Pros
-I have had some truly fabulous and inspiring Supervisors -I receive regular praise and recognition for my hard work -I have felt and still feel genuine appreciation from the families we serve; it's an extremely fulfilling role -When you describe what you do to others, you feel very proud of helping others in a meaningful way! -The company and SV's provide ample training and address concerns/desire for support; it's awesome to talk with experienced people who really understand what your going through -Working one-to-one in family's homes gives you a lot of autonomy over how to structure a session and incentivize your client; you can dress fairly comfortably; and it's really fun to get creative with art and play! -There is generally a lot of flexibility with schedule; this is especially useful to those who need to work around a school schedule or a second job -There are absolutely opportunities for advancement, but you have to be the type of person who will seek it out/network/ask the right people/ and demonstrate the work ethic; a promotion will NOT just be handed to you (Anecdotal: I'm in the process of trying to become an SV and was just admitted to graduate school, you need to continue your education beyond a BA if you want to move up in this field) -ACES has a mission statement and values that an employee can truly rally behind and the can really galvanize a team
Cons
-Unfortunately, I have seen several really great SV's leave ACES. For some their complaints have been of upper management and the stress of billable hour expectations, while others simply received competitive offers from other companies -This turnover (which is even higher amongst BI's) has a negative effect on client's/families including disrupting progress, unclear plan for client goals, and even lapses in services (Anecdotal: when I was removed from a case to be assigned to another due to scheduling, I watched a mother brought to tears over fear of going more time without the services for her son; additionally BI's often leave without much notice and it can be very upsetting to our clients) -The pay is low and if you want a raise you really have to go out of your way to seek it out; annual reviews are not automatic; when your raise is approved it takes a few months to hear back/for it to go through -Working in the home doing one-to-one sessions can sometimes feel lonely (no co-workers, 10 min breaks in your car, lunch breaks at a local Starbucks that's in between clients, lack of connection to others who understand daily challenges) -During the school year it can be very difficult to maintain full time hours due to the lack of morning/ midday clients and if a case is terminated or you switch clients you might go a few weeks without work; this can be stressful when you have bills to pay! -Your resilience is really tested by the more physical/aggressive clients; even with CPI training, it might feel like you are outmatched (Anecdotal: I am currently subbing for a client who is can be very aggressive and is physically stronger than me, while I am receiving a lot of one on one support from the BCBA on the case - which is very valuable- I have a lot of anxiety over working with this client On a personal note, the physicality and emotional toll that this position has really really warrants medical benefits, but ACES makes it really challenging to qualify; this in combination with minimal connection with coworkers makes this difficult to sustain! I have seen a lot of employees (good and not so good) leave.