therapist

mental health technician

clinical therapist

clinical supervisor

family therapist

Bellefaire JCB

I absolutely loved and hated working at Bellefaire JCB. There were times I truly felt I was making a difference in the lives of the children I was helping to mold. However, there were other times I felt like I was being paid $12/hr to be a literal human punching bag. I wish the company appreciated the entry level employees more for all of the hard manual labor we put in every day to ensure that each child was growing and learning how to thrive with autism. I learned very quickly that this is not a job for the short-tempered or emotionally imbalanced. You have to have the patience of a saint to work with children with autism who also struggle with other mental health issues and all of the behavioral problems that come with that. You must remember that it's not their fault and even if it seems like you are being targeted directly it's because they trust you to stop them from hurting themselves or others. This is a tough job but someone has to do it. If you get annoyed easily or don't have a lot of empathy for others, this is not the job for you. If you are compassionate, kind, patient, understanding, empathetic, and don't take things personally plus you like to work with kids/teens/young adults, then you will be perfect for this job. It is physically demanding at times so be prepared for that as well.
Also, you will fall in love with the kids you form bonds with and that may be the hardest part.

I felt Bellefaire was a great place to start for someone fresh out of Grad School who is still learning the ins and outs of working in the field. I worked in the school based department meaning I didn't report to main campus often, but instead went into my assigned schools to complete therapy for client's during school hours. I wouldn't say any day was 'typical' since it all depended on what was going on in school that day and which of your clients were there, but school days consisted of seeing clients, making calls on any referrals for new clients, and completing paperwork. to make productivity I often had to cover in other departments which also led to ever changing days
Management was ok, my immediate boss was amazing and the reason I stayed for 6 years, but above them things started to fall apart due to lack of assertiveness and good management skills higher up. 
workplace culture was hard to judge as I never saw my coworkers or went to campus frequently due to being placed out in schools. What school culture was like really depends on what school district/ school itself you were placed in. 
The hardest part of the job was keeping up with the productivity requirements, but I loved being able to make a difference in the lives of student's who otherwise didn't have access to therapy. 

The dynamic of the boarding academy (one in particular) has gone down DRASTICALLY within the last 6 months. We hired on a new unit director who is ONLY business and does not try to get to know the kids. The management staff: 4 supervisors and a unit director only care about their salaries and having their shifts covered. The management staff will go to h*ll and back to cover a full shift just so they don’t have to step foot on the floor and work with the clients. They beg youth counselors to work over 40 hours, and are almost ALWAYS short staffed. Most morning shifts contain 2-3 people which is UNSAFE because it takes 3-4 people for proper and legal restraints. The management team has no appreciation for their employees but writes them up as soon as they need a day off for a family emergency, doctor appt, etc. the kids were the best part about this place, and the only reason I’m sad I left. I hope I made a positive impact on the clients lives because the boarding academy does nothing for them; more than 80% of the clients shouldn’t even be in a home like this.

I started at Bellefaire being fresh out of grad school. It was my first job really being able to work as a mental health professional. I grew tremendously as a social worker while working there. Having a wonderful team was the biggest pro of this job. 

Typical Day at Work: Getting ready for the day by preparing interventions for clients, getting notes done from the previous day, picking and dropping off the clients, running group with the clients for 2 hours during the school year and 4 hours during the summer. 

Learning: I learned how to do progress notes, interact and assist kiddos from all different backgrounds and mental health diagnoses. Like I said, it’s a growth job, so a job that can teach you the fundamentals of typical mental health professional duties. 

Management: Management was wonderful at the Akron location. Beware of other locations…every location is different. 

Hardest Part of the Job: Time management, and working with multiple kids at once

Most Enjoyable: Having amazing co-workers, and support when needed. 

