Launch a new program in which trained mental health professionals will respond to mental health crisis 911 calls

In partnership with police departments in McKees Rocks, Penn Hills, Monroeville, and the Allegheny County Housing Authority, the Alternative Response Team (A-Team) will go alone to calls deemed not to require a police response, and will respond simultaneously or following a police response for other calls. This new program will be the first of its kind in Allegheny County, and the county wants to learn from it so it can thoughtfully and effectively expand this model in partnership with additional municipalities and police departments. The county and its selected provider will create a public data dashboard to track the program’s impact and will work to identify additional state and federal funding to sustain and expand this program.

  Completed

The Alternative Response program (A-Team) is currently active and ATeams can be requested any day of the week between 10:00 am – 10:00 pm by police serving in the following areas:

• • Allegheny County Housing Authority sites including:
     – Braddock/North Braddock
     – East Pittsburgh
     – Rankin
     – Stowe
     – Turtle Creek
     – Wilmerding
  • Churchill
  • East McKeesport
  • McKees Rocks
  • Monroeville
  • Penn Hills
  • Wall
  • Wilkins

Continue to improve systems for addressing intimate partner violence

The Intimate Partner Violence Reform Initiative is led in partnership by Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh, and aims to improve coordination across Allegheny County to better serve survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) and address those who use violence. The county will continue to coordinate and support reforms, including:

• Implementing real-time interventions to deter violence and protect and support survivors and their families. The Department of Human Services (DHS) coordinates work with the courts, police, and other partners to focus on people who repeatedly use intimate partner violence and use clear messages and responses to deter future violence
• Expanding screening for IPV lethality risk conducted by police officers, creating enhanced training for health care workers, judges, and social workers, and improving access to the courts for survivors
• Working with the National Network for Safe Communities to design targeted interventions for parents/caregivers that help break the cycle of abuse

In Progress

DHS launched an Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) real-time high-risk review and response team, covering the City of Pittsburgh in response to the findings of the 2017-2022 report. They have conducted training for federal, state, and local judges and trained healthcare social workers at Children’s Hospital, Magee Women’s Hospital, and the Center for Inclusion Health. Additionally, staff has conducted a 2023 IPV homicide review and started training additional individuals as a result.

Work to expand pathways in good, public service jobs with the County for young people

Allegheny County is continually advertising and hiring for all positions across the county, including promoting paid opportunities with the Parks Department.

In Progress

In partnership with Remake Learning, Consortium for Public Education, and Allegheny Intermediate Unit, Partner4Work hosted a “Career-Ready Allegheny Conference” in February at CCAC. The event brought together more than 150 educators, workforce professionals, and community leaders, to explore ways to better prepare young people for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

The conference presenters came from within the Partner4Work service provider and employer network to share best practices in career education. Attendees were also able to participate in tours of the programs at the Center for Education, Innovation and Training and learn about CCAC’s available programs for young adults. The day closed with a panel of young people who were a testament to the significance of workforce development programming. It was an energizing event that reaffirmed the importance of collaboration in equipping the next generation with the skills and opportunities they need to succeed.

The conference came six months after the launch of the Career Ready Allegheny website, which has since grown to include 48 user organizations (made up of schools, community agencies, and employers). There are currently 18 different work-based learning opportunities posted on the site.

Promote and work to secure additional resources for workforce development programs specifically designed for young people

The county is committed to continuing to identify more partners and resources to support effective programs for young people. For example, in March 2024, County Executive Sara Innamorato and Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey kicked off the 10th anniversary of the Learn & Earn summer youth employment program and encouraged additional participation from the region’s business community.

Learn & Earn, a joint endeavor of Allegheny County, the City of Pittsburgh, and Partner4Work, has employed nearly 13,000 young people and returned $13M in wages to the local economy. Since its inception in 2014, the program has consistently produced the largest group of school-aged, trained, and work-ready young people in the county and city.

In Progress

Allegheny County continues to invest in the Learn and Earn program, which now includes a tailored program for Career Advancement for young adults seeking full-time employment, including up to 100 hours of industry training. This program is designed to hep participants take the final step toward a sustainable career.

Work to create a RAD Pass specifically designed for youth

Helping young people access free and discounted recreational activities designed for young people across the county, regardless of the municipality in which they live. The Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD) aims to invest in Allegheny County’s quality of life through financial support of libraries, parks and trails, arts and cultural organizations, regional attractions, sports and civic facilities, and public transit.

  Completed

In 2025, RAD will provide expanded opportunities for the second edition of Summer Staycation that will expand free-ticket offerings to include Pittsburgh’s world-class performing arts entities. By filling seats that might go unused, Allegheny County residents have the opportunity to enjoy top-level theater, orchestral music, opera, ballet and the arts, that they might not be able to otherwise experience.

RAD is also supporting efforts to get more library cards (and therefore more RAD Passes) into the hands of students throughout the county. The Carnegie Library’s CardFest provided 14,000 new library cards to Pittsburgh Public School students. Since 2022, between CardFest, partnerships with local schools and the Allegheny County Library Association, more than 36,000 students have received library cards. This equates to roughly the seating capacity of PNC Park.

