youth specialist

operations supervisor

family therapist

case manager

career manager

AMIkids

A typical day at AMI looked like a team member calling out everyday and you having to pick upon there slack. People criticizing you in front of all your team members in gmail. Working alone with 5-8 trouble young men for an 8 hour day well they argue and tell you how bad you are at your job, well your co worker did the same by calling you out in front of these boys. Having to eat jail food and hold your bladder due to your company being under staffed. Being bossed and pushed around by everyone in that company no matter what your level of management was. Management setting expectations and not everyone following which causes confusion and frustration with not only you but with youth. 

The only thing I’ve learned from this company is to stand your ground in any environment you are in. No matter who you’re talking to don’t let your guard down. No matter how professional anyone in this company is you speak up before it’s too late and they feed you to the wolves. I learned that I should’ve left a long time ago. So many red flags. 
I thought management was there for me I told them my home life and well being.  I told them I was exhausted. I told them I’ll do better. I tried and I tried to prove that I’m doing my best for these boys cause I cared. But no one cared about me no one helped me. No one seen I was drained and how irritable I was. To me management had no eyes or ears. No compassion or empathy. Heartless and selfish. 

Culture don’t even exist at AMI! Culture was extremely nonexistent. Maybe for the youth 100% there. AMI says, “ Our company culture is rooted in mutual respect, collaboration, and continuous learning, fostering an environment where everyone feels valued, empowered, and inspired to achieve their best.” everything said here completely opposite I feel outright embarrassed. I got let go of this job feeling left ashamed of myself. 
The hardest part of my job was leaving my home to go to work. It was hard holding my bladder in. It was hard holding my tears back. Everything was hard mentally, emotionally and physically. It was hard showing up for a place that didn’t show up for you. It’s hard going to a place where you thought it was supposed be family when in reality it was the complete opposite of family. The only good people on this program was the treatment team. 
The time I enjoyed most was when everything felt okay. Like no one was there to attack. Where everyone was at peace and understanding of one another.

A typical day at work consisted of many different tasks even though i was a business manger i still wore many hats, i did most of the shopping each week for the students On many occasions I would supervise the students unload the food truck. At Christmas I wrapped three presents each for about 35 male students. I every year that i was business manger i made each student an individualized stocking with their name on it that was full of candy. I would come on Christmas morning to give them their stocking. I decorated the tree. 
      I learned that i was putting my job before my daughter who was still a toddler at the time. I learned many different things that helped me in the Business Manager role such as, accounts receivable, accounts payable, reconciliation, budgets, and coding.
       Management taught me that I was the one responsible for my department and that I had to make sure that every report was sent out right because it would come back on me. 
        I learned that my co workers had respect for me, even though I was so younger, I believe, because I always looked out for their best interest, and was their trainer for CPR and First Aid, and knowledgeable in human resources and other areas they knew they could come to me for any questions or concerns.
        The hardest part of my job was when I found out that money was being used for things that it should not have been. I could not work for a company thats untruthful on what the money that was donated was spent on or money budgeted for something was really being spent on other things. I had no choice but to inform the president of the board and let him know. I resigned due to this.
     The most enjoyable part of my job was working with the youth boys. Many of the students parents never came to see them on their visitation which was on 2 Sundays out of the month. My baby (at the time) and I would go there and visit with the students that did not have any family to come visit with them. They were all good kids they just grew up in an environment that no child should have to live in. I felt if I could make one of their days by coming to visit and play cards or whatever game they wanted to play  then I made a difference

AMIkids is a non-profit organization working to help adolescents and young adults improve their lives and futures.  You'll never get rich doing that, but you WILL be rewarded.  I’ve worked for the company for several years and have had the opportunity to learn and grow a LOT over that time.  We’re all about the mission of Kids First, so the people who are most successful here are those who are willing to work hard, take initiative and really engage.

I think it speaks volumes that almost all of our senior leadership (including our CEO and VPs) actually started out working as a staff member at a program and moved up through the ranks.  They understand the challenges and look for ways to better support our staff and make us feel valued.  No workplace is perfect.  We have a lot of locations and like any other company, you’re going to come across the occasional poor manager, but they generally don’t last for long.  

The thing I like most about working at an AMIkids program is that every day is different; it’s never boring.  We all have “our job” to do, but you also have many opportunities to step out, do more and grow your skills.  Being able to see the impact of your effort in the lives of real people is very rewarding.  It’s also very much a team culture among the staff and we help one another wherever it’s needed.

We have GREAT time off and pension benefits, a tuition reimbursement program and staff appreciation weeks which add value.  Maybe I could make a couple extra dollars at a for profit, but I wouldn’t enjoy it half as much, so for me it’s an easy trade.  Job satisfaction is important to me – I don’t want to spend 40-50 of my waking hours each week doing something I don’t enjoy at a place I don’t like.  That’s why I’m still with AMIkids and recommend it to others with similar priorities.

Do not apply here. Do not donate here (and if you’re an employee they really pressure you to give part of your already below average salary to the organization).  You think you’re contributing to an organization who helps kids.  You’re really helping 4 executives take 5 vacation “retreats” per year while everyone else works multiple full time jobs for little pay.  Pretty much all of your job is “other duties as assigned” regardless of what your job actually is.  You will be painting the walls, you will be washing people’s car, you will be sitting on a bus to South Carolina and not getting paid overtime, nevermind that you have an accounting degree.  PTO is not a thing to them. If it’s approved at all, you will still be working through your whole day off.  The benefits are the worst I have ever seen.  They advertised that they got an award for not raising the cost of healthcare.  Ok so the cost of a terrible product didn’t go up this year, great.  The morale is so low at this company because everyone is overworked, underpaid, and it takes more than a company t shirt to fix that.  When someone finally says, “Hey I need to work typical business hours and get home to my family,” suddenly they’re lazy and unmotivated.  And if you don’t have a family they use that as an excuse for why you’re the one that has to go to some location far from your house every other day and stay at bad hotel for days on end.  And if they told you that this isn’t a religious organization, it is.  They pray at the start of events, and make the kids pray at different times of the day.  The couple people who worked there that said they felt uncomfortable don’t work there anymore.  There are other good places out there that care about at risk youth and their employees at the same time.  This isn’t a place like that.

