COAL VALLEY, Ill — After 80 years of helping at-risk youth, Arrowhead Ranch is closing its residential services on Apr. 24. The change will impact 15 kids who are currently receiving services and put more than 60 workers out of a job.
News 8 talked with long-time employee Roxie Muskeyvalley, who reflected on the positive messages from kids that have graduated the program. "About a year ago, they had me on the Facebook page because I was celebrating another milestone anniversary here, and a lot of the kids went on there and said 'I remember her' and said a lot of nice things that made me feel good," Muskeyvalley said.
While Muskeyvalley's role as program administrative assistant is mostly office-based, such as handling paperwork and calls, for almost 50 years she has stepped up whenever it was needed. "At one time, I went back and got my food service certification, so I can help in the kitchen if they needed help," she said.
The center is now closing its residential services, which include more than just a place to stay. "We also cannot keep our school open. Our boys wake up in the morning, go to school, come back and do programming in the afternoon in the dorms," Arrowhead CEO Luis Moreno said. "Every year we continue to ask for extra funding, but it has gone up minimally."
Moreno explained that the federal Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) — simply known as the Family First Act — is the main root of their problems. The act was signed into law in Feb. 2018, but Illinois delayed implementing the act until Sept. 2021.
Moreno said the Family First Act means Arrowhead cannot house kids the state identifies as low to medium risk: they can only house those at high risk. "Most of our kids have been abused, either psychologically or physically, even unfortunately, sexually abused. So we're dealing with trauma that they have, and trying to help them beyond that," he said.
Moreno added that it's hard to have enough staff that can care for severe mental illness safely. "There's been many nights based on these behavior that we've had have had one or two staffing ratios, or even one to one staffing ratio," Moreno said.
Moreno said the team is working to decide which services it can keep offering, like vocational classes and counseling. "Things happen, things change, and you just have to kind of roll with it and do the best you can," Muskeyvalley said.