(First InMaricopa) A Maricopa behavioral health group home has been shut down by the state after a series of alarming safety violations and administrative failures that endangered children under its care.

Desert Angels Behavioral Health Services, a residential facility on Rojo Street in the Santa Rosa Springs neighborhood, was officially terminated from the Arizona Medicaid program on May 27 and excluded from future participation for five years, according to documents from the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state’s Medicaid agency.

Desert Angels, which operated under the ownership of Yaundi J. Maewether, 42, and Jackie Awosika, 65, failed to report repeated incidents of self-harm, substance abuse and runaways involving minor residents — violations that AHCCCS determined were serious enough to pose a danger to the health and welfare of patients.

The state’s termination and exclusion letters cited a total of seven unreported incidents of self-harm, multiple episodes of substance use — including positive drug tests for THC, oxycodone and nicotine — AWOL incidents and one child being left at school for hours due to lack of staffing.

“The provider failed to report these incidents,” write Leslie Short, the deputy assistant director of the AHCCCS Division of Fee for Service Management, in a letter to Desert Angels. “On April 5, 2025, two members went AWOL and were subsequently locked out of the home by staff who failed to notice the absence … until police returned the children to the home.”

The site visit that led to the termination occurred April 8, following what AHCCCS called a “breach” of its Provider Participation Agreement. The home was located at 42131 W. Rojo St., but by early June, neighbors noticed it had quietly shut down.

A reader tipped off InMaricopa that the group home may be implicated in a statewide crackdown of fraudulent billing practices, and AHCCCS confirmed Friday that Desert Angels remains on its exclusion list, with no appeal having been filed by the July 2 deadline.

Maewether, who lives in The Villages at Rancho El Dorado, did not appear for a July interview she scheduled with InMaricopa. She did not respond to follow-up requests for comment.

On her Instagram account, Maewether often posted about being a caretaker and expressed affection for the children in her care.

“S/O [shoutout] to my staff and even more so the kids. No runaways. No walkin out without permission [sic.],” she posted in January of 2023. “Conflict was handled in-house. STAFF has been AMAAAAZING!!!! Handling kids with emotional disturbances who are placed in group homes, away from their families IS NOT EASY especially during the holidays. My heart is happy.”

The state’s findings starkly contrast that public image.

Awosika, a Sun Lakes resident and former president of the United Arizona Employee Association, did not respond to requests for an interview. Awosika has previously been involved in public-sector controversy, including a 2018 investigation involving the City of Tempe’s Public Works Department. In her role as president of Tempe’s public employee union, she fought against abuse at that time.

The Desert Angels LLC was originally filed with the Arizona Corporation Commission in 2009, though its Medicaid participation was enumerated in 2021, according to records.

State documents show AHCCCS staff attempted to obtain critical medical records such as psychiatric evaluations and updated treatment plans for a child referred to as A.O. Those records were never produced, even after two requests. AHCCCS also cited missing or outdated staffing schedules, medication documentation errors and failures to revise treatment plans following serious behavioral episodes.

One girl, according to AHCCCS, was left to walk home from school for two hours after no staff showed up to pick her up.

The state’s exclusion notices also outline that despite several months of substance use and self-harm, Maewether and her staff did not refer the child to a higher level of care, as required.

Court records show Maewether has a history of civil litigation in Pinal County, including four lawsuits against her between 2008 and 2019. At least one resulted in wage garnishments, according to court records.

Desert Angels’ collapse comes amid statewide scrutiny over unregulated or abusive group homes that target Indigenous and vulnerable populations. In May, Cronkite News reported AHCCCS was cracking down on fraudulent or negligent providers across Arizona following whistleblower complaints and investigative reporting.

AHCCCS has formally reported Desert Angels’ termination to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and stated that the earliest date it would consider reinstatement is May 28, 2030.

According to AHCCCS guidelines, Desert Angels had the right to a settlement conference or a formal hearing before the state Office of Administrative Hearings, but no such appeal appears to have been filed.

The facility’s business license remains active.

AHCCCS emphasized that its action aimed to “protect the health of AHCCCS members.” For families who once placed their trust in Desert Angels, that protection may have come too late.