care manager

office manager

training specialist

outreach specialist

qualified intellectual disabilities professional

Advance Care Alliance

In the beginning I was really excited to work for ACA because they tell you its a new agency a lot of room for growth and advancement. what they don't tell you is that they are very unorganized and they don't have it all together.  They bring in management that doesn't know what their doing. My supervisor was talking about me behind my back to other co-workers which was soo unprofessional it got back to me and I was so shocked so disappointed and shortly thereafter I left.   The case loads are high and you must work overtime and even than you won't feel a sense of accomplishment because the work is never ending and they micromanage your time. Going to the office so much doesn't make sense and when I was in the office its too noisy so its very hard to be productive.  Staff desks are  on top of each other so no privacy for calls a lot of gossiping going on because people are on top of each other.  The printers and copy machines didn't always work a lot of glitches in the system.  The people  in the office would take two hour lunches disappear for hours at a time but management didn't care about that because they were in the office so that didn't make sense to me.   They are too busy micromanaging staff as opposed to allowing people to work in their own way as long as the deadlines are met and the work is done properly treat people accordingly to their work trust the staff you hire  and that was not the case. So I resigned after a little over a year. I wanted to give it a fair chance. I was very disappointed. I feel they could of done a lot better. This is a job that requires for the staff to figure out how to make it all happen and the only requirement should be to come to the office for Support Meetings, Staff meetings, and to complete paper work so I would say about two days a week. When you first begin a person should be required to come in a bit more until they are trained fully. Once fully trained allow the staff freedom to work remotely if needed because that is what they tell you in the interview and it makes much more sense; making people come to the office before meeting and after meetings a waste of time.  People will be much more productive if they had more options to work from home if they choose to and most will because most staff say the same thing why am I here wasting time because the office is not a conducive place to work so you simply can't get enough done. 
I will say Co-workers will help each other out a lot. The people I worked with were very nice and I do miss the staff.  The pay is decent but the work is ridiculously overwhelming and doesn't have to be but their set up makes it harder than needed, so I left because I know better.

A typical day at work involves managing employee's needs and providing support to them as needed and filling in as a Care Manager when needed. That is the most enjoyable part of the job. Workplace culture varies from region to region. It depends on your personality and where you would best fit in. Unfortunately, in the past year, too much restructuring occurred, and it does not appear that the company has upper managers who state they are supporting employees, but all they are doing is using innocent people to cover the fact that they are unable to train employee's, especially those that know all about Medicaid billing.   Management has a schedule, and they expect CM to work long hours and then complain about OT, and stop having employees work based on management's schedule, management uses CM as an escape, they state they are supportive, but all they are is using people to cover up management's lack of leadership.  Very psychologically abusive to employees, especially when it comes to management. 
 a clear direction of where it is going. It appears that all they care about is billing which is the hardest part of the job. We got into this field to support members. Instead, we are just managing documents, filling out meaningless incident forms online, and scrambling to get documents because of deadlines nobody understands. At the end of the day, all these audits and meaningless projects are to ensure that the executive team gets paid well while Care Managers still qualify for welfare housing and benefits. Not worth it, there are much better-developed organizations than this OPWDD needs to know that insurance is a very high rate for CM and the agency makes it like it is an honor.  Also, the money that should be going to CM is not going at all 2,000 pay increase is nothing.  The best department is the training department they should be in leadership roles, not the disconnected leadership that treats CM horribly.  Do not believe when management states that they will slowly transition you and make sure you are trained before giving you a caseload.  CM Management will set you up for failure and they are covering all themselves, especially when they are unable to manage anything, but giving orders that make so sense, especially to OMIG allows CM to be disrespected and treated horribly.   CEO needs to see things for what they are.  Services are based on $$$$$ that is it.  Do not allow this company to bring you down.  

For a startup CCO, ACA has made great strides, but this comes at a cost to its employees being unable to provide quality work and create a healthy work-life balance. Luckily for me, I was able to receive some one-on-one training at my location, but other employees did not have this advantage. There is a serious lack of training and management for new Care Managers. Supervisors are not as accessible as you need them to be because they have so much to do already, and everyone is usually left troubleshooting on their own. Many times you have to work through your lunch break because you have so many cases that require your attention. Many times we are running around trying to get face-to-face meetings done, submit assessments on time, or get documents signed. They put a huge emphasis on billing, which I understand because if our work is not in on time, the company cannot get paid and everyone suffers; however, with a caseload of 35-40 people how can I deliver quality service to my individuals, produce quality work for the company, and still have quality of life. Cases are not evenly distributed, and the company has unrealistic expectations. Some Care Managers have a simple caseload with stable individuals who only need to be monitored, while other Care Managers are juggling very hectic cases with unstable individuals who need to be seen frequently. You feel guilty using your PTO because these individuals need so much help and you try your best to do whatever you can but many of them are constantly placed on the back burner. I initially started making wonderfully detailed case notes, but now I am lucky to get a few lines in before it needs to be submitted and I need to attend to something else. I receive numerous complaints from parents and individuals who do not think I care about them because they are not receiving services as quickly as they would like and with each new Care Manager their trust diminishes. The company would be great to work for because we love what we do and I see the passion in my co-workers, but ACA cannot expect us to deliver high standards of care while so many employees are left burnt-out everyday.

