DHS NEWS February 2016
“ “We see this eventually being especially helpful with multisystem individuals.” -- Melanie Sanfilippo, DHS Administrator of Technology and Program Relations
From Synergy software facilitates integrated planning.
Synergy software facilitates integrated planning A case management system that brings together program offices and improves efficiency has been rolled out with the Youth Support Partners (YSP) Unit and homeless services conducted through the Office of Community Relations. The new internet technology portal, called Synergy, is another step Department of Human Services (DHS) staff have taken toward implementation of a coordinated response to individuals and families who have multisystem involvement. Synergy offers several advantages in completing case management, including allowing workers to oversee cases at their own pace and to keep and track information in a consistent manner. Prior to Synergy, YSPs had to wait until referrals were placed in the Key Information and Demographics System (KIDS) before they could document information. They also used paper to manage their cases. OCR Homeless Services and Supports Coordinators completed their work on spreadsheets and Word documents. Now YSPs and Homeless Services and Supports Coordinators who receive referrals from KIDS, enter cases into Synergy and begin to build the demographic and planning information they need. And, importantly, since Synergy syncs with KIDS in real time, workers who have access to Synergy can see instantly if a client has other system involvement. Contact notes entered by a YSP into Synergy also sync with KIDS in real time for a caseworker to read. “We see this eventually being especially helpful with multisystem individuals,” said Melanie Sanfilippo, DHS Administrator of Technology and Program Relations, who served on the team that developed Synergy. “The vision is that there will be a case-plan repository that will allow a Synergy user to view goals, outcomes, needs, strengths, and action steps identified for clients by all program areas. “Synergy allows case managers to see, for example, all the needs a client may have as identified on a common assessment by CYF, and/or all the needs identified by homeless workers.” Synergy, in fact, will make suggestions to its users, indicating, for example, that there are other natural or professional supports the case manager might want to consider or consult while working with a case. This cross-system knowledge will help avoid duplicated efforts and contradictions and also help find supports. The software is expected to be rolled out next to Integrated Service Planning, The Children’s Team in Integrated Program Services and in community services. Besides Melanie and Sheila Bell, Assistant Deputy Director of Integrated Program Services (IPS), the Synergy development team included representatives from all DHS program offices and internet technology contractor Deloitte. Melanie said the team is now meeting with stakeholders to get their ideas on how Synergy could be useful to them.
DHS facilitates outcomes at Veterans Court It doesn’t take long while observing Allegheny County Veterans Court to notice how all of its components work together smoothly. One recent morning, the court began the day with a team -- representing the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Behavioral Health (OBH), the county Probation Office, the Veterans Leadership Program, and others – convened to review specific veterans’ cases in an Allegheny County Courthouse meeting room, with the leadership of Judge William F. Ward, who assisted at the court for three years.
Judges John A. Zottola and William F. Ward preside in Veterans Court over graduation ceremonies in November 2015. DHS staff work in the court to link participants to services that help them avoid incarceration.
Once the team finished its review of each case, members conferred on recommendations for next steps for each veteran. Team members then prepared to appear with the veterans later that morning in the courtroom of Judge John A. Zottola, who presides over Veterans Court twice monthly. Judge Zottola spearheaded the court’s founding in 2009. The cases Judge Zottola oversees involve veterans who have faced criminal charges. The cases are in Veterans Court because court and human service personnel believe those involved have what it takes to overcome the mental health, drug and alcohol or behavioral issues that factored into their encounters with the justice system. If all goes well, the veterans graduate after achieving steps outlined in a service plan. Judge Zottola said Veterans Court achieves several humanitarian and community objectives held in common by the court and human services systems. “Veterans Court helps the veterans regain their lives and become productive members of society,” he said. “It prevents further penetration into the criminal justice system. It not only helps the veterans, it helps their families.” As he presided on that recent morning, the judge heard from team members whether veterans have been to psychiatric appointments, met requirements for drug and alcohol testing, taken prescribed medication, attended mandatory counseling sessions, or secured jobs. He kept a convivial and positive tone with court team members and veterans alike as the day progressed, gently encouraging veterans who have lagged. “It’s always helpful to just have someone
make a quick check,” Judge Zottola told a veteran for whom the team recommended a psychiatric evaluation. “You need to have that done.” “You attack the program the way you’d attack a running back,” he told another veteran, who has told the judge he used to play football. “You can do it. You can make it,” he said before approving the veteran to advance to Phase III – the final phase – of the Veterans Court. That phase extends the next court visit to within 60 days. In Phase I the veterans report within 2 weeks and in Phase II, a month. Besides DHS, team members represent the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, the county Adult Probation Office, the county’s Justice Related Services program, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Pittsburgh Vets Center, the Veterans Leadership Program, and the Duquesne University School of Law. Judge Zottola praised DHS’s role on the Veterans Court team. Mike Rocco, formerly Coordinator of Justice Related Special Projects and now Manager of Information, Referral and Emergency Services (IRES), and Judi Macek, JRS Diversion Specialist, have assisted with Veterans Court. Both work in the DHS Office of Behavioral Health (OBH).
