Pros
Okay entry-level experience when entering the behavioral health field. Most patients are very kind and interesting individuals whom you will form healthy, therapeutic rapport with. Meals are served throughout the day and staff is encouraged to eat at the facility, including on days when the facility gets takeout. Most of the staff is friendly, helpful, and enjoyable to work with.
Cons
Expectations and work culture: This company has a complete disconnect between upper management, therapists, and floor staff which translates into a very disorganized work environment with little to no support or leadership by management. Communication here is a nonexistent and staff is expected know how to do their job and fulfill expectations without any training, leadership, or support. In my short time at the company the facility manager and the program director left, leaving no leadership left at the facility. Techs, therapists, and contracted agency employees were left to pick up the extra work with no extra compensation. The trainings for the position are awful and practically nonexistent. There’s a "trail-by-fire" style of “training” where employees are thrown into their roles without proper training or support. All training is done online and "on-sight trainings” are just you regular shifts where nobody is there to guide you or support you. My "on-sight" training was a tour of the facility and then being told to get to work with absolutely no support. My second day on the job was completely by myself with no other techs or leadership present. There is a toxic lack of boundaries from management, which expects staff to work outside of available hours, work overtime to complete trainings, expecting staff to complete non-mandatory trainings. You have to set hard and rigid boundaries or else you WILL get taken advantage of and worked very hard until you ultimately burn out. The facility and the company’s Virginia territory is short-staffed with high turnover. Staff is not given breaks. I was told by management on my first day that, “…we don’t really do breaks here”. Employee handbook states 10 minute breaks are obligatory but meals are not guaranteed. Don’t expect to get any breaks. There are no company laptops. Trainers told new employees that the facility has laptops that employees can use. This is untrue. There is one broken Chromebook at this location stay can chose to use. Staff is almost required to have constant access to a laptop for documentation and online records purposes. So, staff is expected to use their personal computers for the job with no compensation for technology. Health and safety: For both staff and patients, this is an unsafe environment depending on the patients and the caseload. Some patients have been assaulted by others and some patients have assaulted staff members. Patient’s medications are often missed, administered later than protocol allows, or administered incorrectly. Medication mismanagement and lack of communication from the facility’s psychiatrist is the rule, not the exception. On at least a few occasions patients were given double doses of medication. The facility itself is very dirty. Food safety regulations are not followed- food is out of date, stored improperly, and highly susceptible to cross contamination. Food prep areas such as the fridge are encrusted with food buildup, sinks are filthy, bathrooms smell and are filthy, patient bedrooms and bathrooms are never cleaned (even when new patients arrive). Old, out of date food. Raw chicken and sausage thrown on the garage floor covered in maggots. Torn open trash bags and trash scattered across the facility driveway. Facility appliances often times don’t work - clothing washer and dryer often does not work, dishwashers are is bad condition. Patients laundry stays dirty, towels are sometimes not ready meaning patients cannot shower, bedding cannot get washed to accommodate times of high patient turnover.