youth counselor

administrative assistant

clinician

childcare provider

social worker

Aspiranet

The overall mission of the company is admirable and draws in fresh college grads seeking experience in the mental health field. If this is you, look elsewhere! If you already have experience, look elsewhere!
Management is condescending, vindictive, and the worst offense is that they are in serious denial. Over 25 support counselor spoke up about the working conditions of high caseloads, burn out, micromanaging, and unfair pay, to which management responded, “you all should be grateful you even have a job during these trying times”.
To clarify, turn-over at this company has been an issue prior to COVID-19, and the same issues have been present and brought up by counselors before this pandemic. 
Management justifies high caseloads by telling their support counselors that the loads will decrease as soon as May comes around as they poach new graduates, however, there is always a shortage because hardly anyone stays after completing one year, and people only stay the year for the sake of their resume. The low pay is justified by continuously stating that they are a not-for-profit company, however fellow colleagues known as parent Partners are not required to hold a bachelors degree and are held to lower productivity standards (produce less work than support counselors) yet get paid the exact same as support counselors. When pay concerns were brought up, management responded with, “it’s apples and oranges” referring to support counselors and parent partners being them same. (We have a degree, they have a high school diploma!) For a company that stands for mental health, management is far from it. 
Although the position states you will be a support counselor, you will be known as a “YP” youth partner. YP’s are expected to have anywhere about 18-20 client meetings throughout different counties. Management state that they will do everything in their power to keep you within your county but with counselor shortages and the outpouring referrals for clients in need of our services, the counselors spend half of their 8 hour shift driving every single day! 
Also, be prepared to work split shifts! It is highly possible that split shifts can happen. You can have a scheduled meeting at 8 AM, and another at 6 PM. So clocking in and out to avoid OT will be necessary. 
Over the surface, this company appears to have a great work environment, but within weeks of hire, the high caseloads, burn out and backlash for speaking up begin. The work is already difficult within itself as we work with high risk youth, but management truly makes the position unbearable. 

Work (COEDS program, as a Support Counselor/ Youth Partner (YP) is mostly in the field (therefore you're driving a lot- this was pre-covid) and you learn a lot in a short period of time because it is so fast paced. It is very meaningful work with children and families, but because of this they tend to take advantage of those that are starting off in this field.
It tends to be fast paced because they are understaffed and will start you off with clients before you have completed your trainings or have any idea what you are doing. If you are new to case management or to the field and do not know what to expect, they will take advantage (whether consciously or unconsciously) by giving you a high case load or ask you to take on more clients than what you are ready for. If that's the case, speak up and do not take on more than you can handle just to prove "you can do it" (that's what they prob want you to do), it will lead to burn out and it will be very difficult to do your job right. 
They have a low retention rate and high turnover because they fail to look at and address the disorganization of the program, management's unprofessionalism when addressing concerns (gaslighting) and pay not equating to the workload. Their excuse is that this is an entry level job and  they "do not expect" those in this position to stay very long, which is silly because that basically means they're not willing to make improvements or compensate staff appropriately simply because it's entry-level (so suffer for the time being). Also, families do not know this, and engagement from clients and families tends to be low or very difficult because they have so many transitions from people leaving. 
As the program expands, these issues (and others) will become more prevalent and if not addressed it can really hurt the program, but most importantly our families. If you are starting off in the field and thinking about applying, good luck. Don't be afraid to voice these or any other concerns. I encourage you to do so. You will not be the only one.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
Businesses often forget about the culture, and ultimately, they suffer for it because you can't deliver good service from unhappy employees." -Tony Hsieh

The youth are by far the best part of the job. Building relationships with them and seeing their growth has been the most rewarding aspect of my experience. Their resilience and progress are what motivated me to continue showing up each day.

But in my experience, management practices and workplace dynamics have been the most challenging aspects of the job. There often appeared to be inconsistent expectations and unequal treatment among staff, which created frustration and negatively affected morale.

The work itself and supporting the youth were not what led to burnout for me. Rather, it was navigating workplace politics, communication issues, and feeling unsupported in certain situations.

My experience with the workplace culture was largely negative. I found the environment to be cliquish, and at times it felt difficult for staff who were not closely connected with leadership to feel included or supported.