A typical work day consist of touching lives of At-Risk Students who come from all corners of life. I see happy faces, hungry faces, sad faces, confused faces, but most importantly I see faces reaching out for help and I am their to reach out and assist where needed. I have learned that it does not matter where you come from in life, it doesnt matter what you have, the little things are the things that mean the most in life when you have never heard I love you or I care about what happens to you. I have not only had the opportunity to work with he students, but I have worked in the capacity as team lead and Coach trainer where I planned our monthly inservices and meetings. I planned quarterly motivational staff meetings to keep up the moral in our work place. Our staff has an environment that is very family oriented. We have an outstanding team that work together and assist each other. Through our suggestion box, if we have any concerns or complaints, we place in there and discuss at our quarterly pep meetings. The hardest part of my job is not being able to save all the kids I work with each day. I go home sometimes and wish I could come up with a solution to try some other avenue that could help the kids to make changes that are positive to saving them from destruction. The most enjoyable part of my job is the Passion and love I have for making a difference in the lives of these At-Risk kids. Noting gives me more pleasure than to give my all to them knowing I make a difference in their lives inspite of what they go through.

I was excited about working here based on the mission and backing of Phylicia Rashad.  Soon after starting, I began to learn that it wasn't all it appeared.  Staff attitudes were incredibly negative towards students and openly shared with new staff, potentially blocking others from forming their own opinion and relationship with returning students and more importantly, preventing youth from showing that they are capable of growth and change.  

Additionally, the organization often comes up with lofty ideas for programs without thinking through how to deliver on their promises. For example, stating that they will be offering GED services to participants without any discussion about who will be instructing, where it would fit in the day to day schedule, what tools and resources would be used.  When integral staff was out for extended periods and/or had quit, there was no discussion from leadership about how this would impact the program, the remaining staff members or what the game plan would be to replace those members temporarily or long term leaving remaining staff members to fend for themselves. While some program components fell apart, new programs and grants were being applied for.  This made many of us scratch our heads about how the company could work on a new program when the ones they have are hanging by a thread.

This place has too much favoritism, bullying, pettiness, and everyone in leadership is childish. You do not get paid what you are worth and this includes overtime. We work a lot more hours than the company pays you for. There are no bonuses or other types of incentives either. This company also loves to take money from you but they do not like to give you what you deserve. Many of my expense checks came months late which was not helpful since I have bills to pay. My direct supervisor was also not that helpful. It seemed she was much more concerned about her own growth and development clinically and she was not that concerned about the growth and development of those she supervised. Communication also was a big issue here. Things that are important for you to know either was communicated too late or not at all. They also love to point the finger at you and cannot see how they are contributing to the high turnover rates they constantly have. I really love the mission of this company and I think they are doing a really great thing, but I do not love how I was treated during my time here and would not recommend this company to anyone unless you like the things I mentioned in my post.

During my tenure at AMIkids I can attest that AMIkids is dedicated to transforming the lives of at-risk youths through a comprehensive behavioral treatment modalities,  education, life skills and vocational training.  AMIkids collaboration with the stakeholders in their respective community is of essence to its culture. AMIkids is kids driven and dedicated to youth's personal growth and development. 
Staffs are deeply committed to youth development, genuinely care about helping kids succeed and are extremely dedicated to making a positive difference in their lives. AMIkids staffs are the heart of the organization; evidenced by their passion, dedication, and mentorship. If you have a passion about supporting youth and making a difference in their lives and communities; working at AMIkids can be a life changing experience and very rewarding. 

It was necessary to be very versatile and able to change priorities very fast. Most co-workers were cooperative and  worked as a team.
The hardest part of the job had to know the background of the girls and the reason why they ended up in a residential program of the Department of Juvenile Justice. As a case manager, I was the first one to have access  to comprehensive evaluations  and family history.
The most enjoyable part of the job was when the girls and the babies were released to their families, mainly when they had positive  and supportive  families.
I learned so much in this job that would not fit in this page. However, the most important part was never assuming anything about anybody without having all possible information. Also, I learned how to work in a very diverse environment, with co-workers and clients from a very different background and cultures.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part of working at AMIkids is that there is unity. Here at AMIkids, everyone works together. From the custodial staff to the administrators, everyone work to their capacity for the benefit of our students. In doing so, there are no big I's and little U's. Everyone is appreciated, especially our students.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Sometimes it get stressful when we have to meet deadlines for training. I realize the trainings are necessary in order for us to meet student's needs in  all areas.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Professional yet fun. Most times you don't even feel like you are working because you are helping the students, faculty , and staff here at AmIkids.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day here at AMIkids is busy. From the minute I come in AMIkids's door, Im moving for the students. Whether I'm pulling a student out of class for assistance with class work or helping with those that have been rewarded, I am busy. Everyone here at AMIkids are engaged, especially our students.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Youth specialist 2 salaries reported	$15.00 per hour
Operations supervisor 2 salaries reported	$41,750 per year
Family therapist 1 salary reported	$45,000 per year
Case manager 1 salary reported	$43,000 per year
Career manager 2 salaries reported	$37,000 per year

Working at AMIkids: Company Overview and Reviews

AMIkids

AMIkids Ratings

Popular jobs at AMIkids

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected