Erin Dalton, the leader of Allegheny County’s sprawling Department of Human Services, will leave her post to take a similar job in New York City.

Dalton had been at DHS for 18 years, the first 13 of which she served under longtime Director Marc Cherna. She took over in 2021, leaning into the agency’s strategy of harnessing data to care for the county’s most vulnerable populations.

The DHS director is one of the most high-profile roles in county government, helming an agency with an annual budget of more than $1 billion, responsible for helping some of the county’s most vulnerable populations confront homelessness, addiction, mental illness and child abuse.

Her stint as agency leader coincided with a spike in the number of unhoused people in the county and public controversy over how to address encampments and where shelters should be located.

Dalton’s move to New York was first reported by the New York Times.

“Erin Dalton has spent decades making government work better for those who need it most — expanding housing access, strengthening social services and protecting our most vulnerable neighbors,” New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement to the Times.

The move comes as New York deals with its own homelessness issues. At least 20 New Yorkers died during cold weather following a January snow storm, the Times reported, and Mamdani sparked controversy by announcing he would resume clearing encampments.

A spokesperson for Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Highlights from Erin Dalton’s tenure as ACDHS head

December 2020: Marc Cherna announces retirement as head of Allegheny County Department of Human Services. Erin Dalton soon steps into the role, initially on an acting basis.

October 2022: Citing a rise in involuntary mental health commitments, Dalton notes intention to study the effects of “302s” on long-term mental health.

January 2023: The county and City of Pittsburgh continue recent policy of decommissioning homeless encampments, raising concerns among some civil rights groups that constitutional rights may be violated.

June 2023: The department closes the longtime winter shelter at the Smithfield United Church of Christ, Downtown, amid pressure from business interests and against the urging of some advocates for unhoused people.

September 2023: Anti-violence teams, supported by a $50 million county commitment, begin to respond to gun violence incidents with offers of services in an effort to curb retaliatory shootings.

June 2024: The county announces the 500-in-500 campaign to identify deeply affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness over roughly 18 months.

August 2024: The department launches Connect Protect Recover to address rising overdose deaths in Black communities in part by supporting the loved ones and caregivers of people with substance use disorders.

February 2025: Dalton, Innamorato and other county officials say the 500-in-500 plan — at the halfway mark in its timeline — had to that point resulted in 191 more available housing units for people dealing with housing insecurity.

May 2025: Pittsburgh’s Public Source reports that the county plans to implement Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT), a model of outpatient court-ordered mental health care that has been used in other states, but not previously in Pennsylvania.

July 2025: The county and research partners release results of a study indicating that involuntary mental health hospitalizations often do more harm than good to patients.

November 2025: Dalton details plans for the county’s winter shelter, anchored by a 140-bed facility in Perry South. The county notes that its count of people living in tents has dropped from around 140 in 2024 to two.

December 2025: ACDHS reveals that it would implement AOT, but with newly crafted safeguards in place to prevent the tool from leading to incarcerations of people with mental health problems.

Charlie Wolfson is the local government reporter for Pittsburgh’s Public Source. He can be reached at charlie@publicsource.org.

Rich Lord contributed.

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Allegheny County DHS leader to leave for NYC job

