Quick answer
Jefferson County recorded 269 drug overdose deaths in 2024, down about a third from 410 in 2023 - still the highest count in Kentucky. Seven Counties Services anchors the public system, and its new walk-in crisis centers on East Broadway opened in September 2026.
Last updated: Wed Oct 07 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Louisville carries Kentucky's largest share of the overdose crisis - and its largest response system. Jefferson County recorded 269 drug overdose deaths in 2024, down about a third from 410 the year before but still more than any other Kentucky county. Seven Counties Services anchors the public behavioral health network, and the city's first walk-in crisis centers opened on East Broadway in September 2026.
What the county data show
Jefferson County holds about 783,022 residents, roughly 631,818 of them in the Louisville/Jefferson County consolidated local government (balance) area, with a median household income near $69,866.
KIPRC data, produced for the Kentucky Department for Public Health from death certificates, show 269 Jefferson County overdose deaths in 2024 - a 34.4% drop from 410 in 2023 (age-adjusted rate 36.5 per 100,000). Jefferson led the state in both fentanyl-involved deaths (269) and methamphetamine-involved deaths (120). Statewide, 1,439 Kentuckians died of drug overdoses in 2024, with fentanyl present in 57.6% of them.
The labor market is holding steady: Jefferson County's unemployment rate was 4.3% in August 2026 (preliminary), per BLS local area data.
Where treatment happens locally
- Seven Counties Services is Louisville's Certified Community Mental Health Center, serving Jefferson plus Oldham, Bullitt, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble, and Henry counties with mental health care, substance use treatment, and crisis response. On September 8, 2026, it opened the Adult and Youth Crisis Centers at 914 East Broadway - walk-in care for anyone in crisis, built with about $1 million in Louisville Metro funding. The adult center runs 3 to 11 p.m. daily, the youth center 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and both plan to move to 24-hour operations. Callers to 988 can be referred directly there.
- Louisville's crisis continuum also includes Seven Counties' Crisis & Information Center, a 911 deflection team that routes certain calls to non-police responders, and mobile crisis response teams.
- For the full range of licensed programs - detox, residential, outpatient, medication-assisted treatment - the SAMHSA treatment locator can be searched from any Louisville ZIP code and filtered by level of care and payment type.
Paying for care
Kentucky Medicaid covers behavioral health and substance use disorder services for eligible members, including intensive outpatient programming and residential treatment for children and adults. If you are uninsured, the SAMHSA National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) offers free, confidential referrals, and community providers can discuss self-pay and sliding-scale options.
Starting this week
- Emergencies: call 911. For a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988, or walk into the Adult Crisis Center at 914 East Broadway during open hours.
- Call (800) 653-9376 or complete . Calling is free - the referral service is paid for by treatment providers - and your insurance benefits can be checked before you commit to anything.
- Search findtreatment.gov from your ZIP code and compare programs by level of care.
- Ask your Medicaid managed care plan about covered outpatient and residential services.
Jefferson County's overdose deaths fell by more than a hundred in a single year, and Louisville now has a walk-in door for crisis care that is not an emergency room. The next step is one conversation.
Treatment by substance in Louisville
Questions about rehab in Louisville
How many overdose deaths happened in Jefferson County?
Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center data show 269 Jefferson County drug overdose deaths in 2024, down 34.4% from 410 in 2023 - an age-adjusted rate of 36.5 per 100,000. Jefferson still had the highest count of any Kentucky county, and it recorded the most fentanyl-involved deaths (269) and methamphetamine-involved deaths (120) statewide in 2024.
What are the new crisis centers in Louisville?
Seven Counties Services opened walk-in Adult and Youth Crisis Centers at 914 East Broadway on September 8, 2026, giving people in mental health or substance use crisis an alternative to emergency rooms. The adult center initially operates 3 to 11 p.m. daily, the youth center 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., with plans to expand both to 24-hour operations. Callers to 988 can be referred there.
What does Seven Counties Services do in Louisville?
Seven Counties Services is a Certified Community Mental Health Center, accredited by the Joint Commission, serving Jefferson and six surrounding counties. It provides mental health care, substance use treatment, crisis services, and intellectual and developmental disabilities support.
Does Kentucky Medicaid cover rehab in Louisville?
Kentucky Medicaid covers behavioral health and substance use disorder services for eligible members, including intensive outpatient programs at least three days per week and residential treatment for children and adults entering recovery. Confirm eligibility and covered services with the Department for Medicaid Services or your managed care plan.