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Stark says it is expanding residential homes for people with developmental disabilities, cites staffing and capital costs
Summary
Stark told parish councilors it operates residential homes and program services for people with developmental disabilities, has a waiting list for residential placements, and is using reserves for a planned new home while facing higher contract and staffing costs.
A Stark representative told the St. Tammany Parish Council that Stark provides services to more than 600 enrollments across programs and employs more than 250 staff, and that it operates multiple residential group homes for people with developmental disabilities. The speaker said Stark has four eight‑bed homes and two four‑bed homes in operation and is planning a fifth eight‑bed raised, sprinklered home; Stark also reported a waiting list of 25 people for residential placements.
The Stark presenter said residential staff provide 24/7 care and that the program’s demand is growing. “We currently have a waiting list of 25 people for those services,” the speaker said. He said the agency raised its starting direct‑care wage by $1 an hour recently, but that staffing costs—and contract labor used to fill overnight shifts—remain a pressure. The presenter said contract labor rates are higher than Stark’s direct hire rates and that contract labor contributed to added expense when staff vacancies were prolonged.
Stark outlined benefits for full‑time employees (subsidized medical, fully funded basic group life insurance, 401(k), voluntary benefits such as dental and vision, and an annual merit increase structure) and said it provides a $75 flat stipend for five paid holidays. The speaker said Stark’s total net equity was about $9.3 million for fiscal 2024‑25, with roughly $5.6 million tied to capital assets; about $2.0 million of the remaining balance is restricted for a new residential home. He said monthly operating expenses are about $750,000 and that reserves covered roughly 2.2 months of operating costs.
Council members asked for breakdowns of contracted professional fees and estimated wage increases needed to reduce contract labor. The Stark speaker said the agency saved about $150,000 last year by hiring direct staff instead of paying contract labor and by outsourcing financial management after its longtime CFO retired.
Ending: Stark asked councilors to consider the community need for residential placements and said it would continue to pursue funding and efficiency measures to keep homes open and to build the new facility for residents who remain on the wait list.