by Charlie Wolfson, Pittsburgh's Public Source
February 25, 2026

<h1>Allegheny County DHS leader to leave for NYC job</h1> <p class="byline">by Charlie Wolfson, Pittsburgh's Public Source <br />February 25, 2026</p> <p>Erin Dalton, the leader of Allegheny County’s sprawling Department of Human Services, will leave her post to take a similar job in New York City.</p> <p>Dalton had been at DHS for 18 years, the first 13 of which she served under longtime Director Marc Cherna. She took over in 2021, leaning into the agency’s strategy of harnessing data to care for the county’s most vulnerable populations.</p> <p>The DHS director is one of the most high-profile roles in county government, helming an agency with an annual budget of more than $1 billion, responsible for helping some of the county’s most vulnerable populations confront homelessness, addiction, mental illness and child abuse.</p> <p>Her stint as agency leader coincided with a spike in the number of unhoused people in the county and public controversy over how to address encampments and where shelters should be located.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://www.publicsource.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/20250513-AOT-Allegheny-County-Mental-Health-23.jpg" alt="Two women sit at a conference table with papers, a bottle, and a cup, engaged in a meeting or discussion in a well-lit office setting." class="wp-image-1329846" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Erin Dalton at the agency’s Downtown headquarters, May 6, 2025. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)</figcaption></figure> <p>Dalton’s move to New York was first reported by the New York Times.</p> <p>“Erin Dalton has spent decades making government work better for those who need it most — expanding housing access, strengthening social services and protecting our most vulnerable neighbors,” New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement to the Times.</p> <p>The move comes as New York deals with its own homelessness issues. At least 20 New Yorkers died during cold weather following a January snow storm, the Times reported, and Mamdani sparked controversy by announcing he would resume clearing encampments.</p> <p>A spokesperson for Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-highlights-from-erin-dalton-s-tenure-as-acdhs-head"><strong>Highlights from Erin Dalton’s tenure as ACDHS head</strong></h2> <p><strong>December 2020</strong>: <a href="https://www.publicsource.org/marc-cherna-is-retiring-after-25-years-of-award-winning-leadership-as-head-of-dept-of-human-services/">Marc Cherna announces retirement</a> as head of Allegheny County Department of Human Services. Erin Dalton soon steps into the role, initially on an acting basis.</p> <p><strong>October 2022</strong>: Citing a rise in involuntary mental health commitments, Dalton notes intention to study the <a href="https://www.publicsource.org/allegheny-county-302-involuntary-outpatient-treatment-western-psych-mental-health-pa/">effects of “302s” on long-term mental health</a>.</p> <p><strong>January 2023</strong>: The county and City of Pittsburgh <a href="https://www.publicsource.org/homelessness-pittsburgh-allegheny-county-stockton-encampment-camp-aclu-community-justice/">continue recent policy of decommissioning homeless encampments</a>, raising concerns among some civil rights groups that constitutional rights may be violated.</p> <p><strong>June 2023</strong>: The department closes the longtime winter shelter at the Smithfield United Church of Christ, Downtown, amid pressure from business interests and <a href="https://www.publicsource.org/smithfield-shelter-downtown-pittsburgh-homeless-human-services-low-barrier/">against the urging</a> of some advocates for unhoused people.</p> <p><strong>September 2023</strong>: Anti-violence teams, supported by a $50 million county commitment, <a href="https://www.publicsource.org/allegheny-county-anti-violence-initiative-reimagine-reentry-human-services/">begin to respond to gun violence incidents</a> with offers of services in an effort to curb retaliatory shootings.</p> <p><strong>June 2024</strong>: The county <a href="https://www.publicsource.org/allegheny-county-homelessness-unhoused-housing-affordable-500-plan-innamorato/">announces the 500-in-500 campaign</a> to identify deeply affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness over roughly 18 months.</p> <p><strong>August 2024</strong>: The department launches <a href="https://www.publicsource.org/allegheny-county-connect-protect-recover-overdoses-addiction-opioids-fentany/">Connect Protect Recover</a> to address rising overdose deaths in Black communities in part by supporting the loved ones and caregivers of people with substance use disorders.</p> <p><strong>February 2025</strong>: Dalton, Innamorato and <a href="https://www.publicsource.org/pittsburgh-allegheny-pennsylvania-homeless-housing-program-500-innamorato-gainey/">other county officials say the 500-in-500 plan</a> — at the halfway mark in its timeline — had to that point resulted in 191 more available housing units for people dealing with housing insecurity.</p> <p><strong>May 2025</strong>: Pittsburgh’s Public Source reports that the county <a href="https://www.publicsource.org/allegheny-county-assisted-outpatient-treatment-aot-involuntary-302/">plans to implement Assisted Outpatient Treatment</a> (AOT), a model of outpatient court-ordered mental health care that has been used in other states, but not previously in Pennsylvania.</p> <p><strong>July 2025</strong>: The county and research partners <a href="https://www.publicsource.org/mental-health-study-reveals-dangers-of-302-commitments-allegheny-county/">release results of a study</a> indicating that involuntary mental health hospitalizations often do more harm than good to patients.</p> <p><strong>November 2025</strong>: Dalton <a href="https://www.publicsource.org/allegheny-county-winter-homeless-shelter-opens-2025/">details plans for the county’s winter shelter</a>, anchored by a 140-bed facility in Perry South. The county notes that its count of people living in tents has dropped from around 140 in 2024 to two.</p> <p><strong>December 2025</strong>: ACDHS reveals that <a href="https://www.publicsource.org/allegheny-county-greenlights-assisted-outpatient-treatment/">it would implement AOT</a>, but with newly crafted safeguards in place to prevent the tool from leading to incarcerations of people with mental health problems.</p> <p><em>Charlie Wolfson is the local government reporter for Pittsburgh’s Public Source. He can be reached at&nbsp;charlie@publicsource.org.</em></p> <p><em>Rich Lord contributed.</em></p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.publicsource.org/mamdani-picks-allegheny-dhs-director-dalton-nyc-social-services/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.publicsource.org&quot;&gt;Pittsburgh&#039;s Public Source&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/www.publicsource.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-ps_circle_favicon_blue.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p> &lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://www.publicsource.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=1329845&amp;amp;ga4=G-CCLXQK5C14&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://www.publicsource.org/mamdani-picks-allegheny-dhs-director-dalton-nyc-social-services/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/publicsource.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

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