Research and Reports
DHS has a national reputation as an innovator in the delivery of human services. It is important to acknowledge, however, that innovation in and of itself does not ensure quality service delivery. Only through ongoing feedback, assessment and evaluation – and a demonstrated willingness to make program and policy changes indicated as a result – can we maintain our commitment to excellence in service delivery. This feedback loop depends upon information generated from a number of sources, including consumer feedback, professional input, data collection, research and analysis. While dedicated to continuous quality improvement through internal evaluation of our programs and services, we are also interested in research conducted by those outside of DHS who have an interest in evaluating the work that we do.
External Research
DHS is committed to contributing to the national conversation about system change. Because of this commitment, and our belief that transparency leads to better outcomes for all stakeholders, we make our data and research widely available to anyone who might benefit from our experience or challenge our assumptions. Frequently, this information is used by those independent of DHS to prepare reports or evaluate our process. These reports, using our data and/or examining our service delivery methodologies, structure or policy, are extremely valuable for their honest, unbiased appraisal of our work. They are an important part of our feedback loop.
Click here for a sampling of external reports.
Research Conducted by and for DHS
The Office of Data Analysis, Research and Evaluation (DARE) both conducts internal research and contracts with external researchers and experts to evaluate our programs and services. Research products range from documentation of program design and implementation to analysis of the effectiveness of programs and their impact on individual consumers and the system as a whole. The results of this research inform policy decisions and program/system improvements at DHS. All research reports are reviewed by at least two independent (one external) peer reviewers to assess the appropriateness of the methodology used, the interpretation and discussion of results, the strength of the conclusions and the accessibility of the report to multiple audiences (consumers, providers, policy makers and the general public) prior to publishing.
The most recent research products in each topic area are posted below. Click on the appropriate link in the box above to go to the archive of internally produced research products.
Aging
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Allegheny County LINK: A Summary of Data and Consumer Feedback
Brian Bell, Charles Odah, Evelyn Whitehill and Erin Dalton
Published May 2012.
The Allegheny County LINK (LINK) was founded in 2006 and designed to simplify and streamline access to long-term living services and supports and provide assistance to consumers who are seeking services and making long-term living decisions. A review of data and a consumer survey indicated that LINK’s services are valued and increasing in demand and that the majority of calls relate to housing and home accessibility issues. Details of this analysis as well as recommendations for service expansion can be found in this report.
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Basic Needs
2012 Allegheny County DHS Local Government Case Competition:Addressing Suburban Poverty and Those Affected by It
Katie Meehan Arvay and Evelyn Whitehill
April 2013
Forty-six graduate students from three local universities and eight programs of study participated in the sixth annual competition sponsored by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services and supported by the Human Services Integration Fund. Designed to engage graduate students from local universities in identifying creative solutions to difficult social problems, this year’s challenge was to respond to a Request for Proposals addressing the issue of suburban poverty and those affected by it. Participants were encouraged to address at least one of the following challenges faced by those living in poverty in the suburbs: isolation; limited ability to access services; lack of knowledge about resources; fragmented or disconnected service continuum; issues of stigma around poverty; and limited transportation options. Four winning teams were selected on the basis of presentation, content and scope. This report summarizes the winning presentations as well as the key ideas generated during the competition.
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Behavioral Health & Disabilities
2011 Allegheny County DHS Local Government Case Competition: Reducing Stigma among Individuals with Serious Mental Illness
Shannon Fairchild and Katie Meehan Arvay
Published July 2012.
For the fifth annual Local Government Case Competition, participants were asked to address the stigma associated with mental illness and to develop a plan to improve the experiences of individuals living with serious mental illness. Forty-three graduate students from three local universities and six fields of study were divided into eleven teams. Each team presented its ideas to a panel of judges (18 individuals on four panels) representing com-munity organizations, local universities, DHS staff members and winners from previous years; four teams were ultimately chosen as winners based on verbal presentation, content and scope. This report summarizes the winning presentations as well as the key ideas generated during the competition.
