registered nurse

mental health technician

nurse practitioner

licensed practical nurse

registered nurse - operating room

Advanced Correctional Healthcare

I worked for ACH almost 2 years at a county jail and in that time I was forced to lie for my nurse manager and the jail administration numerous times. Jail staff would steal narcotics and my nurse manager would have me fill out the paperwork showing that the medication was disposed of properly. I did this because I trusted my nurse manager, I later found out that she was being leveraged by the jail with accusations of drug abuse. The jail commander would insist that inmates who were members of his church, children of wealthy people, “high profile” inmates, or any inmate connected to the police department would receive special treatment, to include getting any medications they wanted approved. I was used as a scapegoat for "lost" medical records that were hidden or shredded by the jail administration when the threat of an investigation loomed.  I was also forced to see members of the jail staff and police department as patients, when I told them I couldn’t give them prescription medications because ACH would only allow us to treat inmates, I was called rude, lazy, and a liar then reported to ACH by the jail administration that my “responses to employees were inappropriate”. The jail also used me as a secretary, forcing me to answer phone calls and discuss complaints with inmate family members and girlfriends about the medical care an inmate was receiving, (this violates HIPAA and ACH policy). Finally one day I just couldn’t take it anymore. I wouldn’t take blame for any more “lost” medical records or medications, I refused tell anymore lies to get medication approved for special inmates, I stopped discussing inmate healthcare information over the phone, and I stopped letting the jail staff railroad me into giving them medical care. After several attempts to manipulate and threaten me failed (including accusations of drug abuse and misuse of private information), I was fired without notice for being “rude” to jail staff and I have never been so happy to walk away from a job. When I got my last paycheck it was short a week’s worth of pay and the company refused to pay me for any PTO time.  To anyone looking to work for this company, I would suggest that you take great care in investigating what kind of people are in charge of the jail you are going to be working at. Even if AHC already knows the jail administration is crooked, they will do anything to keep the contract with the jail.

I love what I did in corrections! The officers are great to work with. The inmate population is definitively a challenge at times, but very fulfilling. Ultimately the worst part about working in this high stress environment became management of advanced correctional healthcare (ACH). I was lied to multiple time and disrespected by my manager, and I was told management doesn't need to follow policies and they can tell employees whatever they want. My manager disrespected me the most when she shared personal information to inmates- which we've done several trainings not to do;  working with this population. I tried to talk to HR about these issues and I was ignored- Several emails, texts,  and phones calls with no responses over a 6 month period. I brought these issues up the chain of command continuing to be ignored for months. I was let go from the company with no communication of being let go by ACH. I found out that I lost my position when my jail officers let me know they received an email stating I no longer worked for ACH. It has been nothing but unprofessional and childish BS working for ACH in the last year. If you want to ask "how high" when your manager tells you to jump; go ahead and work here, but expect to do as your told and don't complain or dissagree about anything or they'll fire you. There have been several nurses and nurse practitioners who have been fired for making complaints about management. Instead of listening to their employees and fixing issues they get rid of anyone who makes any type of complaint or disagreement. Management is terrible and makes working in an already stressful environment more stressful than it needs to be

Must work with patients, department staff, dental staff, and medical and nursing staff, security staff at all levels, administrative and support staff, and all health service providers; comply with all current and future state, federal, and local laws and regulations; comply with court orders, medical department rules and the policies and procedures of Advanced Correctional Healthcare; Assess, plan, and deliver nursing care to detained and committed; Coordinate multiple medical services for diagnosis and treatment as directed by the physician; Maintain aseptic techniques and infection control precautions as required; Assist in screening of apparent emergencies for necessity and priority to be seen by the physician and conduct daily sick call screening; Check and change surgical dressings as required; Maintain working knowledge of pharmacology, including drug reaction/overdose; Maintain working knowledge of therapeutic diets and nutrition; Maintain working knowledge of social and behavioral sciences, particularly as applied to the correctional institutional setting; Be capable of giving CPR instructions and ability to take charge in a CPR emergency; Maintain the Problem Oriented Medical Record; Administer medications including IM injections upon physician’s orders; Recommend improved procedures, equipment, and supplies to Supervisor; Participate in periodic quality of care and chart review; Notify supervisor and complete written report for any medical or security incidents; Present/participate in in-service education sessions; Maintain professional attitude at all times; Any and all other duties as assigned.

First, I must say..If you value your hard work to get your nursing license I would absolutely suggest you stay away from doing business with this "business". Not only will they forge signatures or require you to sign off on missing medications or documented events that never took place or were altered to make the company/employees look like they were "in the right" this company will pay you absolute bottom dollar while they mandate you to work open shifts and will have no hesitation with replacing you with someone cheaper. I have worked in corrections for many years unfortunately, losing a contract and being hired into this company was the only option ..had I known how selfish, greedy and low down the people who work for this company were, I would have definitely walked away on day 1. It won't take long for you to see the cues on how these people operate. Corporate will do ANYTHING to not lose a contract including use of unethical practice and falsified information. When it comes down to it, I would stay far away from risking your license to work for Advanced Correctional Healthcare. Save your time and save your license- You are worth so much more!

