DHS’s Improving Outcomes for Child and Families initiative utilized a service integration focus to serve families with multiple needs.  It was based on the belief that making systems work together as a team would improve services and reduce the confusion that families face when they need to interact with staff from a variety of child-serving systems. Specifically, DHS believed that widespread service integration could further reduce the number and length of out-of-home child welfare placements.  This paper describes the objectives incorporated into the initiative and the process of implementation.

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Click here to view a related report, “Informing the Design of the DHS ‘Improving Outcomes for Children and Families Initiative.'”
This report informed the early planning efforts of the “Improving Outcomes” Initiative by analyzing child welfare placement data and trends in point-in time placement from the years 1996-2008.

RESPOND is an intensive treatment program designed to serve youth whose multiple needs (intellectual disability and significant behavioral challenges) are not able to be met through DHS’s current array of services. RESPOND operates on a collaborative model that integrates effective clinical treatment with principles of psychiatric rehabilitation, applied behavior analysis and community support programs. This report was prepared in order to examine – through evaluation of program data, interviews with caregivers and professional supports, and analysis of service and cost data – whether the program’s goals are being achieved.

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Starting Early Together, a program of Allegheny County’s System of Care Initiative, was designed to serve children under six with serious emotional disturbances, and their families, in four high-need Allegheny County communities. The program combined service coordination with formal family supports, and was intended to transform the mental health system for children and families and its relationship to early intervention, child welfare, child care and family support. Focus groups were held to determine the strengths of the program as well as any service gaps. The results of the focus groups, and related recommendations, are included in this report.

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Family Support Center staff are required to meet hourly training goals each year, in addition to maintaining certifications for specific positions.  This training is primarily provided by the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Child Development. Focus groups were held to collect feedback about the training and to identify ways in which training could better support FSC staff. This report describes the evaluation process, the findings and suggestions for future trainings.

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This profile of the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Homewood (and subsequent Addendum) was compiled by DHS to assess demographic changes and examine quality of life issues-poverty, education, health care-in Homewood and in the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County to accurately assess the community’s assets and needs.

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Click here to read the addendum report. 

This study documents the service paths of African American and white children following referral to Allegheny County child welfare services, to identify and examine the factors related to service disparities.

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This report examines the human service experiences and potential needs of children of incarcerated parents.

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