The organization promotes a positive and supportive culture, but my personal experience did not consistently reflect those values. Many of the youth expressed feelings of frustration and discouragement, which was difficult to witness given the program’s mission.

A typical day involves supporting youth, managing behaviors, documenting services, and trying to work collaboratively with coworkers. The most positive shifts were those where staff communicated effectively and worked together as a team, which were few and far between.

One challenge I experienced constantly was feeling that support during behavioral escalations was inconsistent. In higher stress situations, staff often relied heavily on one another for assistance, and I sometimes felt additional support and guidance would have been beneficial.

Going in to this work I thought it would be the perfect job for me. While the company certainly provided great benefits to their workers and stood for supporting families and children, it had its cons to work through. A typical day looks like travelling anywhere in the county and meeting three, four or five clients for about an hour each. A pro to the job was definitely driving for roughly half the day but at the same time, this could backfire; for example, I often hit traffic on the way to from one client to another. Sometimes it seems like there's just not enough hours in the day to do all that is required. Company standards require documentation within 3 days of meeting a client for a session which often requires overtime for the employee to catch up. Another pro is that managers are flexible and willing to provide over-time if needed. Other pros include the flexibility with clients and making your own schedule, experiencing a variety of clients, a great collaborative team to work alongside you and clinical support when needed. Other cons include high-stress/anxiety, uncertainty of what the day brings and frequent schedule changes, and limited time with coworkers. Another con was that management wants workers to be very open and flexible with their schedules in order to serve families well...But beware this means that your plans for after the work day may end up coming second. In the end, I left the job only because I found it produced more stress and anxiety for me over the positive changes I could see in clients I worked with. Management is full of hard-working people who are honestly trying hard to make a difference and provide a working environment that improves the cons listed above.

Youth support counselors (also called Youth Partner or YP) typically manage 4-6 clients at a time. We meet with clients in the home and school for an hour at a time, and must drive to each location. Client locations can be fairly spread out, and at one point I was driving about 800 miles every two weeks just for this job. YPs work on Option 1 and Option 3 cases. YPs manage Option 1 cases entirely alone, while Option 3 cases are done with the help of a Family Case Manager and Parent Partner.
Although YPs are required to have a Bachelor's degree to get hired, must manage Option 1 cases entirely alone (some YPs have a full caseload of Option 1 cases), and must meet a productivity of 50%, we get paid the same ($17/hour) as parent partners, who only work on Option 3 cases and only need to meet a productivity of 40%. Non profit companies like to exploit their workers, and Aspiranet is no exception.
Management does not do well with concerns being brought up. If you speak up too much and bring up too many concerns, management will watch you just like in Orwell's 1984. Towards the end of my time in this position, I was very disappointed with how management was handling everyone's concerns. Many of my coworkers had concerns about meeting with high risk clients in person during the covid-19 pandemic, but management just said "well, we aren't making you meet with clients who are actively sick." Management was generally unhelpful and not understanding of what YPs have to go through and deal with. While I loved working with my clients, my experience with management tainted my impression of this job. I would not recommend working for this company.

A typical day consists of coming into a clients home, interacting with the client stuggling with a mental disadvantage for about 1-8 hours (usually 2), usually after school hours (between 2pm and 8pm), depending on if the client attends school or not. Your job is to introduce social and coping skills.
I learned that people are genuinely different. Not just in views but also in thought processes. This job teaches compassion and greatly encourages positive reinforcement.
Management changes so often that it can be amazing when one person from another position isn't assuming the responsibilities of management. Change is constant, and usually not in the favor of the lower positions, but nonetheless is there for protocols and procedures.
Co-workers are an openminded group. Diversity is strong here and this is something I appreciate very much about this job.
The hardest part of this job is consistency. The day to day job requires that the client learn to deal with changes and surprises as life can do that. But people join this job, leave this job, get promoted, so often that it can be frustrating and confusing. All the paperwork has different due dates, and is to be submitted to about 5 different people.
The most enjoyable part of this job is the flexibility and the trainings. At the trainings we get reimbursed for gas and time spent driving. We get food during the meeting and get to brainstorm effective ways to help our clients. It's great to hear everyone having similar struggles.