The media makes it seem like no one had cared about healthcare workers until the pandemic but this company has not largely changed as a result of covid. They didn't lay us off and they didn't try to pretend like they have been ignoring us for years. They continued to offer a positive environment and do what they need to to keep us employed. They have always cared. They are not trying to find out if I have the vaccine and they are not treating those who are vocal about getting it or not getting it any different than they did prior to the start of covid, over 2 years ago. The focus continues to be on taking good care of the patients that find themselves incarcerated in the jail no matter how long they are in there and about being respectful to the environment we are working in. If i can provide any advice it would be to not be afraid to call your regional nurse, director of medical operations or anyone in human resources or the executive team. Their focus continues to be in making lives easier by doing the right thing consistently.

I truly feel like you can create your own destiny at ACH.  If you are comfortable in a role and just want to own that role, they will let you stay in that role and make sure you are fairly compensated.  If you want to move up, most managers are very willing to work with you and your personal/professional goals to make sure you achieve them.

Like any other work environment, there are good days and bad days but I truly feel the good majorly outweigh the bad.  Again, it's where you put yourself in this company.  If you choose to have a negative attitude, you may not fit well.  Most everyone here is positive and wants to move the company forward so if you're not on board with the mission and purpose, you may not feel comfortable.  If you're willing to help push us forward as an industry leader in providing for an underserved population and you have passion for this work, you will succeed.

My experience was brief but insightful. I met all assigned KPIs during my time there and received positive feedback regarding efficiency and ramp-up speed. The workflow itself is manageable for someone experienced in recruiting.

That said, alignment appears to be heavily tied to leadership preferences rather than measurable performance. After asking a question related to documentation practices in candidate records — with the intent of ensuring accuracy and compliance — I noticed a shift in tone from management. Shortly thereafter, I was informed I was not an “environmental fit” and did not meet the organization’s core value of professionalism.

No prior coaching, performance concerns, or specific examples were provided before the termination decision.

Prospective employees may want to clarify how feedback is handled, how differing professional viewpoints are received, and what specific behaviors define “professionalism” within the organization

The company has multiple rural locations in the counties around where I live.  The jails contract out mental health services based on the jail administrator's budget and concept of what is needed.  (Personally, I think some locations would benefit from more services than they ask for.)  I am able to work fairly independently around my full-time job.  The pay rate is slightly better than my full-time job; however, ACH is not paying for benefits like my full-time employer so the amount of money spent on me is probably equivalent.  Pay rate differs by site; however, QMHP rates (I've filled in at different sites average around $35-40, give or take).  Initial training was distance-education and some things seemed to slip through the cracks; however, my supervisor was (along with payroll and HR) very quick to respond to any questions I had and quick to sort out any concerns.

This company is insane.  They enter a facility that is primarily run by LPNs and attempt to get rid of the LPNs by telling them what they believe their scope of practice is.  

Legitimately...every other week, a staff member is getting a document they have to sign limiting what they can and can't do in a correctional facility.  Some staff have been working in corrections over 20 years.  To basically tell them they can't do what they've doing because they feel RNs are better is insane.

Unfortunately, there aren't enough RNs on staff to do the things that need to be done.  So, what are the LPNs supposed to do?  Send the inmates out for care or operate outside of their scope of practiced deemed by ACH to keep the inmates alive?

I personally believe that the owners of this company are out of touch and need to spend more than a few days training nurses to see exactly what is done by the LPNs in these facilities.  Because their thought process is insane.   

The pay is not worth the stress. The Talent Acquisition Director and Manager present well in interviews, but that does not reflect the day-to-day reality. The culture is toxic and largely driven by micromanagement and weak leadership. The TA Manager’s emotions frequently influence the work environment, creating inconsistency and making it clear when frustration is being redirected toward the team.

The TA Director gets her experience from Chat GPT. Many policies and processes appear poorly thought out and overly bureaucratic, resulting in unnecessary, inefficient workflows rather than meaningful improvements. Leadership regularly shifts blame to recruiters to deflect from its own shortcomings instead of taking accountability. 

Word travels how the TA Director and TA Manager are towards people of color and non-Republicans. Not kind people. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Registered nurse 1027 salaries reported	$48.29 per hour
Mental health technician 168 salaries reported	$48.72 per hour
Nurse practitioner 62 salaries reported	$215 per hour
Licensed practical nurse 51 salaries reported	$44.56 per hour
Registered nurse - operating room 3 salaries reported	$50.00 per hour

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