In 2007, DHS established an Immigrant and International Advisory Council, seeking to ensure that its services were culturally competent and accessible. Since that time, the Council is credited by many with making the region more immigrant-friendly. Beginning with two specific goals – cultural competence training and improving access to translation and interpretation services – the Council has grown and expanded its reach. This report traces the history of the Council and its accomplishments.
This report provides an overview of the Allegheny County Jail’s Discharge Center.
This report provides a description of the DUI Alternative to Jail Program and its impact on the systems and individuals involved.
Family Group Decision Making (FGDM), an intervention designed in New Zealand to improve safety and permanency for maltreated children, was implemented in Allegheny County in 1999. From 2001 through 2010, 2,908 children received FGDM. An evaluation of its effectiveness was conducted by Chapin Hall. This report describes the evaluation and its findings.
To commemorate 50 years during which Allegheny County government has been responsible for providing public child welfare services, DHS commissioned this historical overview of child welfare in the county.
Click here to view the full report.
Related:
The Next Page: Bold ideas behind Pittsburgh’s first child-welfare system – Meet the heroines
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 4, 2014
Since 2008, when a report on Quality Improvement activities across DHS was published, an enhanced quality improvement process has been in place for the delivery of direct services at DHS. The primary focus on these efforts have been in child welfare; activities range from a Quality Service Review process to Child Fatality and Near-Fatality reviews. An overview of these activities, and their outcomes, is provided in this report.
PA Department of Public Welfare
American Public Human Services Association
When youth in child welfare reach their 18th or 21st birthday, they are no longer eligible for child welfare services. Unfortunately, they are also too often unprepared emotionally, financially or academically for college, the workforce, and independent living. In recognition of this issue, and the needs of these youth, DHS created the Independent Living Unit that offers a range of options to provide supportive services and real-world training and employment opportunities.
Eighty percent of youth in child welfare foster care leave the child welfare system within six months of turning 18. Unfortunately, many are not ready for the challenges of adulthood. Youth who age out of the child welfare system are likely to have lower levels of education and employment and higher levels of public assistance, juvenile justice involvement. This research report describes a quantitative analysis of almost 1,500 youth who aged out of Allegheny County’s foster care system, as well as a qualitative analysis based on interviews with youth. It provides a summary of finding as well as policy and practice recommendations.
The second year of the agreement that allows the Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) and Department of Human Services (DHS) to integrate data brought opportunities to improve school performance of children involved in human services. For example, the Administration for Children and Families Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services awarded DHS a grant to develop new ways to use data to address truancy and improve the educational stability of children in care. DHS was also one of four agencies selected to receive a grant from the MacArthur Foundation to study the relationship between public housing residency and students’ academic performance and outcomes.
This publication details the challenges and achievements of the second year of DHS’s data sharing agreement with local school districts.
Click here to read the report.
Click here to read Improving Education and Well Being Outcomes: June 2011 Update.
Three events were held throughout May and June of 2011, designed to bring together youth and families from a number of DHS children and youth-serving systems. A description and evaluation of each event are included in this report.
In 2008, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services hired four Youth Support Partners (YSP), young adults with lived experiences in human services, to serve as positive role models and peer supports for young people involved in the system. From that beginning, the Youth Support Partners program has expanded to include a manager, four supervisors and 15 YSPs. The YSPs have developed effective relationships with the youth while earning the respect of colleagues and others involved in the lives of the youth (e.g., judges, caseworkers and providers).
System of Care Initiative: Building Creative Partnerships – Involving Families in Program Evaluation
Between 1993 and 2011, Allegheny County Department of Human Services received three SAMHSA grants to implement systems of care designed to support youth with serious emotional disturbances who were involved in multiple child-serving systems. Evaluation was a critical piece of these grants, which prioritized family empowerment and inclusion. In keeping with this priority, and its values, DHS involved families in evaluation in three ways: 1) family members were hired as evaluation staff; 2) family members served on evaluation committees; and 3) family members were provided training and technical assistance opportunities regarding training. This report describes the experience, its challenges and rewards, and makes recommendations about ways to increase the success of such involvement by family members.
Click here to view the full report.