Work with philanthropic partners to create a microgrant program that will support young people and community-based organizations to host fun, free activities in their neighborhoods

Not Started

Due to budget challenges and other philanthropic priorities, as well as the loss of ARPA and CARES funding, this has not advanced. Allegheny County continues to fund several programs and events for young people.

Build new partnerships with local universities to bring more high-quality medical services and committed medical staff into the jail

Helping the county to continue adopting evidence-based care models that can improve conditions for people while they are detained and help them connect to ongoing care when they return to the community has been shown to reduce returns to jail.

  Completed

The Allegheny County Jail (ACJ) healthcare partners with the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, and is developing partnerships with All-State Career School—for medical assistants—and Carlow University—for nursing students—to develop additional programing and course offerings.

AHN medical providers align with schools such as Chatham University and the UPMC residency program, to complete clinical hours. ACJ healthcare representatives continue to attend job fairs and speak with schools during those events.

Continue to explore how the county can offer competitive wages and other incentives to attract more physical and mental health professionals to serve in the jail

In Progress

The Allegheny County Jail (ACJ) has increased wages for therapists and social workers and continues to offer sign-on bonuses for healthcare social workers, therapists, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and medical assistants.

ACJ continues to monitor local healthcare wages in Pittsburgh, particularly for nursing staff.

Strengthen the existing reentry services program and infuse a cognitive behavioral approach through the reentry system

Service providers offer programs to detained people that address health, relationships, employment, and other needs, and infuse a cognitive behavioral approach throughout the reentry system. The group-based programs and additional activities implemented in housing units, aim to support people to achieve well-being, stability, and hopefully avoid future interactions with the criminal legal system. These new programs will be available regardless of municipality people return to after leaving the Allegheny County Jail (ACJ).

In Progress

The ACJ and Department of Human Services (DHS) have partnered with the Beck Institute to provide reentry services that utilize the Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R) behavioral approach. DHS is in the process of contracting with reentry service providers who will be providing:

• • CT-R
  • Job readiness
  • Parenting
  • Mental and physical health education
  • Relationship-building and maintenance
  • Activities and resource coordination

ACJ will be working with new providers over the next few months to onboard and train new staff at the jail.

Make it easier for people returning to the community following time in jail or prison to move back home with family or live in public housing

People returning to the community face significant barriers to finding safe, affordable housing—a problem that can create a cycle of housing insecurity and incarceration. Allegheny County and the Housing Authority (ACHA) worked with the Vera Institute of Justice to make it easier for people with prior criminal legal system involvement to live with their families in public housing. In the coming year, the county will continue to explore ways to remove every possible barrier to public housing for people returning to the community.

In Progress

The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) and Jail (ACJ), and ACHA, have partnered together to develop the Just Home project to provide housing opportunities to individuals who are released from the jail. The team is currently working together to identify housing locations in and around Pittsburgh, and determine eligibility and target populations.

Launch a diversion program that will provide arraignment judges with plans that offer people community-based treatment instead of admission to jail

Following a six-month planning process with the Allegheny Court System, public defenders, and prosecutors, diversion coordinators will provide plans to arraignment judges for eligible defendants that support community-based services instead of sending them to jail while they wait for trial. This program will assess risk factors for incarceration before arraignment and develop recommendations for community treatment alternatives that can be presented to the judge. Areas of focus will be physical and mental health, substance use, employment, housing, and dependent care.

In Progress

The Pre-Arraignment Diversion program launched on January 27, 2025, to screen new intakes into the jail. They are conducting the RAADS-14, Brief Jail Mental Health Screening, and the TCU-V assessments to screen mental health needs, identify substance use disorders, and screen for autism.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) has secured grant funding for peer support specialists who will engage with the individual, explain the plan, and offer post-release support to connect the individual to treatment options within the community.

Add medical staff at intake to better address the needs of people entering the criminal legal system

With the addition of EMTs present during jail intake, the county will be able to triage, treat urgent health needs, and conduct screenings and assessments so people can get the care they need while in custody.

In Progress

The Allegheny County Jail (ACJ) has posted the positions of EMS Clinicians to supplement the intake staff and assist in the initial triage of new arrests and respond to medical emergencies. ACJ is also working hire additional nursing staff for the receiving room to complete a more thorough initial assessment screening, and has added substance use nurses (SURN) to increase medication-related assessments.

Launch a new mobile competency restoration support unit for those awaiting an available bed in a state hospital who would otherwise be detained in jail

Adding behavioral health professionals who can quickly treat and support people who are found not competent to stand trial and who would otherwise remain detained in jail while waiting for an available bed in a state hospital facility.

  Completed

As of March 2025, mobile competency restoration began. The Department of Human Services (DHS) contracted with Centurion Health, who began seeing clients in the jail who are on the waitlist for Torrance State Hospital. The Centurion team’s goal is to obtain a less restricted placement for clients, and offer ongoing treatment to ensure continuity of care.