Our Phenomenal Partners

• Pittsburgh Public Schools: As an official Afterschool and Out-of-School Time Program Provider for the school district- which is the second largest urban school district in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania- Ruth’s Way supports their mission to realize the overall achievement of students through the district’s four primary goals of accelerating student achievement, eliminating racial disparities in achievement, creating positive school and district culture, and fostering innovation.
  • Specifically, Ruth’s Way supports the district’s agenda by providing services to female students throughout Allegheny County through The Life Skills Just For Girls Forum and Achievement Consultation Program.  During the 2018-2019 school year, we provided these services to nine schools throughout Allegheny County and surrounding areas, five of which schools are located in the Pittsburgh Public school’s district.  Ruth’s Way works with female students and their families to ensure that successful futures are achieved.  Our forums are notable for our interactive conversations “with” our students, rather than “to” our students, around curriculum and activities, thus making it obvious that student voices are essential within this process. Finally, Ruth’s Way teaches our students the distinct process of addressing current and future adversities in life so that students can more clearly focus on successful achievement of their goals and aspirations, including grades and attendance, without being derailed by unanticipated events.

• Penn Hills School District

  We provide Achievement Consultation and gender-specific curriculum facilitation through our Life Skills Just for Girls Forum for the female students of Penn Hills High School and Linton Middle School.

Woodland Hills School District

• We provide Achievement Consultation and gender-specific curriculum facilitation through our Life Skills Just for Girls Forum for the female students of Woodland Hills High School and Woodland Hills Elementary School 6^th

Propel Schools Northside:

• We provide Achievement Consultation and gender-specific curriculum facilitation through our Life Skills Just for Girls Forum for the female students of Propel Schools Northside.

Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST)

As an official Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST) member, our agency has gone through a rigorous Quality Self Assessment process, and we are committed to continuous quality improvement. Additionally, it helps us to analyze our programs in order to identify areas of strength or weakness; and then requires us to compose an action plan that acts as a guideline to making improvements or replicating strengths.  The APOST Quality Campaign enhances our existing commitment to quality as well as introduces us to new concepts and practices that will help us continue to monitor and enhance our work.

• The APOST Data Project: Additionally, we participate in The APOST Data Project Initiative of Allegheny Partners for Out of School Time (APOST) which provides afterschool partners like Ruth’s Way with an accessible and easy to use data platform to support quality improvement efforts and data driven student interventions. Through this initiative, as a quality campaign partner we have access to:
  • A free license per program site with the capacity to track an unlimited number of student participants
  • A secure web-based interface for tracking participant information
  • Customizable data uploads and reporting features
  • Technical assistance and user training from APOST and Cityspan
  • Opportunity to be a part of a regional effort to better understand trends among OST partners

S2C School 2 Career and Future Makers

• • School 2 Career creates a seamless transition for Pittsburgh Public School students to make regarding productive careers through paid year-round programming in the areas of:
    • Drivers Education
    • Career based mentored work experience
    • Field trips to explore sports, music, and art
    • Networking opportunities with professionals
    • Daily homework assistance, tutoring, and SAT preparation
    • Access to an annual college fair and a seminar on paying for college
    • Career assessments to determine career interests
    • Microsoft Office 2016 certification
    • CPR/AED/First Aid Certification
  • Future Makers provides skilled training workshops in the following areas:
    • STEM area subjects of Science, technology, engineering, and math
    • Intro to Veterinary Medicine
    • Culinary Arts
    • Cosmetology
    • Yoga and mindfulness

NEED

• • Vision: We Believe Our Children Are Our Future. NEED’s vision is to be a catalyst for change that transforms the outcomes of our underserved youth in the Greater Pittsburgh area by developing college bound, civic minded leaders.  We are directing them on the right path through enrichment programs, mentorship, career development, educational trips, scholarship assistance, and socially impactful activities.  We are determined to eradicate the factors that lead to systemic poverty by creating safe learning environments and by giving them every tool to succeed.  Together with the support of families, churches, alumni, corporations, and in-kind donations we are investing in our youth to ensure the growth, longevity, sustainability, of our future and the strengthening of our Pittsburgh region’s economy.

The Homewood Children’s Village

• • Mission: To improve the lives of Homewood’s children and simultaneously reweave the fabric of the community in which they live.

Partner4Work

• • A workforce development organization that connects funding, expertise and opportunities for employers, job seekers, agencies, and policy makers to develop a thriving workforce in the Pittsburgh area.

