Copyright CBS News
A total of 154 employees will lose their jobs when Vista Maria in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, closes. The senior staff announced earlier this month that the organization would end its youth residential program before the end of the year. About 150 staffers would be laid off as a result, they said. A WARN Act notice that is now on the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity site says the number is 154. The layoffs are expected to take effect Dec. 19, and are permanent, the letter said. The affected job positions include youth coaches, education specialists, licensed practical nurses and residential supervisors. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, also known as the WARN Act, requires companies going through mass layoffs and/or site closures to issue advance public notice to the state's labor department, should that step meet certain requirements for the size of the company or the number of people involved. Any residents who remain in care at the closing will be transferred to other care facilities, foster care or returned to family where appropriate. "Many of these young people would benefit from receiving inpatient psychiatric support that we do not and are not licensed to provide. This decision was made after more than a year of reflection, data review and discussions with our leaders, board and community partners about what is right for the youth and staff who depend on us," a Vista Maria statement said. Earlier this year, a 16-year-old was reported missing from Vista Maria after running away. She was located a month later inside a man's home. The man, 62-year-old Kamal Abou Darwiche, was charged with child sexually abusive activity, delivery of marijuana to a minor and harboring a runaway. The above video originally aired on Oct. 23.
