Karen L. Blumen, Deputy Director
Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Office of Community Relations
Karen L. Blumen is the Deputy Director for the Department of Human Services (DHS) responsible for the Office of Community Relations. She has work for the county since 1996 and is responsible for the oversight, and on-going management of the internal and external communications and public affairs operations of the Department, its offices and many programs. Specific responsibilities include: proactive, reactive, and crisis-oriented media relations; publications and literature development; planning and executing public events for the Department or in collaboration with partners in the community; developing public awareness campaigns to educate the public about human services issues, generating alternative financial support for the Department and its consumers; promoting greater awareness of disability issues and coordination of services to the disability community; ensuring greater access to information about services available through the Department; content of the DHS website and intranet; supervising the Allegheny Link to Aging and Disability Resources and the Homeless Prevention & Rapid Re-housing call center; and ensuring an appropriate response to complaints about the Department, its services, staff, case management and activities through the Director’s Action Line. Ms. Blumen also serves as the department's officer for open records requests.
The Department, which has received numerous awards and national recognition for its innovative practices, was showcased as a model in child welfare twice by ABC World News tonight and by CNN’s NewsNight. The department has also been featured in the New York Times and U.S. News and World Report.
Karen was the 2006 recipient of the Family Resources Outstanding Achievement Award for her contribution to child abuse awareness and prevention. She served as a Sponsor Committee Member on the Positioning Public Child Welfare Initiative: Strengthening Families for the 21st Century, a partnership of NAPCWA and Casey Family Programs, and chaired the Communications Subcommittee.
Karen received both her BA and JD degree from the University of Pittsburgh where she serves as a field instructor and adjunct faculty with the School of Social Work.