Looks great on your resume, but don't stay for long.
Pros
Great entry-level opportunity for people pursuing careers in psych/social work - you'll gain experience with case management, crisis intervention, group facilitation, treatment planning/clinical documentation, medication monitoring and reconciliations, etc., while serving a highly vulnerable and diverse population. It can be very rewarding work and it's fun getting to know the clients. Most of the counselors are pretty cool- generally easy to work with and get along with.
Cons
Upper management is my primary issue with this place - they are untrustworthy, disorganized, coercive, and just overall unethical. Very manipulative and self-interested with no regard for the welfare of their staff or the needs of their clients. They're quite detached from their employees and clients - they don't really understand or seem to care about each program's individual needs. They tend to disregard input from staff and make decisions without consulting the people who would be most affected by them. Other than that: (1) Burnout happens VERY quickly. People call out of work often and there is an extremely high turnover rate, so there are constant issues with scheduling and short-staffing. Counselors regularly have to work overtime without any notice because supervisors fail to address coverage gaps on the schedule. (2) Staff are extremely overworked and underpaid. You will regularly be pressured to do work that is not included in your job description, and you will never be compensated for it. (3) There is no real training for new staff despite years of complaints about this. New hires get thrown straight into the fire, and senior staff members are expected to train them throughout the shift, on top of their standard duties. (4) Work/life balance is difficult - working both day and night shifts on a weekly basis is an extremely unhealthy way to live. (5) Frankly, this place felt like a sinking ship by the time I resigned. I don't recommend staying for long if you end up working here - just get some experience under your belt, build rapport with your supervisors (for future recommendations), and get out of there.
