Teens in foster care sometimes face challenges when it comes to getting permission to do things like spending the night at a friend’s house, using the internet, or joining a school sports team. The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) wanted to find out more about the perspective of teens in foster care, so we asked 300 teens about their ability to participate in a range of school and social activities.

The majority of teens surveyed felt that they could participate in most of the activities we asked about. For example, almost all teens said they could choose their own style of clothing, access information about safe sex, and use the internet. Activities that were found to be the most difficult for teens in foster care included having a job (51% said they were unable) and sleeping over at a friend’s house (41% said they were unable). Teens in family-based settings were generally able to participate in more activities than teens in group care, and for most activities, more boys than girls said they were able to participate.

See the full report for an analysis of all survey results as well as a comparison of responses by teens’ placement type, gender and race.

When a child is placed in a foster home, the resulting move can also mean living in a new school district. Research has shown that unplanned school changes can lead to worse educational outcomes, such as lower test scores and graduation rates. A 2015 federal mandate, the Every Student Succeeds Act, requires that children in child welfare placements remain in their home school – unless it is determined not to be in the student’s best interest – so as to maximize a student’s stability and educational outcomes.

In response, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services took advantage of a wealth of data and strong school partnerships to develop a collaborative, child-centered process that helps children in child welfare placements maintain school stability whenever possible. The result was hundreds of students continuing to attend their home school in the 2016-17 school year.

Read the full report to learn about how DHS responded, challenges we faced, and results from the first year of implementation.

The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) continuously strives to better understand our clients’ experiences and incorporate that feedback into service planning. We recently tested satisfaction kiosks as a new way of collecting feedback. The wireless kiosks were placed in a variety of service locations and asked clients to indicate their satisfaction by pressing a button, with the results quickly and anonymously sent to DHS. Staff and clients responded positively to the pilot, and we were able to collect feedback on a range of services. Building on the success of the pilot, we are continuing to employ innovative technology to hear from the people we serve.

This series of three reports gives an overview of the kiosk pilot program and then takes a closer look at ways the kiosks are helping us better understand our clients.

Piloting Satisfaction Kiosks: Overview, Implementation and Insights
Read about how the pilot was implemented, examples of survey questions, lessons learned, and next steps for building on the success of the pilot.

Satisfaction Kiosk Findings: Clients’ Overall Satisfaction
This data brief describes the results of six different survey questions that asked DHS clients about their overall satisfaction. Some clients responded to the question, “How did you feel about the service you received today?” while others were asked to agree or disagree with statements such as, “I feel better than when I came in” and “I felt heard today by staff.”

Satisfaction Kiosk Findings: Clients’ Experience with Homelessness and Housing Services
This data brief describes the results of survey questions that were asked of some clients who visited housing and homelessness programs. Clients used kiosks to give feedback on service quality, their unmet needs, and interest in possible future programming.

The dashboard below displays data about homelessness programs in Allegheny County and the clients using them. Data comes from the Allegheny County Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Data is available from January 1, 2014 through the present and is updated daily (with a lag time of one day).

Problems viewing the dashboard? You can view it directly here.

Related materials

• Data brief: Annual point-in-time homeless count, 2019 data

In an effort to provide affirming services to LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer/questioning) communities involved with Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services (DHS), the first Department-wide LGBTQ work group began in 2009. At that time, sexual orientation and gender identity were not frequently discussed as part of DHS practice. By 2016, DHS had made great strides in affirming LGBTQ communities. Work within DHS and with community partners led to written practice guidance related to gender and sexuality, improved understanding of bias in the workplace, the creation of an LGBTQ advisory council, and improved data collection related to gender and sexuality.

This report shares DHS’s experiences from 2009 through 2016 as it worked to better understand and serve the LGBTQ communities of Allegheny County. We share our strategies, challenges and lessons learned with the hope that others can learn from them.

Click here to read the report. 

The Allegheny County Consumer Action Response Team (CART) gathers feedback from consumers of publicly-funded behavioral health services, which include mental health services and drug and alcohol treatment for adults, children and families. CART conducts face-to-face or telephone interviews with service recipients and their families and summarizes the feedback so that it can be used for quality improvement by the Department of Human Services and its treatment providers. The annual reports below highlight significant trends and findings as collected by CART during its interviews.

• 2022 Annual Report
• 2021 Annual Report
• 2020 Annual Report
• 2019 Annual Report
• 2018 Annual Report
• 2017 Annual Report
• 2016 Annual Report
• 2015 Annual Report
• 2014 Annual Report
• 2013 Annual Report
• 2012 Annual Report

This infographic depicts the flow of homeless youth in and out of Allegheny County’s homeless service system in 2017. Analyzing the housing services that youth used — in addition to the places they were residing before and after receiving these services — helps inform outreach efforts and service planning. This is part of an effort to prevent and divert youth from homelessness and improve the housing outcomes of youth who do experience homelessness.

