Local Government Case Competition

Registration for the 2024 Local Government Case Competition is now live! Register online. Registration closes on October 16th at 5:00 PM.

The Allegheny County Local Government Case Competition brings together graduate students studying in the fields of public policy, social work, business psychology, design, law and other related fields, to brainstorm solutions to a real-world problem related to human services delivery.

Graduate students who participate in the case competition can build their resume, network with local leaders and peers, and win a cash prize!

DHS will be hosting two virtual info sessions to provide students with additional information about the case competition. Interested students can register to attend either session using the links below:

If you have questions about the Case Competition, you can email us at DHS Case Competition.

What is the Case Competition & Why Should I Participate?

What is the Case Competition?
Generously funded by the Human Services Integration Fund, the Allegheny County Local Government Case Competition (LGCC) brings together graduate students studying in the fields of public policy, social work, public health, psychology, sociology, law, and other human-services adjacent fields to design solutions to real-world challenges related to human services delivery.

Why should I participate?
By participating in the DHS Local Government Case Competition, graduate students have the opportunity to:

  • Build their resume
  • Strategize with peers from some of the top graduate programs in the region
  • Get an in-depth look at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services
  • Network with department staff and leaders from a variety of sectors – non-profit, private, academia, local government, and more
  • Win a cash prize (courtesy of the Human Services Integration Fund) of up to $3,500 after final presentations

If you have questions about the Case Competition, you can email us at DHSComp@alleghenycounty.us

2024 Local Government Case Competition Timeline

2024 Local Government Case Competition Timeline: October 21-26

Monday, October 21, 6pm - 8pm
Human Services Building, One Smithfield St., Pittsburgh, PA 15222
In-Person Kick-Off Event
Registered graduate students will join us in-person at the Human Services Building to be put on their teams and learn about the case challenge!

Wednesday & Thursday, October 23 & 24, 10am - 2pm
Virtual (via Teams)
Feedback Provided to Teams
Teams will share their solutions to the case challenge with DHS staff, and will be provided with feedback to improve their solution and presentation.

Saturday, October 26, 9am - 5pm
Human Services Building, One Smithfield St., Pittsburgh, PA 15222
In-Person Presentations
Teams will present their proposals to judges, and winning teams will be selected!

2023 Case Competition Winners

The 2023 challenge was to create an innovative program or intervention that would improve outcomes for those who have been or would likely be petitioned for involuntary commitment. DHS dedicated significant resources to understanding more about the existing involuntary commitment and hospitalization process and outcomes for individuals who become the subject of a petition for involuntary hospitalization. DHS found that many individuals who are involuntarily hospitalized have poor outcomes — such as higher mortality rates, criminal justice involvement and emergency room usage after involuntary hospitalization — compared to other high-risk populations. Teams were asked to create a solution that would either reduce the risk of someone being petitioned, examined or hospitalized; improve the experience of petitioning, examination or hospitalization for anyone involved in the process; or providing support upon release from examination or hospitalization. Fifty-five graduate students comprising 16 teams participated in the 2023 competition, with six teams moving to the finals and three teams winning a cash prize.

Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the 2023 Local Government Case Competition!

1st Place: Allegheny County Continuous Immigrant Support Services (ACCISS2) Mental Health Program

ACCISS2’s goal is to increase access to mental health information for immigrant communities, increase community engagement in mental health services and reduce rates of involuntary commitments within the immigrant community. ACCISS2 would provide immigrants with vital information about mental and behavioral health by providing telehealth and online chat services and establishing in-person education in community spaces. The program would use culturally competent liaisons to create easy-to-understand content.

Team Members:

  • Aakriti Kumar, University of Pittsburgh, Public and International Affairs, Human Security, and Security and Intelligence Studies
  • Josh Kirkpatrick, Duquesne University, Law
  • Eder Hernandez, Carnegie Mellon University, Public Policy and Management
2nd Place: Caring to Commit: Advocates for Enhanced Support in Involuntary Commitments

Caring to Commit would utilize trained professionals and student interns to begin working with a subject of a petition as early as possible. The role of advocates would be to communicate with the individual and to share information with physicians, judges, law enforcement and family members from initial petition through post-discharge. The advocate would utilize a person-centered approach, placing an emphasis on an individual’s wellbeing and choices over anything else.

Team Members:

  • Goutam Mukku, Carnegie Mellon University, Information Systems Management
  • Dorothy Yam, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Medicine
  • Sommer Blair, University of Pittsburgh, Social Work
3rd Place: Support Central, A Program to Support Caregivers

Support Central would connect caregivers of individuals with serious mental illness with available supports to create a plan to prepare for a potential mental health crisis. The team suggested two tools that could be used by caregivers: A Green-Yellow-Red framework and a Care-and-Needs card. The Green-Yellow-Red framework would provide caregivers with resources depending on the mental health needs of their loved one. The Care-and-Needs card would be a physical or electronic card that would store information about the individual, including preferred name and pronouns, responders with whom they have a positive relationship, and a list of interventions/activities that calm down or agitate the individual.

Team Members:

  • Shambhavi Bhushan, Carnegie Mellon University, Public Policy & Management and Data Analytics
  • Zena Kesselman, University of Pittsburgh, Public & International Affairs and Business Administration
  • Caldwell Linker, Penn West University, Social Work

Past Case Competition Information

For more information on the topics and results of past case competitions, see our Case Competition page on the DHS Analytics website.