Vista Maria officials tell Wayne County committee residential program strained by regulations, staffing and insurance losses

Vista Maria officials told the Wayne County Health & Human Services Committee on a recent morning that the nonprofit’s residential program for girls is operating under severe strain because of changes in state rules, rising costs and staffing and insurance losses.

"We went on a placement suspension," said Kathy Regan, chief executive officer of Vista Maria, describing a roughly three-month pause in taking new residential placements. "All of our staff has been retrained... We also have made repairs to buildings, about a half million dollars of repairs, and we've started to intake children. So we have 11 on campus right now."

The update came during a discussion before a contract vote. Tawana Rogers Reese, vice president of community programs at Vista Maria, told commissioners the organization has revised protocols for children who leave campus and is working with the Dearborn Heights Police on procedures for responding to children who walk off site. "We don't...put hands on children. There are no seclusions and limited restraints that go on," Rogers Reese said, adding that the focus…