• Within this collaborative effort between Ruth’s Way, The Homewood Children’s Village, and Partner4Work:

  • the Homewood Children’s Village serves as our liaison with Partner4Work’s Learn and Earn Program where they compensate each of our participants a full earning wage of $7.25 per hour for a total of 20 hours per week for their participation in our Summer Forum called The Job Readiness and Employment Soft Skills Summer Forum.
    • Ruth’s Way’s Job Readiness and Employment Soft Skills Forum focus is Job Readiness, Employment Soft Skills, and Smart Money Management in the form of an innovative composure of interactive activities, focusing in the core areas of Communication, Enthusiasm and Attitude, Teamwork, Networking, Problem Solving and Critical Thinking, Professionalism and Money Management.  We discuss FUN topics like effective job searching, fantastic resume composure, mock interviews, opening a checking account, avoiding identity theft, wealth building and much more!

The Foundation of HOPE’s Diversion Program:

Ruth’s Way provides our Achievement Consultation services as an innovative and positive alternative process for addressing the negative behaviors, repetitive behavioral health issues, and recidivism patterns among the female youth participants referred to us from the Foundation of HOPE’s Diversion Program.

• • Foundation of HOPE background: The Foundation of HOPE submitted a grant application to local foundations and was awarded a grant to divert low-level/non-violent youth from criminal activity and re-offending in Northside Communities. The grant is used to increase public safety and to reduce police, prosecution, court, and corrections expenses while re-directing resources towards rehabilitative and other services to create life changing opportunities and prevent crimes.  This grant was made possible with support from The Buhl, Pittsburgh and Dollar Bank Foundations.  It is being coordinated by a Diversion Advisory Group that consists of stakeholders representing the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Housing Authority City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County Health Department, and Allegheny County Juvenile Probation.
  • Ruth’s Way’s commitment within this partnership is to provide evidence-based behavioral health treatment and services from a strengths-based and empowerment perspective to the female youth, adults and families referred to us from the HOPE Diversion Program through our Achievement Consultation services, focusing more specifically in the areas of:
    • Family Development
    • Care Coordination
    • Life Coaching
    • Life Skills
    • Job Development
    • Job Readiness and Employment Soft Skills
    • Mentoring
    • Counseling

• Shuman Detention Center:

  • Ruth’s Way provides our Achievement Consultation services as an innovative and positive alternative process for addressing the negative behaviors, repetitive behavioral health issues, and recidivism patterns among the female youth currently court-appointed to reside there.
    • Ruth’s Way’s commitment within this partnership is to provide evidence-based behavioral health treatment and services from a strengths-based and empowerment perspective to the female youth, adults and families referred to us from the HOPE Diversion Program through our Achievement Consultation services, focusing more specifically in the areas of:
      • Family Development
      • Care Coordination
      • Life Coaching
      • Life Skills
      • Job Development
      • Job Readiness and Employment Soft Skills
      • Mentoring
      • Counseling
    • Additionally, Ruth’s Way provides gender-specific curriculum facilitation of our Life Skills Just for Girls Forum 1x/week to the female residents of Shuman Juvenile Detention Center.

Magisterial District 5-3-12 and The Honorable Judge Kevin A. Cooper

Ruth’s Way sits in on the judicial truancy cases throughout the school year and together we assess each hearing on a case by case basis. We then decipher the individual needs of each student and determine if Ruth’s Way is the right fit.  These cases are primarily concerning students referred to the courts due to truancy issues/violations.

Magisterial District 32 and The Honorable Judge Anthony DeLuca

Ruth’s Way, in partnership with the District, receives referrals of  adjudicated female youth from the Penn Hills area School District who may benefit from our services and reduce their probability of re-offending.

• Ruth’s Way currently holds 4 positions with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS):
• Since 2015, Ruth’s Way has been an approved Behavioral Health Service Provider and member of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services Community of Practice (CoP) for families in the child welfare and behavioral health systems. One purpose of the CoP is to provide for rapid access to appropriate, high-quality behavioral health services for families involved in child welfare.  A second purpose is to build collaboration between the two systems so that they will work together in a coordinated manner for the benefit of the family.  A third purpose of the CoP is to establish joint plans to assist the family in achieving common, family-driven goals, which benefits not only the family, but also the system workers who share in the family’s success.  Ruth’s Way will assist the CoP to achieve each of these purposes as an approved Behavioral Health Service Provider partner.
• The Focus on Attendance Partnership: Focus on Attendance is a partnership between The Allegheny County Department of Human Services, The Allegheny Intermediate Unit, the Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania (specifically the Magisterial District Courts and Juvenile Probation) and local schools, grades Kindergarten through 12.

