St. Michaels Association For Special Education

What St. Michaels Association For Special Education does

St. Michaels Association for Special Education (SMASE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1968 by Sister Marijane Ryan and incorporated with the Arizona Corporation Commission on March 18, 1970. Headquartered on Mustang Road in St. Michaels, Arizona, SMASE provides direct educational, therapeutic, residential, and nursing services to moderate-to-severely disabled adults and children across the Navajo Nation. The organization's core offerings include Day Treatment for Adults (DTA), residential services across 13 group homes (including 3 newer homes), nursing services, occupational/physical/speech therapy, and adaptive enrichment programs including Flying Colors (A.R.T.), Special Olympics, Service Learning, and Diné Language and Culture education. The Education Department — historically comprising RISE (autism support), Learning Support (life skills), and Multi-Sensory (medically fragile) classrooms — was closed in July 2022, leaving the current service footprint focused on adults and a small cohort of local day students. As of 2025, SMASE serves approximately 13 residential members plus 8 local day students with a staff of 41.

SMASE's operational model is human-intensive and location-anchored; the organization describes itself as 'not technology-focused.' The single differentiated technical component is the Flying Colors adaptive art program (A.R.T.), adopted in 2005 from New Jersey-based artist Tim Lefens, which uses laser pointers and able-bodied 'trackers' to enable physically disabled clients to direct paintings through finger movement or head turns. Other notable programs include Diné Language and Culture instruction aligned with Diné Education Content Standards and Special Olympics participation by roughly 30 athletes (more than half of SMASE clients). Infrastructure is aging: buildings are 30-40+ years old, black mold was discovered in 2015, and IT systems are outdated.

Revenue is generated through two primary streams: (1) government reimbursements from the Navajo Nation and the Arizona Department of Economic Security/Division of Developmental Disabilities (DES/DDD) under pre-negotiated rates, and (2) charitable donations from individuals, organizations, and media campaigns (notably ~$100,000 raised via a 2017 DigDeep crowdfunding campaign). A minor third stream comes from sales of artwork produced through Flying Colors, with proceeds going to students and families. SMASE does not collect direct client fees; services are funded through tribal and state Medicaid/DDD programs. The organization is operating at a structural loss, with expenses exceeding revenues by approximately $70,000/month as of 2025, and is requesting $1.573 million in long-term UUFB grant assistance from the Navajo Nation to stabilize operations, retain 17 clients, employ 36 staff, and reinvest in infrastructure through ARPA/FRF funds.

Name

St. Michaels Association For Special Education

Legal name

St. Michaels Association for Special Education

Website

https://smase.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Short description

St. Michaels Association for Special Education (SMASE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in St. Michaels, Arizona providing residential, day treatment, nursing, and therapy services to approximately 21 moderate-to-severely disabled adults and children across the Navajo Nation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education and Developmental Disability Services

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Assisted Living for Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities (Adult) (HLADABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Needs Adult Day Programs (Developmental/Physical Disabilities, Seniors) (HLADAIAI), Autism Classroom & School Program Support (Inclusion/Resource) (EDAKAKAC), Disability & Chronic Condition Care Coordination (EDALAFAI)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Developmental disability care
• Residential group homes
• Adult day treatment
• Occupational therapy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Michaels

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding/Grants: Reimbursed services through Navajo Nation and Arizona Department of Economic Security/Division of Developmental Disabilities (DES/DDD). Revenue has declined with pre-negotiated rates not covering all operating costs.
2. Donations: Charitable donations from individuals, organizations, and media campaigns. More than $100,000 raised through DigDeep water project crowdfunding campaign.
3. Art Sales: Artwork produced through Flying Colors program is sold, with proceeds going to students and families.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SMASE provides direct, on-campus special education, residential, day treatment, nursing, and therapy services for moderate to severely disabled children and adults across the Navajo Nation. Services are delivered at the St. Michaels, Arizona campus and include 13 group homes, three specialized classrooms (autism support, life skills, medically fragile), the Day Treatment for Adults program, occupational/physical/speech therapy, transportation, and enrichment activities such as adaptive art, Special Olympics, and Diné cultural education.

