Pros
Sometimes offer hiring bonuses of $1,000-$2,500 so check job the web site before calling or going in for an interview; they won't tell you about the bonus unless you ask about it. It feels morally good to help adults with mental disabilities. The work is not very demanding. They have shifts available 24/7 and work flexibly with you on scheduling. There are overnight shifts where you get paid to sleep on site as a backup staff person. There's quite a bit of down time when clients are sleeping or involved in a solo activity, when employees are able to use their phones, read, study for college classes, etc. Great opportunity for a college student, a recent high school graduate needing an entry-level job, or a professional needing some side income without a lot of mental and physical demands. There is rapid advancement potential for those who stick with the company and want to build it into a career. Many of the employees are college students and/or internationals and that makes the working environment more interesting. If you talk to your coworkers you can learn a lot. First aid and Medical Aide license training is provided, potentially opening the doors to other medically-related careers.
Cons
Some of the individuals we work with can be aggressive. You need to have a lot of patience and tact to redirect them without being physical with them. This is not the role for someone with a quick temper. The pay is not great and they are perpetually short-staffed, so you often get requests to work additional shifts (but don't have to take them if you don't want). There's a high turnover of employees and managers. At times you will have to do unpleasant tasks like clean up after incontinent individuals so you need humility and can't be too squeamish.