Focus on Attendance can be used as a Community Based Attendance Improvement Program by school staff. It is also approved by the 5th Judicial District as an Adjudication Alternative Program for the Magisterial District Courts. Focus on Attendance does not provide services directly, but links families to a variety of resources and services.  Ruth’s Way works closely with the referred female participants of Focus on Attendance on identifying and addressing the underlying issues revolving around their inability to maintain good attendance so that they can be successful in all aspects of their life improvement goals, including good attendance.

• As a member of the Penn Hills Providers’ Partnership, Ruth’s Way collaborates with other service providers to adopt a grassroots co-production approach, for engaging and empowering community coalitions, local authorities, residents, community provider organizations, and other community stakeholders to coalesce thinking and action toward improving and sustaining the health and wellbeing of the Penn Hills community and its residents. The main priority of the partnership is in establishing services for the community which are strengths-based in which the community maintains an active voice in the services which they need.  Ruth’s Way not only serves as a member of the partnership, but our CEO also serves on the partnership’s governing/guidance committee.
• The Allegheny County Department of Public Welfare: For 13 years Ruth’s has maintained our contract with the Allegheny County Department of Public Welfare as a Fee-for-Service Medical Provider for persons under 21.

As a Live Well Allegheny Community Partner, we share their mission is aiming to improve the health and well-being of Allegheny County Residents, and making Allegheny County the “healthiest county” in the nation. As a Behavioral Health agency, Ruth’s Way, Inc. forms a team of phenomenal Behavioral Health Professionals, composed of Achievement Consultants who are SFW (Strength-based Family Worker) credentialed Family Workers and Therapeutic Clinicians who are Licensed Professionals.

Provides a variety of event tickets to our clients while fulfilling their mission of enabling underprivileged children and their families to fully participate in the enriching resources our community has to offer, including cultural, sporting, educational, and entertainment activities.

Provides professional attire, a network of support, and career development tools to our clients ages 18-21 to help them thrive in work and life.

• Gwen’s Girls:
  • Mission: To empower girls and young women to have productive lives through holistic, gender-specific programs, education, and experience.
  • Ruth’s Way is a proud partner and member of the Gwen’s Girl’s initiative: The Black Girls Equity Alliance (BGEA)
    • After the first annual Equity Summit, practitioners, researchers, stakeholders, and concerned community members were inspired to take actionable steps to begin to address the structural inequities and subsequent disparities experienced by Black girls in our community.
    • This call to action resulted in the Black Girls Equity Alliance (BGEA). The BGEA currently has four work groups which focus on improving the outcomes for Black girls in child welfare, juvenile justice, education, and health and wellness.

Provides therapeutic treatment and counseling services for our clients who require mental health evaluations and/or services.

Pressley Ridge Therapeutic Services

Provides therapeutic treatment and counseling services for our clients who require mental health evaluations and/or services.

Family Resources Therapeutic Services

Provides therapeutic treatment and counseling services for our clients who require mental health evaluations and/or services.

Fine Art Miracles Inc. Services: Fine Art and Art Therapy

• • Fine Art Miracles, Inc.  (FAM) is a nonprofit organization that can serve your clients with Creative Arts Therapies that will benefit them in meaningful ways. FAM provides Fine Art Lessons, Art Therapy, Dance & Movement Therapy, Music Therapy and CEEMI Music Experiences for all ages and all capabilities. We created Multi-Sensory Sessions for people with Alzheimer’s disease and PEERbot Learning–using social robots as peers for Early Learners. Our Therapeutic Teachers, our Therapists and Technologists can design programs specifically for your needs and we deliver our services to your location so that transportation is never a barrier.
  • Specifically, we’ve chosen Fine Art and Art Therapy to teach our participants how to utilize various methods as a venue for stress relief. Boys tend to have their sports activities to serve this purpose, and some girls also, but for the most part, girls do not have creative ways to channel the daily stresses of their lives.  We believe that this partnership will create this opportunity for them.

Provision of instructional tutoring sessions to our clients who are preparing for to test for their Driving Permit attainment