The Bradley Center faces suit over $4.2M in back rent - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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million in back rent and related fees, two yeara after downsizing and shifting its focuss to meet the changing needzs of clients and TheBradley Center, a 100-year-oldr child welfare agency, was sued Apri 9 for failing to pay rent on its former Mounr Lebanon facility between 2007 and May 2008 when it mover out of the Castlegate Avenue according to a complainy filed in Allegheny County Commonb Pleas Court. Residential Resources Inc. is pursuing the claim. Youtgh residential treatment isstill Bradley’s core service, but the agencu is shifting its focus to community-basesd services, which will allow client to continue living at home or in their according to CEO Lisa Fox.
The agench is thriving after a seriezof challenges. “It really borders on but we’re not there Fox said about the “We’re operating in the black month over but there are several unresolved realestate issues.” Residential Resourcew is a Downtown-based nonprofit that acquires real estatw for rental to private nonprofit agencies which served people with disabilities and othe r problems. In 2002, Bradley signed a 20-yearf lease to use the Mount Lebanon site for its residentiaoltreatment services, but stopped paying rent in according to the lawsuit.
A year Bradley wrapped up operations in Mount Lebanojn and moved to Robinson as part of a downsizinb that included shuttering campuses in Canonsburg and Indiana Bradley had revenueof $22 million in according to tax returns, which shrunk to $14 milliomn in 2007. More important, Bradleu finished 2006 with a lossof $2.7 which turned into a gain of $300,000 in 2007. CEO Danie Hunt resigned in 2007, and Fox was named as his In recent years, Bradley also has overcome a statlicensing problem, sexual assault of a female member of the staff by a residengt and temporary suspension of admissions by a behaviorall health insurer.
All of those issues have sinced been resolved and the center has a fulloperatin license, Fox said. Child welfare workers once believed that taking the child out of a troublexd environment for treatment at a residential facility was according toMarcia Sturdivant, deputy director of humaj services for the Allegheny County Office of Children Yout and Families. More recently services for troubled children have focuse d on keepingfamilies together. “There is a changwe in philosophy,” she said. “Aas much as we can, we want to empower families to take care of their children, provide safe and loving and build communities where familiex can thrive.
“(Bradley has) a long and productiv history, and a demonstrated commitment to families and Like similar residential treatment Bradley has been affected by federall legislation enactedlast year, which created a child guardianb program. The law means child welfare workersd prefer to place troubled children with a closes relative rather than in an institutiohn orfoster care, according to Anita director of children and family serviceds at the American Public Human Services a Washington, D.C.-based trade “There’s a tremendous amount of engagemenyt with parents, grandparents,” Lighg said. “Research is telling us that children are best servecd intheir homes.
“That had not been the prevailint philosophy.”