DHS’s roles in Veterans Court are significant in ensuring that no identified need goes unaddressed and that no one falls through the cracks because they do not qualify for veterans’ benefits, Judge Zottola said. “We developed a philosophy early on in establishing the court: We’re not going to leave anyone behind,” Judge Zottola said. “DHS has done a tremendous job. They step right up to the plate.” Mike pointed out that the intervention provided in Veterans Court service plans can particularly benefit young veterans, those in their late teens or early 20s, an age when mental illness can first appear. “The goal is to get veterans mental health, drug and alcohol or anger management treatment,” Mike said. “When you put someone in jail, if they don’t get treatment, they might remain the same person with the same issues as when they went to jail.”
Last November, 31 veterans graduated from the court in a ceremony overseen by Judge Zottola and Judge Ward. All told, since the court’s inception in 2009, nearly 100 of about 180 veterans accepted into Veterans Court have graduated. DHS has also supported veterans through a federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) grant, providing more than $37,000 worth of bus passes to them at no cost. The department additionally provides Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) screenings for veterans who enter jail and trauma trainings for human services providers.
PRSA awards ADA 25 celebration team—including two with DHS ties Judy Barricella, formerly with the Office of Community Relations (OCR), and Aurelia Carter-Scott, Family Support Specialist in the Office of Behavioral Health (OBH), are among members of a stakeholders team recently honored for its promotion in Allegheny County of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Pittsburgh Chapter of the Public Relations Society of American (PRSA) on Jan. 28 presented the stakeholders committee with an Award of Merit, Public Relations/Community Service for the Pittsburgh-Allegheny County ADA 25th campaign. The award was made in the category for organizations with a $50,000 budget and under. FISA Foundation initiated the committee, which included representatives from 20 organizations. Before retiring, Judy served as director of Disability Connection and as Allegheny County’s ADA manager. Her longtime role in advocating for the region’s people with disabilities informed her participation in the ADA 25 Committee. Aurelia participated as a parent of a young adult with disabilities.
Brandon Carter, son of DHS Family Support Specialist Aurelia Scott Carter, was featured in advertisements placed to commemorate the ADA.
The committee’s awareness campaign, called Pittsburgh-Allegheny County ADA 25th, highlighted the positive changes made by the ADA for county residents with disabilities. The law nationwide has promoted accessibility in transportation, public spaces and more. The committee held events and developed and scheduled public service advertisements. Members, including Judy, also made media appearances. The Allegheny County Port Authority, a lead partner in the celebration, arranged to have buses wrapped with ADA 25th banners and to have a bus at several events, such as the Three Rivers Arts Festival, that people could board to see how it is accessible to people with disabilities. DHS participated in the campaign by sending out announcements to staff and stakeholders about the anniversary and noting significant events that have occurred in the years since President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law on July 26, 1990. Besides FISA, the Port Authority, Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh, partners in the celebration included the City of Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Task Force on Disabilities; University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences; University of Pittsburgh Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and Related Disorders (LEND) program; Bender Consulting Services; Vibrant Pittsburgh; Consumer Health Coalition; Temple University Institute on Disabilities-Western Pennsylvania Office; Pittsburgh Cultural Trust; United Way of Allegheny County; University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center; UPMC Disabilities Resource Center; Pittsburgh Pirates; Three Rivers Center for Independent Living, and Community Living and Support Services (CLASS).
Computer security and privacy tips: Phishing Beginning this month, in conjunction with the Office of Administrative and Information Management Systems (AIMS), the DHS News will offer tips for using your computer safely and securely. DHS employees and contracted personnel are required to adhere to laws and regulations regarding confidentiality and Protected Health Information (PHI). These tips are designed to enhance knowledge on avoiding use that could compromise data. If you have additional questions, contact the DHS Service Desk at 412-350-4357, option 2. Phishing Hackers intent on collecting personal and financial information that they can use to their advantage launch what are known as “phishing” attacks. These attacks can be clever. Hackers phish by sending what seem to be innocuous emails, asking for you to answer them, or by sending fake or malicious website links, asking you to click on them. But answering such emails or clinking on such malicious links can allow hackers to compromise your personal or financial information. Before opening an email, always take a close look at where the email comes from. Phishers disguise emails to appear as if they are coming from someone you know or trust – banks, social media sites such as Facebook or the IRS. They may try to entice you with “special offers” or gifts. Do not open any email from any source you do not recognize or from any source that appears suspicious. If it seems too good to be true, it is. Remember, “When in doubt, throw it out.” Depending on whether you access your email through Outlook or the Office 365 cloud, you should mark the unopened message as junk or delete it. If you are not sure what to do, contact the DHS Service Desk before taking action. Maintain the same skepticism when reading posts on social media and social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook, Reddit) and online ads. What you read may not be factual and can send you to websites set up by hackers. See more at https://staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/keep-aclean-machine/spam-and-phishing.