Product overview

SMASE operates as a unified special education and developmental disability services organization offering a coordinated system of quality services. The core educational offerings include three specialized classrooms (RISE Classroom for autism support, Learning Support Classroom for life skills, and Multi-Sensory Classroom for medically fragile students) serving ages 4-22. Adult services center on the Day Time Adult Treatment and Training Program (DTA) for clients aging out at 22. Support services include the Therapy Department providing occupational, physical, and speech therapy; Residential Department operating 13 group homes; and Transportation services. Enrichment programs include Flying Colors adaptive art, Special Olympics, Service Learning, and Diné Language and Culture education. The Water Project provides infrastructure for clean water access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Day Treatment for Adults (DTA): Daytime Adult Treatment and Training Program that allows adults with disabilities to continue learning, socialize with peers, and receive needed care.
• Flying Colors

Products and services

• Day Time Adult Treatment and Training Program (DTA)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 years of continuous service to Navajo communities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Vice ImpactmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2017Partnered with Vice Impact to release a story about SMASE's water crisis. Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps partnered with Vice Impact to feature the school's story. The partnership was part of the Colgate 'Every Drop Counts' campaign on Vice Impact platform.
• FloWatercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2017California-based water filtration and refill station company donated 5 point-of-access water filtration systems installed across campus, providing staff and students with medical-grade clean water.
• Special Olympics Arizona (Monument Area)minorOthers · 1 January 2017SMASE participates in Special Olympics Arizona through the Monument Area chapter, with approximately 30 student and adult athletes competing throughout the year.
• DigDeepcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2016DigDeep, a nonprofit water organization founded by George McGraw, partnered with SMASE in 2016 to address water quality issues. After testing water on campus, DigDeep developed a water treatment system specifically for the school. Crowdfunded over $100,000 for the project in a few months. Project included installing FloWater filtration systems and replacing plumbing.
• Mercy Volunteer (Mary Longest)minorOthers · 1 August 2015Mary Longest served as a Mercy Volunteer in the therapy department starting August 2015. She initiated contact with DigDeep by sending a Facebook message about the water situation, which led to the water project partnership.
• Tim Lefens / Flying Colors (A.R.T.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Adaptive art program developed by Tim Lefens, a New Jersey-based artist. SMASE has been trained in this process since 2005, enabling physically disabled students to create art using laser pointers and 'tracker' assistants.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Ability360: Arizona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing residential, day, and employment services for people with disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities. Highly comparable to SMASE in service mix and Arizona operating context.
• Best Buddies International: National nonprofit supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through one-to-one friendships, jobs, and leadership programs; comparable outcome-orientation and client engagement model to SMASE's Special Olympics and community integration work.
• Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC): Arizona nonprofit providing autism-specific education, research, and adult services. Comparable to SMASE's RISE Classroom autism programming and broader developmental disability focus.
• United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona: Affiliate of UCP providing housing, day programs, and therapy for children and adults with cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities — closely mirrors SMASE's residential + day services model.
• Raising Special Kids: Arizona nonprofit delivering family support, training, and advocacy for families of children with disabilities; comparable in serving the developmental-disability population in the same state with similar funding profiles.
• The Arc of Arizona: State chapter of The Arc, providing advocacy and direct services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Arizona, including family support and case management — directly overlapping with SMASE's mission.

Regional players

• Native American Connections: Phoenix-based Native American nonprofit delivering behavioral health, housing, and community services to urban Native populations. Comparable in community-trust dynamics and Native-serving mission, though focused on a different population subset.
• Native Health: Urban Indian health center serving Native Americans in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Comparable as a Native-focused health and human services provider in Arizona, though primary-care rather than disability-specific.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-michaels-association-for-special-education

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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