Vista Maria Closes Residential Treatment Program After Five Decades Serving Youth
DETROIT,MI - Vista Maria,a Detroit-based organization with nearly 50 years of experience providing residential treatment for girls,is ending its program and relocating its 11 current residents by mid-December. The decision comes amid increased scrutiny and challenges within Michigan‘s youth residential care system,and marks another closure in a growing trend of facilities scaling back services.
The closure impacts vulnerable girls requiring intensive support, and highlights systemic pressures facing residential treatment centers statewide. While Vista Maria will cease its residential program, the organization intends to repurpose its facilities for alternative services, signaling a shift in approach to address the evolving needs of youth in crisis.
recent concerns raised by residents regarding conditions at Vista Maria contributed to the decision,according to officials. Jaedyn Main,a current resident,described a restrictive environment,stating,”The staff is a lot more caring than my other placements. Thay treated us like criminals, we where locked out of our rooms… we couldn’t do anything.”
Though, other residents offered a different perspective. Dynisti Porter emphasized the program’s positive intent, saying, “What is true is that Vista Maria is a place to help and heal the individuals.”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is overseeing the relocation of the girls. Regan, a spokesperson for MDHHS, noted Vista Maria is not an isolated case. “We’re not the first agency to close their residential program. We’re probably in a line of 15,” she said,adding that the state’s system is “overworked,and we really have to come to bear with some changes that need to occur.”
Vista Maria plans to transition its campus to accommodate different forms of support for youth, though specific details have not yet been announced.
