Pros
Great co-workers. The residents are great as well. After reading other employee reviews of this company, it sounds like most of the people that don't like it wouldn't be happy in any residential setting. Upper management is supportive but firm which is a symptom of the serious nature of the work. The relationships that you build and the changes that you see residents make are very fulfilling. Learning from the collective experience of upper management is inspiring if you're capable of letting go of what you think that you know and allowing them to show you what they themselves have seen in their years at Third Way. It's easy for this job to become part of your life but in my experience, the imbalance between work and home life is my own doing and management is more than happy to accommodate my needs when it comes to time off.
Cons
It's hard work and if you're expecting a bunch of well mannered, appreciative residents that are grateful for you because you're there to help them, know that this is not what you will get. There are good days and bad days and this job requires resiliency, patience, and empathy. A good understanding of how the overall system works is also helpful if you have any desire to point fingers in the right direction. The issues with Third Way are deeper rooted than the entity itself and changes to problematic policies would require change at the state level. Upper management can be harsh but it comes from a place of caring for the residents. Mistakes at this job are not as simple as giving the wrong change or violating policies; mistakes affect the well being of residents and negative experiences for them can be huge setbacks. There is always room for human error, and you may not always agree with decisions made by coworkers. You have to be willing to speak up for what you think is right and if you don't receive the outcome that you want you have to be ready to accept that.