I previously worked as an MSC and transitioned to Care Manager with ACA. Honestly, I would prefer the transition never happened. There is no clear direction from the state on where everything is going and because the agency is a new agency, the people higher up have no experience in the DD field. You CAN NOT work in mental health and expect the DD field to be the same. The agency has grown to have a high turnover rate. Because they're losing to many Care Managers so fast, they're trying to hire new ones that have no idea what they're doing because there's no proper training. I feel as though the agency cares more about billing and money than they do their own employees and their employees mental health. I was taking work home every day/weekend to complete work. every week there's a new deadline. They don't care how you meet those deadlines, as long as you meet them. For one person to carry a case load of 35-40, is WAY too much and extremely stressful, but yet, its supposed to be "Person Centered" planning. How can I even provide the proper management for one person when I have 39 others coming at me with issues. Lets not even mention the parents. The parents are so entitled and will complain if you aren't moving fast enough for them because no one explains to them that you have 39 other people on your case or that things take time. When they complain to Directors or Senior Directors, they get coddled and soothed and the Care Manager gets reprimanded. You will experience Stress and Burn-out in this field and work will feel like a chore everyday. Even the supervisors become annoyed when you need support because they also have other deadlines to meet and have case loads themselves. At this agency I felt like my work was never done and my supervisor was never pleased with the work I WAS doing. Overall, its a very annoying agency to work in. The benefits are great, but that's not even enough to make their employees want to stay. The agency doesn't even have a CEO cause he even left the agency! Good luck for anyone who accepts a position here.

Perhaps my review is slightly different than others because I have an AD who is well liked and very knowledgeable about the field. I’ve been with ACA 6 months and thanks to him I never feel lost about anything regarding the job. I recently had someone a member on my caseload who struggles with mental health issues demand I contact the president of an organization to voice his complaints. When I explained that I must go through proper channels he began to hang up and not take my calls. My AD has stepped in to help re-establish contact with this hard to deal with individual. Aside from him, my caseload is not hard to deal with. 

You have plenty of time to get everything done. It’s just about time management at the end of the day, which can be difficult when you are working from home. 

Yes, this company cares about billables but that is how we get funding. No billable notes means the agency isn’t getting funding. That is why it is necessary to do on a monthly basis. 

Compared to working as a residential manager or Day Program Supervisor, this job is very easy. I personally come from having done retail in college and was also a DSP. 

Perhaps in 6 months from I may get overwhelmed with multiple people asking for service referrals on top of me having to do life plans/face to face contacts but so far everything has been manageable. 

Benefits could be better. I would appreciate if they matched the 403b and made contributions. It would really go a long way. It is disappointing that their contributions to the 403b are not guaranteed and so far have not happened at all. Retirement is really important. 

In terms of paid time off, we get a lot. But because of monthly/quarterly requirements for 38 participants on my caseload I don’t foresee being able to take off for longer than a week at a time because I would come back overloaded with work. Which is fine because aside from traveling for a vacation I don’t feel the need to take a lot of time off as this work is not stressful. 

If you like to backbite others and set people up, to get a promotion in a short period of time, then this is the place to be.  Don't let the income fool you.  The salary is not even close to the work responsibilities given.  No pension is given to employees.  Overtime is always welcomed and encouraged because you never have sufficient time to complete daily tasks and responsibilities. A vacation package will also be given once you complete your corrupt tasks and responsibilities given by administration. If you are transparent with your work performance, some people like staff and in managerial positions might feel threatened because transparency will expose their incompetency and poor supervisory and managerial skills. Work is never finished and you can never catch up on workload because there are so many deficiencies in daily tasks and responsibilities.  For example, I Am Assessments, Life Plans, DDP2, LCED/LOC, ISP or either incomplete, missing, and outdated for several years and you would be the scapegoat for the problems.  No one is there to teach you about the databases like Medisked and Choices. 
 The administration will deliberately give you limited access to databases in order to blame you for the deficiencies when auditors come to evaluate agency.  If you can perform miracles like Jesus did, then you won't have any problems adjusting to this new work environment. You cannot trust anyone. Some people are charming with their interaction with you that you may consider them a friend. But, the only reason why they approach you is to find out your weaknesses and use them against you. Very toxic environment. You have no access to bathrooms or office unless someone more fit to open the doors to these facilities to accommodate you. If you want to die young,or commit suicide, this is the place to be. If not, quit while you can and stay far away from this agency.

