Stay for a year...but then move on. - Senior In Home Counselor Youth Villages Employee Review

2.0
Aug 13, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I personally enjoyed the amount of knowledge I gained from working with this company. I was able to learn how to document well, handle crisis situatons, and discuss goals I had for the future in the company. This is also one of the rare companies that one could meet the CEO almost twice a year and he praises his employees for their hard work and dedication for children and their families.

Cons

This company has a difficult time offering consistent support for employees due to everyone being overwhelmed by paperwork and case loads. The company is not ideal for anyone that's married or in a serious relationship because the company judges their success with families by how little they use the law enforcement or have disruptions, so they do not allow counselors to call the police to assist in crisis situations (ie a client that has runaway from home, become physically aggressive with family, or is homicidal or suicidal). Due to this, counselors are often called by families to unsafe enviornments in the middle of the night with not much support. The company has many redundant meetings (around 6 hours a week to be exact) and it hinders the counselors from doing their jobs effectively. The promotions in the company do not correlate with your education or experience because someone with a Masters degree and much experience can be supervised by someone with a Bachelor degree just because they have been with the company longer. The company will usually only place 4 clients at a time on a counselor during their first year, but will increase their work load significantly after they have been there over a year; however overtme is not given because it has to be requested ahead of time, but you do not know when a crisis will happen, so you can never get it approved ahead of time!

Explore other reviews about Youth Villages

5.0
Jul 21, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Mentoring, support, development, collaboration, partnerships, helping families succeed

Cons

Time management, time contraints can be difficult if ill-prepared, FIS turnover sometimes

4.0
May 28, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

* Fulfilling mission with meaningful work that makes a real difference in the lives of children and families. * Competitive pay and benefits compared to many other nonprofit organizations. * Lots of “lifers” and long-tenured employees who are deeply committed to the organization and its mission. * Standard PTO policy that supports work-life balance and encourages employees to take time off. * Strong opportunities for personal and professional growth, especially for employees who take initiative. * Mission-driven culture where people genuinely care about the youth and families served and are committed to doing what’s right. * Great learning environment with experienced colleagues, supportive mentors, and opportunities to develop new skills.

Cons

* Work-life balance can be challenging at times. * Maternity leave and additional benefits lag behind those offered by many peer organizations and employers. * Performance review and compensation structure can make salary growth feel limited without a promotion or role change. * Aging leadership team seems to lack strong succession planning. * Lack of diversity within senior leadership compared to the broader employee base and communities served. * Siloed departments and teams create communication gaps and limit cross-functional collaboration.

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