ST. LOUIS — Due to staffing and other concerns, state officials suspended intake of troubled youth at the Annie Malone Children and Family Services residential treatment facility at 5355 Page Boulevard.
The Missouri Department of Social Services, or DSS, issued the “immediate suspension†on Monday. It will be in effect “until further notice,†according to state records obtained by the Post-Dispatch.
Annie Malone has been on a “corrective action plan†with the state since March 12 over concerns related to the ratio of staff to clients, lack of supervision within those ratios and lack of safe crisis management training for direct care staff, records say. The action plan was supposed to include scheduled meetings and unannounced visits to assure goals were met.
On Monday, the day of the suspension notice, the DSS Children’s Division Residential Program Unit was notified that the facility was not in compliance with licensing rules during an overnight shift and failed to comply with ratio requirements, records say. In recent years, the facility was licensed for 30 children, ages 0-18. Depending on the child and time of day, ratios are supposed to be no less than 1:4, 1:5 and 1:6.
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After refusing to answer questions Thursday, Annie Malone said Friday in a prepared statement that the firm “continues to fulfill our mission†and “work closely with the Children’s Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services to implement any steps needed to enhance our processes and procedures.â€
Annie Malone, one of the oldest social service agencies in north ºüÀêÊÓƵ, relies heavily on donations and government contracts, including for programs that serve youth in the foster care system. The nonprofit organization is based in the Ville neighborhood at 2612 Annie Malone Drive. Apart from residential treatment, the organization also runs Emerson Academy Therapeutic Schools, 4145 Kennerly Avenue, for children with severe mental and behavioral health challenges, and other programs.
Over the past decade, Annie Malone has gone through leadership changes and faced financial struggles. Early in the pandemic, the firm made a public plea for more cash donations, as well as supplies for families, so it could continue to help vulnerable populations as the reach of the coronavirus was better realized and revenue streams were strained.
But struggles predated the pandemic. Between 2013 and 2018, Annie Malone ran deficits each year, including a $1 million deficit in 2016.
Sara Lahman became chief executive in 2018. That year, the firm reported $2.3 million in revenue and a deficit of $597,684. By 2019, revenue climbed to $3.1 million and they were back in the black, with $68,268 in net income, according to the most recent tax filings available online.
Revamping the residential treatment program was part of Lahman’s strategy to generate more revenue and serve more children and families. First contacted on Thursday about a rumor that Annie Malone or one of its programs was possibly closing, Lahman said through an assistant that she had a full schedule and wouldn’t be available for comment until Friday. On Friday, Lahman didn’t keep a scheduled telephone interview with the Post-Dispatch. Annie Malone later released its prepared statement.
Lahman came to Annie Malone in 2018 after being assistant vice president of residential treatment, and director of residential services, at Great Circle, the embattled behavioral health organization that also relies heavily on state contracts for troubled youth. In January, the state suspended the Great Circle residential treatment facility in Webster Groves.
There have also been several arrests of former employees, including Vincent Hillyer, the Great Circle CEO who led the nonprofit through a period of rapid growth. Apart from arrests, of Medicaid claims for services between Jan. 1, 2016, and Oct. 30, 2018, paid through the state to Great Circle, identified nearly $2 million in “improper billing.â€
Great Circle, one of the fastest growing nonprofits of its kind in Missouri, was founded in 2009 by a merger and became one of the largest. Annie Malone is much smaller but particularly significant to the Black community. It opened in 1888 as the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Colored Orphan’s Home and was later renamed in honor of a longtime former board chairman.
Apart from services for children and families, Annie Malone’s annual May Day parade draws a significant number of spectators, participants and supporters. This year, the parade will be held virtually from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on May 16, according to an Annie Malone press release. U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-ºüÀêÊÓƵ, will serve as grand marshal. The theme will be “resilience and perseverance.â€