In 2011, the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging, part of the county’s Department of Human Services, embarked on an effort to improve the quality of its Options Care Management program. The Options Care Management program provides support to more than 5,000 non-Medicaid-eligible individuals, age 60 and older, so that they may continue living in their own homes.

This report, prepared one year after the transition to the new care management model, reflects on how the AAA staff succeeded in completing this ambitious undertaking and suggests lessons for others pursuing a similar transformation.

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These narratives describe the experiences of individuals who participated in the Allegheny County Jail Reentry Program.

Stories of Transition – Part I
Stories of Transition – Part II 

Although prenatal drug/alcohol exposure cases accounted for less than two percent of child welfare referrals in Allegheny County, this exposure can have significant health and developmental consequences. More than one in four newborns were re-referred to child welfare at least once before the end of 2011; early intervention is critical to avoid a repeat referral and to address the physical and developmental needs of the child.

Click here to view the full data brief. 

An analysis was conducted on fathers’ involvement in child welfare cases from 2010 through 2012. Biological fathers were identified in 81 percent of cases (as compared to 94 percent of mothers). The data provided in this brief address the factors that may influence this involvement; it also includes a discussion of practice measures being implemented to increase involvement by parents and, by extension, fathers.

Click here to view the data brief.

Focus groups with youth and caregivers identified a number of concerns about the way in which psychotropic medications were prescribed to youth in a child welfare out-of-home placement. A quantitative analysis by Community Care Behavioral Health indicated that youth in child welfare placement and on medical assistance were about two and a half times more likely to be taking at least one psychotropic medication that their peers who were not in placement.  Recommendations to address these issues are included in this report.

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At the end of the 2011-2012 school year, about three percent of Pittsburgh Public School students were enrolled in a cyber charter school and less than one percent of Pittsburgh Public School students were being home-schooled. An analysis showed that these students had very little human service involvement, as described in this data brief.

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United Way of Allegheny County

This report analyzes the numbers and needs of young adults with significant medical, intellectual, communication and/or behavioral challenges

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In the third year of the agreement that allows the Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) and Department of Human Services (DHS) to integrate data, collaboration extended beyond DHS and local school districts, and community stakeholders became engaged in improving educational outcomes for children.

This publication details progress since the original Memorandum of Understanding between DHS and local school districts was signed.

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Click here to read Improving Educational and Well Being Outcomes: July 2012 Update.

The Brief Wraparound Residential model emphasizes working with youth on what they need to be successful following their stay in residential care; that is, at home, in school and in the community. It involves immediate engagement with the youth and family and is designed to support reunification and successful re-entry into the home and community. This report describes the model as well as lessons learned and challenges to full implementation.

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In response to federal, state and local priorities, DHS implemented the Pennsylvania General and Special Education/Disability Accommodation Screen (Education Screen) in partnership with provider agencies and local school districts.  The Education Screen was designed to increase collaborative efforts between DHS and school districts, with a focus on improved educational outcomes for students. Implementation included appointment of an Education Liaison, revisions to the child welfare records management application to allow for electronic completion of the Screen, and training and technical assistance.  This report describes the implementation strategies utilized and lessons learned.

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Allegheny County’s System of Care Initiative consisted of three federal grants designed to improve the functioning of system-involved children and youth with serious emotional disturbances, and their families.  The three initiatives, which also sought to improve system integration and family empowerment, ran from 1998 through 2011.  The evaluation described in this report looked at placement outcomes of children enrolled in one of the three programs as well as general outcomes and observations about the programs.

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In January 2012, DHS and the Clairton City School District signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to share student data. The partnership built on previous work to share data between Pittsburgh Public Schools and DHS.

Using data shared between Clairton and DHS, 63 percent of Clairton students were found to have prior or current involvement with human services programs. The report describes which DHS programs students were involved with and the educational outcomes of students who received DHS services compared to those who did not.

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U.S. Government Accountability Office

The U.S. Government Accountability Office examined four innovative data sharing practices (including DHS’s) to determine (1) how selected states or localities have shared data across programs to improve the administration of human services, (2) challenges state and local human services agencies face in balancing privacy protections with greater data sharing, and (3) actions that the federal government could take to help address these challenges.

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Natural supports are those family members, friends and community members who enhance our lives and support us in achieving our goals.  The use of natural supports is becoming more common in association with human services, and DHS actively promotes the identification of natural supports and their involvement with individuals and families involved in a variety of services. A department-wide survey and individual interviews were conducted to assess staff’s awareness of the importance of natural supports and understand their utilization across DHS.

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Addressing the specific needs of youth across multiple life domains as they transition from the children’s behavioral health treatment system to the adult treatment system is critically important. To help quantify these issues and contribute to discussions related to system interventions locally, Allegheny Health Choices, Inc. (AHCI) identified a cohort of youth who turned 17 between January 2007 and December 2009 and used behavioral health services while 17. This report describes their service use characteristics and involvement with other systems during their 17th year compared to their 18th year.

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