Kudos: Richard Mudd Kudos goes to Richard Mudd, caseworker at the South Regional Office (SRO), who drew praise from a foster parent for taking extra steps to ensure the child in care visits his biological mother. When a case aide has not been available, Richard has transported either the mother or child, as necessary, to visit one another so that they could maintain their relationship.
Previously in February
Foster Goodness campaign hopes to enlarge network of foster families The Department of Human Services has launched a marketing campaign to raise awareness of the need for foster parents for teenagers. The effort supports CYF’s goal to reduce reliance on group, residential and institutional placements for children and youth, in recognition of research and experience showing that children and youth have better outcomes when their placements are with loving, supportive families. Blender Inc. of Shadyside was selected through a competitive bidding process to assist with the campaign, working with the Office of Community Relations (OCR) and the office of Children, Youth and Families, using funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Called “Foster Goodness,” the image-strong awareness and recruitment campaign features the message that foster parents are needed for teenagers in Allegheny County. The campaign also incorporates grassroots outreach, specifically targeting McKeesport, Penn Hills and Wilkinsburg because DHS has identified those municipalities as having the greatest need for foster parents. The ads are running in print publications; on WISH 99.7 and its webpage; on KDKA-TV; billboards; Port Authority buses running from the East garage and more. The WISH spots will air on the “Delilah After Dark” radio program. The popular disc jockey, who has adopted children, is a proponent of foster care and founded the Point Hope program to advocate for children in foster care.
The campaign promotes the Director’s Action Line (DAL) phone number (1-800-862-6783) and FosterGoodness.org as contacts for more information about fostering. DAL specialists are sending information about local foster care agencies to inquirers and tracking calls while fostergoodness.org redirects prospective caregivers to the DHS foster care pages on the Allegheny County website. There
they can view videos created by OCR staff that testify to the value of foster care for parents and teens alike; learn more about agencies and the Foster Parent Advisory Board; and find answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). The ads in print, on social media and on websites also have messages tailored for specific audiences. For example, an ad that ran recently in Metroburgh magazine, whose audience is the LGBTQ community in Pittsburgh, says, “I came out and got kicked out.” “Right now there’s an LGBT teen who could use support, guidance and affirmation. Do you have room in your heart and home?” the ad continues. The Foster Goodness campaign is a portion of the larger DHS effort under a five-year, $1.5 million Diligent Recruitment grant awarded to the county beginning in September, 2013. DHS has been working on many fronts to strengthen the Children, Youth and Families (CYF) system’s recruitment, selection, training and support of families who are willing to provide foster care in a safe and loving home for youth ages 12 and up. Work has included creating a Youth Speakers Bureau; launching a Foster Parent Advisory Board; making peer supports available to families who are fostering teens; the creation of a specialized Teen Family Foster Care program; implanting training and coaching for CYF staff; and developing consistent training standards and more training opportunities for foster parents.
MATP Call Center changes vastly improve efficiency Following a yearlong review of the Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP) Call Center, changes to operations have resulted in a significant reduction in the wait times experienced by callers, as well as an equally impressive increase in the number of calls that can be handled efficiently by MATP staff. “Aggressively addressing identified needs in our MATP Call Center operation has resulted in a dramatic performance improvement,” said Robert Rebholz, Administrator of the Bureau of Family and Community Services in the Office of Community Service (OCS). “We are now able to answer and respond to a much larger number of consumer calls than ever before, just by making a few small changes in operations.” In October 2014, the average wait time for calls answered by center operators was 13 minutes and 10 seconds. By October 2015, the number of calls increased significantly, and the average wait time plummeted to 1 minute and 10 seconds. The goal for 2016 is push the wait time to under a minute. The improvements come from adding 10 phone lines at the center, bringing the total number of lines to 20; hiring four operators, which increased the number of staff to 11; and making applications available on the Department of Human Services (DHS) website. Applications can be printed and completed before faxing, emailing, mailing or hand-delivering to MATP. Telephone messages from MATP lines now also direct consumers to the online applications, and an email address (MATP@alleghenycounty.us) has been established to which applications and other documents can be sent. The move to online applications will extend in the future to consumers being able to complete and submit paperwork entirely online. The switch to online processing streamlines work for MATP employees, making it more efficient for them and consumers. No matter which method is used for submitting an application, responses to confirm eligibility and determine how service will be delivered are made by phone within 24 hours. Also, callers now receive a message when their call is answered, directing them to the online application with the option to wait momentarily for assistance if they’d rather speak with someone. They also can leave a message for an operator, with their call being returned within an hour to one business day, depending on the nature of the call. Internally, changes to operations have streamlined clerical activities and technology upgrades have been made to give operators, supervisors and administrators a more complete and up-to-the-minute picture of call-handling efficiency. Through the MATP program, county residents with a valid Pennsylvania Medical Assistance card are eligible for free non-emergency transportation to doctor and dentist appointments or to pharmacies to pick up prescriptions; and to mental health counseling or treatments for drug and alcohol dependency. MATP pays for free advance tickets for public transportation, such as the bus or light rail, or for shared rides as determined on the basis of need. It also reimburses for use of a private car.
