licensed practical nurse

medical receptionist

substance abuse counselor

counselor

patient coordinator

Behavioral Health Group

Some things you should know about BHG:
TLDR: be professional, watch what you say/do, keep looking for other jobs to stay competitive.

1. There has not been a pay raise for the best employees in years, even if their experience/credentials are invaluable assets to the company, they are not compelled to stay. Only the head office and top executives receive a pay enough for their families, while they try to persuade other companies to give them more money (even the president). A month or so after I joined, the district manager left days after my first meeting with him, which says a lot about the company.

2. The main job of this company is to sell a product and maintain unreasonable amounts of legal paperwork requirements. The state needs a copy, BHG wants a copy, and you keep a copy, all with some different elements that can be managed with better software. As long as you're "in compliance", how you help people is between you and the patient. There are no resources/training other than "sit and watch" and a few odd tests - mostly about legal stuff they're required to give. Every month you "teach a class" with no special proven curriculum, follow-up, or useful guidelines. Special services/advocates may come talk with the staff on behalf of the company, but it rarely makes its way down to the patient in a beneficial way (because of all the paperwork, we can't focus on finding these things for each patient, but some did in their free time).

3. Ultimately, the patient decides whether or not they want to be helped. Some succeed by their determination, while others stumble and fall out of the program (often for financial issues). Others are afraid of leaving the program. In a way, you get a low-key sense that BHG just wants the cash flow from the streets into their bank account, and the patients sometimes feel that way too. If anything, these patients need a sponsorship program to help pay $500+/month. It's almost like they're penalized for trying to recover, and that's just wrong.

4. Clocking in/out is unnecessarily troubling because they want you to have 40 hours by the minute, but you can't fix your own time for issues like slow logging in, internet down, or (The best one) startup problems. The worst thing about your workweek is to cut your hours back JUST so you can make up for them on a Saturday morning - it's a completely useless and unnecessary practice. Paid sick/vacation days are nice, but I wish their benefits package was useful (you're better off getting a membership instead of insurance).

5. Most of the employees here are nice; there are company restaurant outings, games, and meetings (which turned into email chains instead of face-to-face). Meetings were a highlight to me before it turned digital. There were jokes, serious discussions, stories, helpful suggestions, I learned a lot from being around so many experienced people. Most of them are approachable for just about anything (personal or professional). There's a constant battle over who gets the window offices (in a good way). And there is quite a bit of light-hearted humor with a genuine "get to know you" atmosphere. 

6. Management is everywhere all the time (and constantly stressed). They're around when you find yourself in a pickle, but aren't very empathetic about making 1-1 corrections (instead, making a meeting about it and everyone knowing who exactly they're talking about). They check your notes, work, clock time, just about everything they can while you're working. Instead of a face-to-face "We need to talk." It's an email. I'm thankful that the corrections aren't too harsh, but MUCH of these could be prevented with a real training program, professional reflection,  and teaming up with a co-worker for informal accountability. It went from feeling like "Wow, this is a great job!" to- "I feel like I'm always being watched with a glare." My only guess is that this is company policy from the top, and not characteristic of any manager.

7. Mental health is a real issue for employees (look it up). Because of the odd working hours, lack of windows/sunlight/vitamin D, and sitting in a box all week, it can start to make you feel lonely and depressed. You should walk/run daily at a gym or find a way to keep your nutrition and exercise up.

You may have a great experience here or a horrible experience here. It all depends on your typing/thinking skills, professional mannerism, and whether or not you feel like it will add meaningful experience to your career aspirations.

The issues at BHG are so numerous that it's difficult to really know where to begin. The pay is not comparable with what other MAT companies offer. The benefits are incredibly expensive and sub-par. Two weeks of PTO is simply not enough for this type of work. Burn out is high and turnover is higher than any place I have ever worked. Approximately 70% of staff leave within 1 year (think about that for a moment), but those who could do something about it dance around that issue with no real or meaningful action to rectify it. It's discussed in meetings, sure, and the company recently enacted a student loan assistance program, which sounds good on its face only it requires a committment to work for the company that is so laughably long that I imagine it will only help a very, very select few individuals. There are fairly simple ways to increase staff retention. Pay better. Offer more leave time. Offer better benefits. Provide perks and good, meaningful training. BHG has no interest in doing any of these, but you will have meetings every so often for the regional VP to gleefully discuss the problem while offering nothing in the way of solutions.

On the opposide end, favorable patient retention rates are highly sought after, and the company will bend over backwards to keep patients coming back for their methadone/suboxone. That, alone, should be telling enough for any prospective employees as to where BHG's priorities actually are. You expect a little bit of that when you're talking about a for-profit MAT program, but BHG is blatant and shameless about it. They have since offered 'trainings' on how to increase patient retention, which is important, sure, but seems like a slap in the face to employees who are looking for even the slightest hint that the company genuinely cares about them, about keeping them around, and treating them well.

I'll be blunt here, because folks thinking about working here really should pay attention to what I and others have said. Corporate runs the show, not the treatment team, and treatment team decisions were overridden several times for the sake of keeping a particular patient. I saw a staff member publicly shamed, in the most passive aggressive way, in a Zoom call with both the regional VP and chief medical officer based on a treatment team decision to keep a patient that was ultimately overridden. You're made to feel like a fool if you make what they view as a 'bad call,' but they are wholly inconsistent in the decions that they do make. It is beyond frustrating for those who actually see these patients regularly, and make staff feel as though they have no real backing or support.

BHG is what happens when you take a good idea, a good cause, and a scientifically sound manner of addiction treatment in the form of medication assistance, and then thoroughly infect it with incompetent, unsupportive leaders and a business model that values profit above all else. If you're a fresh professional looking for experience in the addiction treatment field, go somewhere else. If you're on the fence but are considering it because the pay is sadly better than your current job, let me assure you that a few extra dollars on the hour are not worth what you will encounter here. If, after all all of this, you still decide you're better off going for it, good luck to you.


I knew someone to get an interview with BHG. I spent maybe 10 mins interviewing and 20 mins observing the administration of medication to clients before being offered the job. First red flag. There were several comments made from both staff and clients about previous nurses being incompetent or mean, etc. initially I felt great about trying to help with peoples recovery journey. But it became overwhelming, stressful and toxic very quickly. You have literally 4.5 hours to dose close to 100 people. It cuts off at 11am SHARP. If someone walks through the door late- regardless of circumstances, we have to turn them away. I’ve been called names, had certain sign language thrown in my face, etc. because I’m told to turn them away. They use two different meds (methadone and bup). Since these are controlled substances, they are counted multiple times a day. They get super strict on counts and making sure all your numbers match. If it’s off, you have to get supervisor involved as well as get another approved person to witness everything you do. Sometimes you’re sitting there for a long time waiting. In our office, you worked alone. Because people came in consistently, there was no flow. Sometimes we had 15 people waiting, other times you had no one for 5-10 mins. If you didn’t get a chance to take a break- too bad. You really couldn’t have drinks in the area because you worked with disintegrating/melting meds. 

Overall the time constraints were just very difficult. There really was no automated process besides a pump for the liquid methadone. Everything was calculated by hand and sometimes led to discrepancies that were required to be resolved immediately before you could leave for the day. There was no proper system in place to prevent errors. You were doing very repetitive tasks and could make a mistake easily. They made sure to call you out for every little thing. The system went down, printers went down, you’re expected to do assessments, dose and also do drug tests if both MAs were busy. The expectation for the pay was insane! Management was someone with only a year of experience as a dosing nurse, not even a supervisor. You frequently saw people come in heavily under the influence, etc. some clients were great- others were much harder to work for. It fell back on you if you didn’t catch someone smuggle a bup out of the building. Oh, and you’re expected to bag up a ton of clients meds for days in advance. Remember you have 4.5 hours to do all this!

I’ll start with the positives (there aren’t many). The pay isn’t as bad as some behavioral health companies. I did love my coworkers. We were really in the trenches together, so that does create a bond. 

The negatives are many, too many to list here. 

For starters, the job description is not accurate. They do not provide 401k and the work schedule is not flexible. Be warned this is an early morning job. You will have to wake up around 3am to make it in on time. You have to change your entire life to work around your work hours. Pretty much all the staff is sleep deprived beyond comprehension, this is just a normalized part of working there. Not sleeping. If you value good sleep and good health, this is not the place for you. 

They don’t provide proper training to new staff.

