Local Government Case Competition
The Allegheny County Local Government Case Competition brings together graduate students from fields such as public policy, social work, public health, psychology, sociology, law, and other human services related disciplines to develop solutions to real challenges in human services delivery.
Generously supported by the Human Services Integration Fund, the competition gives students the opportunity to apply their skills to real-world problems faced by local government. Participants can build their professional experience, collaborate with peers from leading graduate programs, connect with DHS staff and community partners, and compete for cash prizes.
For questions about the Case Competition, send an email to dhscomp@alleghenycounty.us.
Case Competition Winners
2025
1st Place
Panther Hollow | ChildConnect AI
Pictured (left to right): Panther Hollow team members Joel Mcleod Atikemah (CMU), Sydney Mahmood (Pitt), Henry Xu (CMU), and Sreya Abraham (Pitt).
ChildConnect AI is a human-guided tool designed to quickly connect children who have lost a parent to overdose with appropriate services. The system uses existing DHS data to create verified child profiles, match them to services based on eligibility and availability, and support faster, more consistent outreach. It also helps staff re-engage children during high-risk periods to prevent gaps in care.
2nd Place
McKees Rocks | BridgeLink
BridgeLink is an AI-powered platform designed to reduce administrative burden on staff. It supports policy navigation, automates documentation, and summarizes data to inform resource allocation. The goal is to reduce time spent on paperwork so staff can focus more on client care.
3rd Place
Fort Duquesne | Behavioral Health Intelligence System (B-HIS)
B-HIS helps reduce administrative workload and identifies early warning signs of risk in client records. It can draft case notes, track deadlines, and flag potential concerns such as escalating behavioral health needs. The system is designed to support proactive, human-centered care.
2024
The 2024 challenge asked students to design solutions to improve access to services for humanitarian immigrants and individuals out of status in Allegheny County, focusing on areas such as housing, healthcare, education, employment, and behavioral health.
1st Place
Fern Hollow | DHS-HANDS
DHS-HANDS supports humanitarian immigrants and refugees with disabilities by addressing barriers such as language access, insurance gaps, and limited outreach. The solution provides specialized case management and peer support to help individuals access Medicaid, disability benefits, and supplemental security income.
2nd Place
McKees Rocks | Navigating Home
This solution uses a mapping tool to help caseworkers identify affordable housing and language distribution patterns, while also engaging landlords through community events to improve housing access for newcomers.
3rd Place
Hot Metal | PATH: Pittsburgh Affordable Transitional Housing
PATH proposes rehabilitating city-owned and vacant properties to create affordable housing for newly resettled refugees. Units would be managed through a city land trust and allocated via lottery to ensure equitable access.