History
In 1999 HSAO was created as a provider agency absorbing the LIFE Project and RTF
Group. The LIFE Project (Living in Family Environments) was one of several
statewide grants given to counties in 1994 to develop alternatives for youth
ages 6-12 coming out of State Hospital Systems as a result of the closing of
those hospitals. It was created utilizing the Child and Adolescent Service
System Program (CASSP) principles for its foundations on how to work with youth
and families. HSAO's original purpose was to create alternative community based
treatment for 30 youth who would normally have been placed in a state hospital
had the option been available. The LIFE Project has grown to serve children and
adolescents up to age 21, serving almost 300 youth and their families every
year.
The RTF (Residential Treatment Facility) Group was also created in 1994 under
the direction of the Allegheny County Office of Behavioral Health to be the
single point of contact for the Behavioral Health, Children Youth and Family (CYF)
and Juvenile Justice Systems. Today, HSAO functions as a gatekeeper for all
referrals for RTF treatment in Allegheny County. Under the direction of HSAO,
RTF has expanded and now serves more than 500 youth per year. The RTF Group is
seen as a best practice model in the State of Pennsylvania for its inclusion of
parents as the driving force in the treatment planning process and its
continuous on-site monitoring of the quality of treatment from the initial
referral, through discharge and back to a community setting.
In 2000, The Allegheny County Adult Forensic Program became part of HSAO.
This award winning program provides case management services to those adults
involved in the criminal justice system who are diagnosed with a mental illness.
HSAO's goal is to divert or reduce the amount of time that a non violent
mentally ill consumer spends in jail. The Allegheny County Forensic Program
established one of the first Mental Health Courts in the United States and was
recently awarded the prestigious Ash Institute Award for creative programming
for its efforts to return, to community settings, individuals with mental heath
illnesses that are being released from state penitentiaries and returned to
Allegheny County.
Through all of its service offerings, HSAO has consistently maintained the
belief that consumer-specific services build on consumer, family and community
strengths. The goal of HSAO has always been to ensure that mental health
services are delivered in the least restrictive environment, either by
maintaining the consumer in the community or returning the consumer back into
the community. HSAO's case management is provided with a creative and flexible
approach to ensure the highest quality services.
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