We constantly ran out of toilet paper and paper towels. Corporate did not give us an adequate budget. That is how corporate is. They give you the absolute bare minimum and then act like they don’t understand or care when we aren’t able to take care of basic needs due to not being given the support. They will continually dangle the carrot in front of you, hoping to keep you from walking out. They kept promising us they were moving us to a new building and out of this old dilapidated place. For a year they dangled that carrot in front of us, never did that come to fruition. Corporate lies to keep their front line workers in a vulnerable place, to keep them still and quiet. 

They give all of clinical staff more tasks and paperwork than is reasonably possible to do in a week. But don’t allow overtime. They force you to try to do 60 hrs worth of work in 40 hrs. And then write you up if you aren’t able to. 

BHG is a giant for profit corporation, and it quickly becomes evident. The management cares about business and profits, not about actually helping people and creating an environment where the employees are supported so they can provide the best service to the patients. 

I was excited to start work at BHG and then very quickly became disillusioned when I learned that they push the patients to be on high doses of MAT very quickly when often that is not what is best for that person and their recovery. 

Also be warned, in the first 3 months of working there you don’t get paid of holiday closures, or any type of benefits. 


I truly lovey position.  I have seen many staff come and go, or weeded out. Many with the lack of understanding or empathy needed to take on a position in a field such as this. It can be emotionally hard to watch the struggles of those you are invested in. But, the rewards of watching positive change, regaining of life, reuniting of families, and healing inside and out is a blessing and gift you can not value. We have amazing staff, and management that I know I can approach with any issue. I do feel that my job is very secure as long as I am ethically competent with my patients and protect their best interest.  I see negative comments here and it is hard for me to understand as our site is very much like a family. Yes, there are times I am corrected or told no, and times I feel like my advocacy for my patient was legitimate, but still denied what I was fighting for, and even this there is a root reasoning behind these decisions and I 100%respect them. I am currently working on my Masters in Mental Health Counseling, and I believe that if possible I want to stay with BHG after graduation if financially possible.  I believe that when a location is filled with appropriate, empathetic, and enthusiastic staffing, and not just "paper qualified", then it can thrive and be not only an amazing place to work for, but a true benefit to the community as a whole. 
 You will gain from this position what you are willing to put into it.  Personally I have felt not only supported, but even mentored by management.  As a single mother I sometimes need to leave, or have a day off, and have always been 100% supported in my needs. After a death in my family they took care of everything possible for my leave, pay, and even helped with arrangements of my funding from my 401k. Large flowers sent to service, and doors were open for my emotional support upon my return to work.

Working at Behavioral Health Group (BHG) has been the most demoralizing and disappointing experience of my professional life. As a counselor, you go into this work because you care about people — but this organization treats both staff and patients like disposable liabilities.

Management is a nightmare. They operate through fear, intimidation, and retaliation. If you raise concerns about patient safety, ethical violations, or even just advocate for better working conditions, expect disciplinary action or to be shown the door. Retaliation is not a risk here — it’s a guarantee. I watched incredible, compassionate coworkers pushed out for daring to speak up.

The pay is insulting — especially considering the emotional toll of this work and the caseloads we’re expected to carry. Counselors are overworked, underpaid, and constantly gaslit into thinking we should be “grateful” to even have a job. There is no respect for work-life balance, and burnout is rampant — not that management cares. Their only concern is maintaining appearances for audits and upper-level executives.

Patients are treated like numbers. It's all about billing — not healing. The company will squeeze every dime out of people suffering from addiction, while ignoring basic mental health needs. Staff aren’t given the time or tools to actually provide quality care. And when something inevitably goes wrong, guess who gets blamed? Not management. It’s always the frontline workers.

If you’re a clinician who values ethics, boundaries, or your mental health — RUN. BHG is a masterclass in how to destroy morale, compromise care, and punish the very people trying to do good. Avoid this place at all costs — as an employee and as a patient.