You will not have a balance of work and personal life. You have to use your personal vehicle basically all day every day and you won't be compensated for the wear and tear on your vehicle. You will be overloaded with cases and will also be expected to participate and help with activities 2-3 times a week on top of your already high caseload. You will do a lot of babysitting as well during activities, which is of course not included in the job description. Micromanaging is an understatement and you will not have fair treatment by management due to favoritism. Be expected to be belittled when things go array, especially if you are more qualified with credentials than your supervisor is. The environment is very noisy and "leadership" still expects you to complete documentation on time with no peace and quiet. There is also no space for everyone in the building so you will have to fight for space of be harassed by other employees if you try to share space. "Leadership" will not resolve issues for you. Overall, you work too much and too hard for the little money that you make. Also, another thing to consider is that you will have to travel up to 2-3 hours away for some cases and will most likely not be able to be off work until very late evening. Again, you will not be compensated for wear and tear on your vehicle. You won't even be compensated for the full amount of mileage that can be allotted to employees. If you are looking to become a support counselor, you will be the ones doing all of the work with little to no recognition at all. I advise against the agency.

Upside: I really enjoyed my work with the youth, it was rewarding for me. The youth were very appreciative of my work & they cried when I gave them my notice.  I learned a lot about case management & I did really well that I brought a higher standard of documentation to the company. I also enjoyed partnering with other programs and services in the community to help the youth. It was also great to have a flexible schedule & make your own appointments. 

The downside:  You will be hit with very high risk cases with VERY little support. When I started this job, there was very little structure. You may see a wave of co workers cry & leave this place. I had a difficult time dealing with the stress and my coworkers would help me figure out a plan.  I heard from management say that people would leave because social work isn’t for everyone.

In addition to all that, you will be driving a LOT. I put 450 miles in two weeks. These youth may possibly leave bodily stains, bed bugs, dirt, etc. I had 6 nails within a span of 3 months because of the location of the apartments I had to visit. However, the maintenance of your vehicle falls on you.
I also found myself working during my lunches, breaks, and even after work hours. No matter how great my organizational skills were, it was inevitable to do it all.
i got lunch penalties, so i also got reprimanded for not taking my lunch. But I would also get reprimanded for not completing ALL the work. 
This is the nature of working at this program... and it shouldn’t be for anyone.

So many cons, I do not know where to begin...
-Poor management/supervision with little to no support
-Employees reprimanded in front of coworkers and clients
-Prepare to be written up and/or coached often, and receive little to no positive feedback for your hard work 
-Your opinions and concerns are not important
-Vacation is accrued, though not approved when requested, so prepare to use sick time for everything and when you call in sick, plan to be bothered by constant work related calls/issues 
-Seniority privileges do not exist 
-Work/Personal life balance does not exist as this job will deplete you
Technology is very poor, had to use my personal cell to assist in uploads of pictures/docs
-Treatment to employees by higher ups, clients and county partners is extremely poor as employees are very unsupported
-Complaints within are not addressed appropriately as mistreatment by clients is overlooked


--Perks were the benefits, safety and awesome coworkers (at same level) 

Again, I suggest you look elsewhere, especially if you have a life, a family and your sanity matters.

A typical day at work consists of doing my own job duties as well as the duties of at least 2 other positions. When out in in the field, it is a gamble on whether or not I will be walking into a safe environment when meeting with clients as I meet alone with them in their apartment. The rules and expectations are clearly written out for clients to follow; however when not followed- the results as to what happens to the clients are based on the census needs of the program, even if that means having clients in their own apartments, alone without monitoring who may harm themselves or others, or who may have family or friends who may harm them or me/other Aspiranet staff. The workplace culture lacks; most employees in my office have a lack of energy, motivation and simply don't put their best efforts into work each day. Half of the employees in the office are not at work each day, leading to duties being placed on whoever is present. Burnout happens quickly in this office, there is little to no staff appreciation within the office- Aspiranet as a whole provides some incentives with many paid holidays. Compensation does not match for the amount of work I complete on top of assisting other employees with their job duties (including supervisors)- merit raises don't exist and the guaranteed raises at 3, 5, and 10 years of employment are only 5% raises. The most enjoyable part of the job is the flexibility and the co-workers who share the same job title.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Youth counselor 47 salaries reported	$23.34 per hour
Administrative assistant 1 salary reported	$19.00 per hour
Clinician 1 salary reported	$75,900 per year
Childcare provider 18 salaries reported	$20.86 per hour
Social worker 1 salary reported	$70,900 per year

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