Allegheny End-of-Life Care Project
The Allegheny End-of-Life Care Project is a regional initiative bringing community members together to share their perspective on end-of-life care in Allegheny County. A workgroup composed of community members with various experiences and insights will review information collected to guide the design of a new program to meet the end-of-life needs of residents. The University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work is working with INELDA and local partners to guide the development of the new program, ensuring that community voice is honored, documented, and authentically leads the work.
Who do I contact for more information? Ariel Leath, Pittsburgh Project Manager, [email protected]
What are the activities of the Allegheny End-of-Life Care Project?
- Community Listening Sessions: Review data on end-of-life and hear from residents, professionals, and community leaders about their experiences–what is working well, what is not working, what opportunities exist to improve the experiences of residents
- Community Design Sessions: A subset of community members will be invited to review data from Community Listening Session and walk through a structured process to design a new program that addresses the priorities identified by community members.
- The Allegheny End-of-Life Care Project Finalized: The final product co-designed with community members will be a plan that organizes the needs of community residents into a cohesive strategy ready to be tested and implemented on a small scale.
- Community Share-Out Sessions: After each Step 1, 2, and 3, project leadership will provide an update to the community and gather additional feedback to ensure the work honors and aligns with community needs and priorities.
Deep gratitude to the McElhattan Foundation for their support and commitment to compassionate, equitable end-of-life care for all.
Thank you to our partner at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, Dr. Quinton D. Cotton.
INELDA’s Work in Pittsburgh
INELDA’s 2025 project End-of-Life Doula Support for the Unhoused Population offered a free end-of-life doula training to 34 individuals delivering support to the unhoused population in Pittsburgh located in Alleghany County, PA. Supported by a grant from the McElhattan Foundation and delivered in partnership with regional nonprofit Bridge to the Mountains, this training allowed those who support the unhoused community of Pittsburgh to respond more effectively to individuals planning for death, diagnosed with a terminal illness, or facing imminent death, and for those who have experienced a sudden death.
Following the success of the 2025 project, INELDA and the McElhattan Foundation have continued collaboration on an expanded initiative to advance system-integrated end-of-life care for vulnerable populations in Allegheny County. INELDA, in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, will design a community-led program to meet resident’s needs at the end-of-life, building a sustainable model for implementation county-wide.
More information:
Download our info sheet