses situations, de-escalates crises, and develops crisis plans using available resources. They respond in plain clothes and unmarked vehicles.

• Mobile Response Case Managers: Follows up with clients to connect them with necessary resources and services. 

How does the program work?

When someone calls 911, MetroSafe calltakers will ask a few initial questions to determine the appropriate emergency response, which could involve the police, fire department, EMS, or mental health services. If the call is related to mental health and does not pose an immediate threat to life or serious harm, the MetroSafe calltaker will transfer the call to Deflection. 

If you want to help someone, remember that you cannot call Deflection “on” someone; you must call 911 “with” them and speak with the MetroSafe calltaker together. The Deflection Team’s services are completely voluntary, so they can only assist if the person in crisis agrees to receive help. 

Examples of situations where Deflection can help: 

• Experiencing suicidal thoughts. 
• Wanting to seek help for an addiction. 
• Experiencing psychosis, hallucinations, or having a mental breakdown.  
• Feelings of being in crisis and unsure what to do.  

Deflection cannot help in situations where there are safety concerns. In these cases, a police response is necessary. This includes:  

• Someone has already taken steps to harm themselves or others. 
• There is an active threat involving a weapon. 
• A violent crime is in progress. 

How does this program help our community?

The Crisis Call Diversion Program reduces the number of LMPD responses to behavioral health issues by providing immediate, professional support from the Deflection Team. This approach decreases unnecessary incarcerations and hospitalizations, allowing LMPD and MetroSafe resources to be used more effectively. 

For more information, visit our FAQ page. In an emergency, always call 911. Dispatchers can connect you with police, fire, EMS, and behavioral health specialists as needed.