This employer expects a lot from employees but offers very  little to nothing for the effort to employees, so many feel like the pay and lack of other perks is not worth the hassle.
$12 per hour  is not nearly enough money to work with violent and aggressive consumers who will physically attack you, Threaten you, curse you out. bite you, throw/ smear feces or urine on you. 

Every body makes $12 bucks per hour. If you have a degree or experience it means nothing here, because your going earn that same $12 that employees with little to no experience and no degree earns. 

 People quit left and right. Some give a 2 week notice , but many just never come back so they are ALWAYS HIRING!

They need employees so bad that people get hired into management after only 6 months of being hired. its a joke and it shows by the big turnover and employees always looking for other jobs. Many have left and went to Amazon

Bellefaire JCB is a very difficult place to work. If you work in residential, like I did, you will be severely injured. The reason you'll be severely injured is because the residential units are perpetually understaffed, the staff there are very clique-y and won't help you unless they're you're friend, and management will not be understanding if you're injured and have to have days off. Management expects you to suck it up if you're injured. I received multiple concussions all because the unit was very understaffed and we were unable to restrain the teenager from attacking me. Everyone on my unit has gotten at least one concussion and many, myself included, have gotten broken bones.

The residential teams are very clique-y and management gossips about you when you are not around. There is very obvious favoritism towards clients and staff.

Overall, the kids are the only good thing about the job. It is a very toxic environment.

The job itself is difficult as you are working with children who are either diagnosed with Autism or you are working with children who are struggling with their mental health. The hours are primarily 2p-10p which can take a toll, however the job is rewarding. The relationships you build with both the kids and your co-workers makes the job worth while.

If you find that you enjoy taking care of and teaching kids to grow then I think this is a job worth exploring. If you are dedicated to your work supervisors will take notice and have provided me with opportunities to go doctors appointments or be apart of clinical meetings such as rounds which allows you to have a comprehensive overview of the clients and their medical needs as well as their physical needs.

You can also be apart of creating their treatment plan and developing a daily structure of the client to assist them with meeting their goals.

First off, every day is different.  Direct care workers of the Monarch Boarding academy serve clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ranging from ages 10 - 20.  The responsibilities of the staff depend on the amount of guidance/assistance needed by the individual client.  The management team reviews the clients' treatment plans with new hires, and then allows 1-2 weeks of shadowing/observation with the more "seasoned" staff prior to directly assigning staff to their clients.

Overall, the Monarch Boarding Academy offers a wealth of clinical experience to new applicants and is a great place for those seeking more exposure to behavioral interventions, crisis de-escalation/management, and collaboration between families and clinicians.

I've worked in multiple positions within the agency. In regards to the residential treatment positions: they are great for learning. However the management is often poor, and the pay is even worse. The clients themselves are usually great to work with and they teach you a lot, but I wouldn't stay within these positions too long or you will become burned out. I have also worked as a TBS provider in another department. Pay is better, culture is better than in the residentials, and experience is great. Pay isn't great, but agency positions rarely have decent pay. They are more for gaining the experiences.

Bellefaire is a great job for current college students or recent college graduates in the Cleveland area. The pay is very low for the expectations and work you put into every shift. Burnout rate is very high and the staff can be discouraging to a really positive person. A good non-fit that longs to make a difference in struggling adolescents lives, but also are severely understaffed (which has led to disorganization), which increases burnout rates because others are asked to work more than they typically do. Tons of opportunity for overtime, but after tax you are only making $10 an hour. Working with this population can be very difficult and is sometimes hard to cope with all the trauma related things you hear.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Therapist 22 salaries reported	$56,536 per year
Mental health technician 5 salaries reported	$18.29 per hour
Clinical therapist 3 salaries reported	$51,000 per year
Clinical supervisor 1 salary reported	$65,000 per year
Family therapist 7 salaries reported	$67,200 per year

Working at Bellefaire JCB: Company Overview and Reviews

Bellefaire JCB

Bellefaire JCB Ratings

Popular jobs at Bellefaire JCB

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected