County Council
Council accepts $1.8M from dissolved health nonprofit to shore up mental health and social services.
A 2025 memo said Allegheny County's mental health and substance use treatment program faced a $20 million deficit for 2026. Now, county council has voted to accept $1.8 million from the dissolution of HealthChoices, Inc. The human services department will use it for mental health, intellectual disability, and social services, among other things. There's no set deadline for spending it.
Written by Amy Whipple
Despite having close to $1 billion in funding for 2026, the county’s Department of Human Services (DHS) needs more money.
Council voted to accept $1.8 million from the dissolution of HealthChoices, Inc. The funds will be used by DHS for, among other things, mental health, intellectual disability and social services. There is no designated period of use.
The department began overseeing Allegheny County’s Behavioral HealthChoices program, which is funded by the state, in 2023. According to a 2025 memo, the program, which helps cover the costs of mental health and substance use treatment services, was facing a $20 million deficit for 2026. In the 2024 fiscal year, more than 60,000 residents were served using HealthChoices funding.
The program’s approximately $500 million represents 41% of DHS’s budget. DHS receives the largest share of the county’s budget.
Council also accepted $20,000 from Pelican Insurance for offsetting the cost of a loss prevention project for the county’s four Kane Community Living Centers. The centers provide residential care for the elderly and disabled. The money, split evenly at $5,000 each, will be used to improve resident safety, maintenance, or risk management programs.
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- County Council · May 12, 2026
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