Using data from the County’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), 318 youth ages 18-24 who used a homeless service between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017 were identified. Residence before and after service utilization were self-reported by youth. Some youth entered the homeless system multiple times during this period for a total of 446 service involvement entries during the period of study. Not all youth who entered a homeless service in 2017 exited within the same year; as a result, total entries into service do not equal exits.

The left side of the chart shows where youth were residing prior to their use of homeless services. The most frequent location was in an emergency shelter or on the street (i.e., in a place not meant for habitation). The middle of the chart displays the homeless services used by youth; emergency shelters were accessed most frequently followed by transitional housing services. The right side of the chart displays where youth went after leaving a homeless service. Most youth went to permanent living situations, though many also went to non-permanent locations and data was not available for about a quarter of service exits.

Click here to view the infographic for 2017. 

An infographic about services used by homeless youth in 2016 is available here.

In Allegheny County in 2016, 73 children in child welfare out-of-home placements ran away. This represents three percent of all children and nine percent of children ages 12 through 18 who were in placement that year. In this data brief, we analyze the factors that may contribute to runaway episodes in Allegheny County’s child welfare system such as demographics of the children and their placement types prior to running away.

Click here to read the data brief.

Approximately 40 percent of the families headed by single mothers in Allegheny County are living below the poverty line, while only four percent of two-parent families are living in poverty. This data brief takes a closer look at families in the region led by single mothers, describes how they fare in comparison to other types of families, and maps where they live in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

Click here to read the data brief.

From 2012 through 2015, 1,255 youth ages 14 through 17 entered into out-of-home placements in Allegheny County. Out-of-home placement settings include foster care, group homes, residential facilities, living with a relative or friend, and supervised independent living. We surveyed 200 of these youth to gain a better understanding of their experiences in the child welfare system. This report includes our key findings and an exploration of respondents’ ideas about how their experiences with the child welfare system could be improved. We will use the results to guide future planning and program development.

Click here to read the report. 

The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS), in partnership with the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, has been offering free tax preparation in several locations throughout the County since 2011. Thirteen trained volunteers helped 343 clients in need prepare returns last year. Collectively, these clients received a total federal refund of $519,645, at no cost to them. This brief includes demographic information about the taxpayers who received DHS tax assistance services and the overall results of the 2017 program.

Click here to read the brief. 

An involuntary commitment, also known as a 302, may occur when an individual is exhibiting symptoms of mental illness that are unmanageable and may result in danger to themselves or to others. The dashboard below displays data about the involuntary commitment process in Allegheny County from petition to examination to inpatient admission. Data ranges from May 2014 to the present and is updated daily.

A related report is also available.

Trouble viewing the dashboard? You can view it directly here.

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Related materials

• Report: Involuntary Commitment in Allegheny County, 2002-2013 data

This data brief includes information on involuntary termination of parental rights cases and adoptions handled through CYF. TPR petitions and completed adoption data from 2014-2021 were examined in two separate briefs (linked below).

 

Click here to read the Adoption and Termination of Parental Rights Brief – 2018-2021

Click here to read the Adoptions and Involuntary Termination Brief – 2014-2017.

 

The Allegheny County Jail Collaborative is a group of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, volunteers and community members who are committed to improving the transition of people returning to the community after leaving the Allegheny County Jail. This report describes the Jail Collaborative’s 2016-2019 strategic plan, progress that has been made in the past year and advancements expected in the coming years.

Click here to read the report. 

This infographic depicts the flow of homeless youth in and out of Allegheny County’s homeless service system. Analyzing the housing services that youth used — in addition to the places they were residing before and after receiving these services — helps inform outreach efforts and service planning. This is part of an effort to prevent and divert youth from homelessness and improve the housing outcomes of youth who do experience homelessness.

Using data from the County’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), 260 youth ages 18-24 who used a homeless service between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016 were identified. Residence before and after service utilization were self-reported by youth. Some youth entered the homeless system multiple times during this period for a total of 321 service involvement entries during the period of study. Not all youth who entered a homeless service in 2016 exited within the same year; as a result, total entries into service do not equal exits.

The left side of the chart shows where youth were residing prior to their use of homeless services. The most frequent location was a doubled-up situation, i.e., living with a friend or family member in a place where they could not stay permanently. The middle of the chart displays the homeless services used by youth; emergency shelters were accessed most frequently followed by transitional housing services. The right side of the chart displays where youth went after leaving a homeless service. Most youth went to permanent living situations, though many also went to non-permanent locations and data was not available for about a quarter of service exits.

Click here to view the infographic.