Reports
I’ll Never Get Used to It: Young People Living on the Street
Designed to inform local leaders, this report places the issue of homeless youth within a national context and provides information about local need, services and strategies to prevent and address […]
Behavioral Health Services in The Allegheny County Jail
The high percentage of inmates with mental health and/or substance use issues presents significant challenges to the correctional system. Untreated behavioral health issues contribute to higher rates of recidivism as […]
Truancy Prevention Programs in Allegheny County
DHS analyzed data and conducted interviews about the services provided and outcomes achieved by two Allegheny County truancy prevention programs. This report details those activities and provides information about ways […]
ACHIEVE After-School Program
The ACHIEVE after-school program evolved from DHS’s data-sharing agreement with the Pittsburgh Public Schools and was designed as an intervention for under-performing middle school students who were also involved in […]
Day Reporting Centers: The New Face of Probation in Allegheny County
Community-based Day Reporting Centers have changed the way that offenders on probation are managed in Allegheny County. Centers focus on rehabilitation, offering a one-stop shop of services designed to support […]
Immigrants and Refugees in Allegheny County: Scan and Needs Assessment
This assessment provides information on local immigrant and refugee populations in order to identify current and emerging service needs, gaps and barriers. It includes a set of recommendations for improving […]
Managing with Less: Implementation of the Allegheny County Human Services Block Grant
Fiscal Year 2012/2013 saw the implementation of the Human Services Block Grant in Allegheny County, which combined a 10 percent decrease in funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare […]
Data Brief: Batterer Intervention Programs in Allegheny County
Ensuring the safety of victims of domestic violence requires a change in the behavior of those who commit the crime (batterers). Unfortunately, existing batterer intervention programs are ineffective, at best, […]
The Bridge to Home: The Allegheny County Jail Collaborative’s Family Support Initiative
This report and accompanying video describe the Allegheny County Jail’s Family Support Program, implemented in 2009 as a key strategy of the Allegheny County Jail Collaborative’s Reentry Program Click to […]
Retooling with Rigor: Upgrading the Area Agency on Aging’s Options Care Management Program
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 […]
Stories of Transition: Men and Women in the Jail Collaborative’s Reentry Program
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
Drug-Exposed Newborns
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 […]
Data Brief: Fathers in Child Welfare Cases
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 […]
Psychotropic Medication Use by Allegheny County Youth in Out-of-Home-Placement
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 […]