Innovation and Reform
Linking Data to Improve Human Services Delivery: Podcast
How is the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) able to link data across programs and with providers, given privacy law restrictions? Erin Dalton, Director of DHS, and Brian […]
Joint Position Statement on Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Allegheny County
Allegheny County, like much of Western Pennsylvania, is in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic and it is vitally important that County residents have access to the best and […]
The Director’s Action Line at Twenty Years: Trends, Client Satisfaction and Recommendations
Receiving more than 3,000 calls annually, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) Director’s Action Line (DAL) is an effective mechanism through which clients and other community members can […]
Of and For the Community: How Community Engagement and Communication Helped to Shape the Allegheny County Department of Human Services
Creating an integrated Department of Human Services in 1997 was a herculean task. It involved combining four formerly-separate departments, geographically dispersed and structured in very different ways. Administratively, technologically, fiscally […]
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 […]
Human Services: Sustained and Coordinated Efforts Could Facilitate Data-Sharing While Protecting Privacy
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 […]
Your Culture is Valued Here: Lessons from the DHS Immigrants and Internationals Advisory Council
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 […]
Allegheny County Department of Human Services Quality Improvement Activities: 2009-2011
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. […]
Challenge and Change 1997-2010: Transforming an administrative infrastructure to support program integration
This report details the transformational administrative and operational changes within DHS from its creation in 1997 through 2010. Click to read the full report.
The Allegheny HealthChoices Program 1999-2009: Improving Access and Quality of Services through Collaboration, Fiscal Management and Quality Oversight
Allegheny HealthChoices, Inc. Click to read the full report.
Quality Improvement Assessment
This report describes the more than 100 quality improvement activities and initiatives taking place throughout DHS, using the Council on Accreditation’s (COA) Performance and Quality Improvement standards to frame the […]
Building an Interoperable Human Services System – How Allegheny County Transformed Systems, Services and Outcomes for Vulnerable Children and Families
Stewards of Change Click to read the full report.
Data Warehousing, Flow Models and Public Policy
This paper, presented at the 28th Annual APPAM Research Conference in November 2006, describes the context and need for integrated data in human services, data warehousing technology and its unique […]
Redesigning Human Service Delivery in Allegheny County
With the creation of the Department of Human Services in 2007, Director Marc Cherna began the process of integrating the existing Departments of Aging, Federal Programs, Children and Youth Services […]