Eva Carlston Academy Reviews

Pros

This job will keep you on your toes. Never a dull moment when you are consistently striving to improve the way in which you role play, role model, and teach youth life skills.

Cons

Individual feedback could be more timely to help employees grow faster into their roles as youth mentors.

Pros

The youth are the best part. They really respond well when treated with respect. There are lots of opportunities to go out in the community to do fun volunteers or go to plays and museums.

Cons

Pay is unfair, especially got those who had been there a long time. When the company began paying incoming staff more money, no one else was given a raise. I found out after working there over a decade that brand new staff coming in were only making $3.00 less an hour. Almost only time I received feedback on my job performance, it was negative. I only got job praise from other staff or people in the company, never my boss. Very rigid expectations and constantly felt like I wasn’t doing a good job. Constantly trying to get people to come back to work, offering huge hourly amounts. Also, since there is a lot of turnover with staff they are always asking other people to fill in on shifts such as teachers, and night staff.

Pros

The students and coworkers. Free food

Cons

There are so many downsides to this place. If you can run far away and never look back. The higher ups, absolutely don't care about you or the students. Try to complain about coworkers not keeping boundaries with students or staff, they'll turn and look the other way. Student needs to go to the ER, it'll take 2 hours for that, while the student is crying in pain.

Pros

This work is so hard and demanding, and I get so much support. Whenever there is a tough situation on shift my supervisor or other administrator always reaches out to check on me and see if I'm ok. There is A LOT of training provided, even after you go through initial training you meet with your supervisor regularly to get help. I was really impressed that after 30 days I had a "review" but it wasn't about me, it was more about me evaluating my experience and giving them feedback, I liked that. Even though the schedule is hard, it is totally worth it. I love the girls, it is a great place to work.

Cons

There is no way around it, but the schedule is just hard. The kids live there 24/7 so it will never be a 9-5 type of job, but I see myself staying here as long as I can.

Pros

I learned so much. We had training all of the time and my supervisor met with me all the the time to answer my questions. It's a really really hard job, but it felt good when the girls would do better and progress. The girls are really good kids, but again it is super hard work. The benefits are awesome, I got free health insurance. The pay was really fair and we got lots of little perks like Amazon cards, free food, and the activities that we got to do with the girls were fun, I got to do things I normally wouldn't have done. There wasn't mandatory over time like I've had at other jobs, they kept me at 40 hours like I wanted. Even the supervisors would cover for people so we didn't have to do overtime unless we wanted.

Cons

Some of the other mentors were really immature and gossipy. It was really frustrating because they would do and say things when supervisors were not around, and they would break rules. The schedule is just hard, there isn't a way to change that really, the kids are there all of the time, so you have to get use to that kind of schedule.

Pros

They offer reasonable benefits if you're full time meals are included as part of the schedule you can build meaningful relationships with coworkers/patients

Cons

Exploitative culture from top down push kids to stay in program when it's not best for them in order to make profit Using untrained staff for mental health management For a company that raves about being feminist and women-led, they do not offer diverse options or support for female staff members

Pros

Experience working in youth residential treatment.

Cons

Worrisome work environment, low pay, no employee support from management.

Pros

Detailed and extensive training, mentorship, and development. I didn't realize it when I was there, but I learned SO MUCH that has helped me as a professional and going back to school to be a therapist. The benefits are great, I loved that I didn't have to pay for health insurance.

Cons

I was most frustrated by coworkers who just wanted to be friends with the girls instead of mentors. They didn't last long, but it made my job harder. The hours are long and you have to work weekends and holidays, but there is no way around that. It is what it is.

Pros

I look forward to going to work each day. I found this job by chance and I am so grateful I was chosen for the position on the Academic team. I enjoy every task abs project I am given and find them all so rewarding. When you need help you can always find someone to support and help. Knowing that you are helping girls to learn how to navigate life after us and forming those bonds while they are here is amazing. I have enjoyed watching the program work for so many and see them change day by day for the better. I also love the people I work with. We are a family.

Cons

The commute is hard for me with all the construction going on. I also never seem to have enough hours in the day to get everything done that I had wanted to.

Pros

Not a lot besides the pay is alright and the girls are really special.

Cons

The girls are away from their families and in a very vulnerable time of their lives.The school tries to give them discipline, but ultimately it is a cold, cruel system of punishment that I believe severely damages the children psychologically. The strict environment encourages deceit and division in the houses. The girls cannot tell their parents what is really happening there without consequences. The children are underfed. They were so desperate for food, and part of punishment involved not receiving snacks/additional food. The rest of the staff seemed to really enjoy punishing the girls and enjoyed the power. The staff seemed more like prison guards. I felt so bad for the girls. They were treated like criminals and the worst was always assumed about their actions. Most of them needed love, affection, and attention (in my opinion). This is the opposite of what they received there. If any former ECA students see this, know that I am so sorry for what you went through and for any role I played in it. I tried to refuse to take away points or participate in the discipline, but they made it a necessary part of the job. Hence, I quit after only about a month. It broke my heart to see what you all went through. I felt so much love for you all and I really hope your life improved after that horrible experience. I am posting here and on other places in hopes of preventing other parents from sending their children here.