In April 2021, the Camden Coalition’s National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs initiative convened representatives from five ecosystems of care from around the country to participate in an 18-month Ecosystems Learning Collaborative. The Ecosystems Learning Collaborative was an action-oriented opportunity for teams to learn from peers and technical experts about how to rapidly expand and sustain cross-sector partnerships to address the needs of individuals with complex health and social needs in their communities.

This is the story of how one ecosystem of care — in Allegheny, Pennsylvania — was developed.

Ecosystem participants

• Allegheny County Department of Human Services
• Allegheny Health Network, Center for Inclusion Health
• Squirrel Hill Health Center
• Salvation Army
• Bethlehem Haven
• Primary Care Health Services, Inc – Health Care for the Homeless 

Community of focus

People experiencing homelessness and behavioral health challenges who were frequently using county crisis services.

Ecosystem aim

To expand homeless shelter capacity to address behavioral health, with the aim of reducing criminal legal activity and use of crisis services by people experiencing homelessness and other ongoing crises in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

View the case study to learn how this ecosystem started, its successes and challenges, advice for others looking to build an ecosystem, and next steps.

Explore the other ecosystem case studies

• Camden, New Jersey
• San Diego, California
• Spartanburg, South Carolina
• York, Pennsylvania