I worked as a Care Manager for 3 years before finally breaking down and quitting before even finding a new job. The stress of the job was too much for me to handle. My friends and family couldn't see the stress because I worked from home full-time, but I have to be honest, I don't think I could ever get all my work done if I had to continue commuting to the office and to various meetings in person. There just simply wouldn't be enough time. Besides the stress, the main reason I left was due to never getting a raise. I was told on various occasions that I was an exceptional CM, but never got a raise in all 3 years. First, the pandemic was the excuse, then the mass lay off in the summer of 2020, but through this all, we were told "no raises until 2022." Well, it was April of 2022 and we were actually being told that the agency wants to see what happens with COLA before determining if we get a raise. Umm, COLA is NOT a raise and should not be treated as such. They serve different purposes. A raise is supposed to provide incentive to stay employed here and have your hard work and dedication acknowledged and appreciated. How inconsiderate can an agency be that they never factor into their budget the possibility of a raise or bonus for their employees? That should be priority considering they worked us down the point of exhaustion. Another reason I left was due to ACA constantly changing everything around! They implemented a new software program, had us do hours of training, then said never mind, forget everything we trained you on. It's all wrong. So now we're using the new software and no one has any idea what they're doing, including my Supervisor. But I was told that we "must" get all our work done on the platform before the end of the month. Here's my ending advice. If you want to be a CM, go work at a different agency. Whatever you do, DON'T WORK HERE!

One of the most toxic workplace cultures I have ever experienced. Exec leadership preaches about "We're all in this together" "We value our CMs" "We're here to support the individuals", but does not practice what they preach. When given a choice between doing right by the members or staff, and money, exec leadership chooses money every time. During the "restructuring" due to the 2020 CCO Budget Cuts, over 150 good people in middle management lost jobs, while executive leadership got fancy new titles, raises, and bonuses. There is zero respect given to the care managers who are the backbone of this organization. The workload is much too high to be done in the allotted timeframe. For those of us in supervisor, director, or the new "AD" positions, we are made to feel that it is our fault our staff quits, gets burned out, or is not able to keep up with demands. They waste our time with "support meanings" or "leadership trainings" when the reality is there is not enough time in the day to keep up. I worked an average of 70 hours per week just to meet "benchmarks", which had zero to do with supporting the members, only paperwork. PTO accruals are generous, but you don't get to actually use your hours because you feel pressured by your supervisor that you have too much to do to take your PTO. Worst of all, when a member is actual in need or in a crisis and you need support from leadership, they have zero no how on how to solve problems, navigate OPWDD services, etc. and you feel guilty because you are unable to help your members. I have heard from staff that are still with ACA that turnover is higher than ever before, and that staff are now being forced to sign non-disclosure agreements, which prevent them from quitting to work for another CCO. 

Stay away from ACA at all costs. 

Poor leadership, directors take advantage of you. Directors take your ideas and hard work and sell them as their own. High turnover, huge layoffs, ridiculous workload. No work-life balance. Felt underpaid for the amount of work expected. Watched other coworkers suffer under micromanagement, harassment, and overall unprofessionalism from directors and senior directors. The hiring process was long and drawn out. You get hired and can’t start for at least another month.  The process in which work is completed is ever changing and no one ever knows what’s going on. You constantly get reprimanded for doing what you were told to do only to find out from higher ups that it was incorrect and the director never takes responsibility for what they said. Advancement and transferring is nearly impossible. There were at least 3/4 CEOs in one year. The current one can’t send his own emails yet laid off so many people due to poor planning. The layoffs were done haphazardly. Little respect for employees. They eliminated positions then pinned all of those employees against each other to apply for a “new” position with limited spots and worth less money with more responsibility. Severance package was a joke and not worth the hard work and dedication that was put into the company. They got rid of hard working employees and kept all the ones on performance improvement plans. Instead of laying off from the top down, it was done ridiculously and without much thought. Employees were left in the dark, CEO instilled fear rather than comfort because he wanted to be “honest” but left everyone trembling that their position was going to be eliminated for 2 months. Please apply at your own risk. You are better off at another CCO. 

This company will be great one day and I get paid very well however; there is no structure. You have senior directors, directors and supervisors that don't know anything and are unable to assist their staff and then you have some who know everything and assist their staff. The business is all about money. Care Managers have waaaay too many cases  and are unable to provide quality care to their clients. They have these I AM assessments to do but nobody knows how to do them (Sr. Directors, Directors and  Sups). You are constantly moving from one location to another, They don't have printing, scanning and copying hooked up and their IT department is worthless because when you call they they can't fix your problem and they don't travel to sites to connect ACA equipment....dumbest thing i ever seen in my life. People quit all the time...i understand their frustrations. When you don't know and nobody is there to teach you....stressful and frustrating. They need to become better organized in their hub locations. Their main spot is all set up and everyone is living their best lives...great  in NYC office. Everywhere else...not so great. Money for Care Manager's is low...do waaaaay too much work for the low pay. Their  recruiter is blessing...they better not ever let her go, she;s amazing and works her butt off. PTO time is great!! People complain because you have to use time for holidays but if someone is giving you 35-45 days you are way over what most employers give from day 1....deduct the holidays and you still have a generous amount of time.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Care manager 12 salaries reported	$50,100 per year
Office manager 3 salaries reported	$24.89 per hour
Training specialist 4 salaries reported	$34.18 per hour
Outreach specialist 8 salaries reported	$32.00 per hour
Qualified intellectual disabilities professional 3 salaries reported	$29.60 per hour

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