First of all, it took a lot for me to finally leave the place I was before coming to BHG. Some of it fear, some obligation. I am so grateful that I came here because I really don't think I could have handled another sick work environment. A typical day at work varies from some days being fairly fast paced to others, being a lot of down time to get schedules in order and check if your meeting productivity marks or go above and beyond to check on patients. I am learning how to keep a regular recurring appointment schedule, which is something that just doesn't exist the same in residential treatment settings that I was used to. Management is amazing and they take time to recognize positive progress in staff, reward growth and effort. The team is amazing, I love the culture here. Everyone is so easy to get along with and I have not heard NOT ONE SINGLE piece of gossip or someone putting someone down since I have been here. MAN IS THAT A CHANGE FOR ME! I am so grateful that everyone here is so supportive. The hardest part of the job is watching the patients who don't want to change walk out the door, will this be the last time? How do I give them enough support and motivation today without pushing them to avoid counseling altogether? It's a hard line to walk but the most enjoyable part is when a patient stays in the office for well over allotted or expected time because they WANT a session, or like the other day when I got a call from a patient to tell me they got their kids back. There are a lot of moments that make the tough moments well worth it, and in every moment, there is ALWAYS a lesson, for me and for them. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Good company, with an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of our patients.  This takes having the right attitude, with compassion, care and skills.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Overloaded, workplace bullying and workplace sabotage.  A few individuals placed personality and being "right" in front of the goal of serving clients.  BHG needs to build on teamwork and have trainings that deal directly with workplace personality differences.  We need understanding of each other as employees, as well as compassion for patients.  Otherwise, BHG will have a fallout both in productivity and attrition of very good and dedicated employees.  It only takes one bully who is covert and in good favor with management to make teamwork fall apart. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
On the surface, very good.  Some individuals are helpful.  There is some teamwork and honest efforts to work with each other.  On the other hand, covert bullying and sabotage occurred.  Those behaviors need to be addressed and changed. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Arrive before 5 am, see patients and write notes.  Confer with colleagues as needed.  Develop plans and refer to them before seeing each patient. Work, work, work -- try to have patients who are in a hurry sign documents.  Some are not cooperative, some are disappointed in themselves for relapse. Some coworkers don't do their part -- workplace sabotage.   Work on specifics that assist patients.  Off of work by 1:15 pm.  Breakfast /Lunch eaten at desk, no real set breaks.

I am a newer staff person at BHG Westminster, CO, although I have been in the human services / counseling fields for over 15 years.  I have never before worked at an agency that is so committed to my professional development.  Initially, I was hesitant to consider working for a for profit agency, but my fears were unfounded.  There is still a large emphasis on patient care and staff development.  Management here has been incredibly supportive, encouraging, and open to new ideas and questions.  Making mistakes is considered an important part of the learning process here, and they work with their staff on changing those mistakes, learning from them, and moving forward as opposed to approaching these issues from a punishment framework.  I cannot overestimate the importance of feeling that you can talk to management about anything that comes up, particularly when you are working in the field of human services!  The rest of the staff here is awesome, as well, and the environment is very team focused. There is someone somewhere at my location that has the answer to any question I might have, and they are willing to share their information freely and without judgement.   I, personally, love the hours and find that I  have more of a work / life balance as a result of getting out of work earlier in the afternoon (it leaves more time for fun after work!), but this is certainly not a job for you if you aren't a morning person!  The biggest con for me about working at BHG has been the amount of Paid Time Off, which is on the low side.  But, as there are many situations where you have no paid time off at all, it is something.

Work-life balance cannot be beat!  The program director and other staff are great to work for and with.   Company uses a team approach, but job is primarily working alone with clients or doing some form of paperwork.  I never worry about job security, as no one should if they do the job they are paid to do.  Upon starting, the company provided 12? business days of training to ensure I had the knowledge needed to manage the client base and high caseload, and everyone was willing to jump in and help, or just provide encouragement, as I got used to managing my calendar here.  Work from home is allowed if a counselor is sick but still able to work and does not want to use their PTO.  Pay is OK, PTO including holidays is good, health benefits are too expensive, so combined pay and benefits are not great but not terrible.  When the positive personal aspects of working here are taken into consideration, it is overall a place I would recommend joining to friends and friendly former coworkers alike.  A typical day at work involves seeing patients and documentation or other paperwork, but not every day is typical.  The most enjoyable parts of the job are watching peoples' quality of life improve, never feeling like going to work is a chore, and the local workplace culture. The hardest part of the job is trying to keep up with the changes in expectations and documentation, but it is not unmanageable. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Licensed practical nurse 2 salaries reported	$30.75 per hour
Medical receptionist 50 salaries reported	$26.50 per hour
Substance abuse counselor 1 salary reported	$20.00 per hour
Counselor 1 salary reported	$27.50 per hour
Patient coordinator 18 salaries reported	$16.72 per hour

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