The Parents Raising Safe Kids curriculum was developed by the American Psychological Association and implemented nationally in an effort to teach positive parenting skills to parents and caregivers. Offered locally at 17 program sites throughout the County, the curriculum was found to improve parenting skills; media literacy; knowledge of child development; and parental attitude and behavior toward children.

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Prepared by: Farhod Yuldashev, Brian Bell and Evelyn Whitehill

Linking provider payments to performance measures is gaining popularity as a way to improve outcomes, efficiency and innovations.  Three performance-based contracting models have been implemented in Allegheny County, targeting: 1) the Senior Center network; 2) child welfare providers; and 3) DHS-funded providers of the Allegheny County Jail Collaborative.  Each focuses on service-related outcomes and offers fiscal incentives for improvement.

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Permanency Roundtables are an important component of Allegheny County’s strategy to improve permanency outcomes for children in child welfare out-of-home placements. Roundtables engage practitioners, caseworkers, providers and permanency experts in an intense two-hour brainstorming session in which barriers to permanency are identified along with strategies to address those barriers. The creativity of the collaborative process – in which no blame is assigned and no idea is off the table – can be particularly effective for children and families with complex issues that interfere with permanency goals.

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Inua Ubuntu, designed to provide culturally-based intervention with a goal of reducing the rate of out-of-home placement for African American males, was implemented by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services in 2010.  The program is based on an African-centric concept of family and community, and is driven by the theory that services are most effective when delivered by those who understand – and are a part of – the family’s culture and community.

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An initial assessment is often a client’s first service experience, and, as such, it plays a major role in the perception, comfort and outcomes of the service. Simultaneously, the assessment can set the tone for the eventual outcomes of the  This report describes the process of adapting and/or developing common assessments for use in Allegheny County, the implementation process, and the impact on consumer engagement and service delivery.

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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 homelessness among Allegheny County’s young adults.

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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.

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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.

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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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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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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.

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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.

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Related:
The Next Page: Bold ideas behind Pittsburgh’s first child-welfare system – Meet the heroines
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 4, 2014

When youth in child welfare reach their 18^th or 21^st 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.

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