Two senior centers receive national accreditation Congratulations are in order for the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Greater Pittsburgh and FamilyLinks for achieving National Senior Center Accreditation for centers the providers operate under contract to the Area Agency on Aging. The centers are AgeWell at the JCC in Squirrel Hill and Vintage Inc. in East Liberty. Both met stringent requirements set by the National Council on Aging/National Institute of Senior Centers to achieve the accreditation. The two are the only centers to be accredited by the National Council in Western Pennsylvania and they join only about 200 centers nationwide in the accomplishment. Both providers were supported by AAA with a grant in their pursuit of accreditation. Jennifer Baker, AAA Caseworker Supervisor who oversees the senior centers, said the JCC and FamilyLinks achievement, announced in December, comes at a time when AAA is prompting all of its 14 senior center providers to increase attendance and enhance programming. And while both centers have historically been well-performing community assets, the accreditation is an extraordinary achievement. It not only incorporates standards promoted by AAA through performancebased contracting but expands upon them. The National Council on Aging notes that the accreditation process binds centers more closely to their communities and helps to position them for continued future success. The AAA’s performance-based contracting is designed to do the same as it works to ensure that attendance and programming meet the needs and wants of a changing older population. AgeWell and Vintage are Focal Point Senior Centers, meaning they provide all core services in their contracts with AAA. Those include meals, transportation, information and referral, volunteer opportunities and legal assistance. Both also provide fitness, wellness, socialization and recreation opportunities. AgeWell is a collaboration of the JCC, the Jewish Association on Aging, and Jewish Family & Children’s Services (JFCS). It has been in operation for 43 years. Vintage Inc., founded in 1973, is a licensed provider of Stanford University’s Chronic Disease SelfManagement Program, which helps older adults learn self-management of ongoing health issues such as heart disease, arthritis and cancer. The program is also supported by the Allegheny County Medical Society and the United Way of Allegheny County.
Calendar donation helps nursing home residents For the fifth year, dozens of Department of Human Services (DHS) staff members donated wall calendars that will be used to benefit residents of the county’s four Kane Regional Centers. About 500 calendars were collected in the annual drive conducted by the Office of Community Relations (OCR) at the request of Gwendolyn Baugh, Volunteer Coordinator at Kane Glen Hazel. The calendars’ topics range from reminiscences to pets, hobbies, occupations and inspirational thoughts. Gwendolyn and other Kane staff members use the calendars for crafts, to decorate bulletin boards, and in various activities. Importantly, the calendars prompt conversations with residents. Kane staff put the calendar’s colorful photos and artwork into binders to use in talking to patients. Family members also use the binders in talking with their loved ones, and the contents prove especially helpful with Alzheimer’s disease patients. “Thanks for all you do,” Gwendolyn said. “The calendars truly brighten up the center and they result in much conversation among our residents.” The Kane Regional Centers, which besides Glen Hazel are in McKeesport, Scott and Ross, provide care primarily for elderly residents but also for people with intellectual disabilities and other conditions requiring skilled nursing.
Some calendars are used to make wall hangings.
Kudos: Michael Mosesso Caseworker Michael Mosesso of the North Regional Office drew praise from a caller to the Director’s Action Line (DAL) for his work in assisting a family. Working with a difficult situation, Michael helped the family get the assistance they needed to become successful. “It is obvious that Mr. Mosesso cares about what he does and the families he works with,” the caller said.
Kudos: Heidi Hysong Heidi Hysong, caseworker at the Lexington Adoption Office (LAO), drew praise from an adoptive mother, who said Heidi’s assistance and knowledge was invaluable in helping welcome a young boy to his new family. “She was respectful, friendly, and always prompt to her visits. Most importantly she was reliable, consistent and always present when she needed to be,” the mother wrote to Denise Brown, Regional Office Manager at LAO. “She is a wonderful example of what an employee of Children, Youth and Families (CYF) should be.”