HOPE: Helping Others Through the Power of Education: A Report on a Series of Events Held in the Spring of 2011
Prepared by Robin Orlando, Jeanine Rasky and Evelyn Whitehill
Published June 2012.
Throughout May and June of 2011, three events were held that brought together youth and families from a number of DHS children and youth-serving systems (e.g., behavioral health, intellectual disabilities, child welfare), the Allegheny County Health Department and the Juvenile Justice system, to engage them in empowering activities designed to: 1) provide a better understanding of the resources available to them; 2) increase their skills to utilize these resources; and 3) expand their ability to connect with their peers and build community networks of support. These three events, collectively known as HOPE (Helping Others through the Power of Education), were: 1) Spin the Wheel to Wellness Workshop; 2) Strong Communities Celebration and Resource Fair; and 3) Youth Empowerment Conference. A description and evaluation of each are included in this narrative report.
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Child Development & Education
Improving Educational and Well-being Outcomes: The Pittsburgh Public Schools and Allegheny County Department of Human Services Data-Sharing Agreement
Prepared By Jeffery Fraser
Published July 2012.
The data-sharing agreement between the Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Department of Human Services, designed to make it possible to integrate and share data on students involved in human services and other youth-serving systems, is in its second year. The agreement has resulted in a number of achievements: 1) through participation in the ACHIEVE afterschool program, middle school students are demonstrating progress towards meeting the criteria for the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program; 2) DHS has received a number of federal and foundation grants, designed to improve a variety of educational outcomes for youth, such as reduced truancy and increased permanency; and 3) a similar agreement was recently implemented with the Clairton City School District and negotiations are underway for partnerships with other school districts.
This report provides an overview of the data-sharing agreement and the outcomes of the partnership.
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Children, Youth and Families
Family Group Decision Making: A Quantitative Analysis of the Impact on Out-of-Home Placement
Fred Wulczyn and Bridgette Lery, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago
January 2013.
In 1999, Allegheny County became the first county in Pennsylvania to implement Family Group Decision Making (FGDM), an intervention designed to improve safety and permanency for maltreated children. FGDM involves bringing a family’s natural support system to the table with the formal child welfare system when making critical decisions, including placement decisions. In 2011, with the support of Casey Family Programs, the Department of Human Services commissioned Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago to evaluate the effectiveness of FGDM.
This report describes Chapin Hall’s research into the impact of FGDM on the 2,908 children who were enrolled from 2001 through 2010.
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Crime and Justice
Allegheny County DUI Alternative to Jail Program: System Collaboration Leads to Innovative Reform
By John Sawyer, January 2013
In late 2010, after more than a year of research, program design and collaboration across departments, Allegheny County launched the DUI Alternative to Jail Program, also known as the “DUI Hotel.” The new program was designed to reduce the number of first-time DUI offenders sentenced to the Allegheny County Jail or to Electronic Monitoring; to improve compliance with sentencing requirements; and to reduce overall recidivism by DUI offenders across the county. This report provides a description of the program, its progress towards the stated goals and its impact on the systems and individuals involved.
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Innovation, Reform and Policy
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2012 Allegheny County DHS Local Government Case Competition:Addressing Suburban Poverty and Those Affected by It
Katie Meehan Arvay and Evelyn Whitehill
April 2013
Forty-six graduate students from three local universities and eight programs of study participated in the sixth annual competition sponsored by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services and supported by the Human Services Integration Fund. Designed to engage graduate students from local universities in identifying creative solutions to difficult social problems, this year’s challenge was to respond to a Request for Proposals addressing the issue of suburban poverty and those affected by it. Participants were encouraged to address at least one of the following challenges faced by those living in poverty in the suburbs: isolation; limited ability to access services; lack of knowledge about resources; fragmented or disconnected service continuum; issues of stigma around poverty; and limited transportation options. Four winning teams were selected on the basis of presentation, content and scope. This report summarizes the winning presentations as well as the key ideas generated during the competition.
More Reports
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