direct support professional

behavior technician

driver

rehabilitation specialist

case manager

Black Hills Works

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part of working here is helping the people we support in their daily living activities. Watching them learn and grow every day is what makes it all worth it. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Leadership is horrible. They sit in their offices and micromanage. They don't hold employees accountable, especially the ones that habitually call in "sick". The good workers get drove into the ground while the lackluster employees get praised. The good life schedule they praise upon really isn't what it seems because this company is a constant revolving door for staffing. Most of the time the homes are severely understaffed yet the staff that does show up for their regular schedules get reprimanded for not meeting management's frivolous demands. You definitely need thick skin to work for this company as they will push and push on an employees own mental health until the end result becomes a resignation or termination. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It's a toxic work environment. Staff is mostly drama driven and management is very poor. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
You show up for your shift hoping that others will show up to assist. From there it becomes a rat race to get people woke up, fed, showered, medicated, and out into the community to help them maintain a good quality life. On a good day when everyone shows up and does their part it's not bad. If staffing is constricted, one person does the job of 5 people it seems. Burn out is imminent.

i worked at king's dining facility in offutt air force base.
most days when we started we'd start stocking the drinks, fruit, chips, etc. while looking for anything to clean, when that's done we'd start getting ready for the meal period. anyone that was the cashier that day would talk to the cooks to see what was on the menu for the day, look up prices, and put that info on the menu board, then wait for 10:30 and open the doors for customers and get ready behind the register. this is where one semi-frequent problem with the supervisors came up, we were NOT allowed to go any farther than a few feet away from the register except in an emergency but both supervisors insisted on us cleaning no matter how much we kept reminding them of this. after the meal period was over we'd fill out the forms and get the signatures from the cooks and that day's supervisor. after that we'd restock everything that was low, sweep and mop the floors, and i'd usually help out the dish washer finish up if i wasn't assigned that for that night.
no matter what anyone applied to do everyone ended up having roughly the same duties.
there was only ever 2 or 3 people working in any given night, including me, not including supervisors.
there were 2 supervisors, both of which had a hard time speaking english
the only real stress came about when either there were far too many dishes for one person to realistically wash or when one of the supervisors decided to throw their weight around.

A typical day was not or cannot be applied at Black Hills Works as with the disabilities, or at least the home I was at situations were different everyday. The best part of the job was the interaction with the Person Served and creating relationships.
  The hardest part of the job was leaving for another house, seeing leadership not take care of the Person Served as they should due to the lack of experience.
  Management, and I can say this having been in Management prior to my entry into the military and once through promotion reaching mid-level management before separation, was that there is overall horrible management skills applied at Black Hills Works.
  I did as far as Health Care learn a lot when it came to taking care of those with disabilities, and one of the most enjoyable jobs I've had in my life.
  However, due to the management at house level and at the main building, I would not recommend working for this organization.

If you are a DSP/entry level expect to be treated as disposable while those in the offices give empty "thank yous" and beg for donations that go nowhere. Houses falling apart and DSPs can barely make a living wage while some of the PS families have deeper pockets than we do! Any concerns brought up are smoothed over or dismissed by management. As far as PS/employees they will constantly advertise about how they serve over 500 and have 500 employees but they dont bother showing 90% of them because their parents don't donate any money or they are "too" disabled." Oh never expect to be acknowledged as an employee unless you work there for 10 years because turnover is so bad. I promise you they don't care they just want to hire any naive person in rapid city willing to be paid $11 an hour.
 
Managers there will hire all these people from outside the company for office positions that affect you but do nothing to help you grow. Do not expect to advance unless you're well connected or kiss butt.

My aspiration is to treat others as I would like to be treated. (Golden Rule). To provide living support to individuals with disabilities in their residence and community. Helping them achieve their goals. Assisting with meal planning, hygiene and supporting them to participate in activities they are interested in. I currently support 26 individuals with making their appointments, transportation to and from appointments, documentation and giving them monthly reminders of their upcoming appointments. Advocate for them if they request or if needed. My team is very supportive, friendly and appreciative. BH works offers many different shifts and flexibility for their employees. I am a registered DSP III with NADSP, which BH Works gave me this opportunity to advance my education and also increasing my wages.  I feel everyday that I have either helped someone improve their skills or helped  them achieve a goal. Getting someone to laugh or smile is great! By coming to work everyday, I feel I can turn one of the individuals bad into a great day.  But, even better coming to work makes me feel better about myself as well. I can say I actually learn something new everyday.

The culture of the workplace is like high-school all over again and it's at its worst at the main office building.  If you make it in the in-crowd you'll do great if you don't you'll be excluded and unheard. The hardest part of the job is to deal with poor management and lack of follow through from coworkers and upper management. Be careful going to HR. They are only out for the good of the company and have actively supported the liars and manipulators over those that put in the hard work and keep their head down. Issues get brushed under the rug and the people that should be held accountable are not. Training at locations is hit or miss and people get shoved on the floor despite having the proper certifications and trainings. Be careful to ask of the physical dangers of the participants at the location you are interested in as they will not always tell you there is a risk of physical assault. 

I seen good reviews but some are bosses. One statement true , some there for paycheck. Also, management is not there when you have issues. Pay is unfair, different homes are easier than others and pay is all the same. No raises on merit. It is who you know or brown nose in order to get ahead. I never had any supervisors on shift in one home,so free for all. People who resided there certainly not getting care needed. When you have over ten people who are mostly total care I think you need more than two people. I personally would not recommend this job to anyone. Issues are never solved in this organization. A big turnover constantly. I was there for the people I served and got thrown under the bus twice.  I worked hard and was dependable. They usually don't do right for the people who live in these homes. I was not for the paycheck but had to work with many who would steal off of people who lived there and not work. Nothing ever addressed when it came to stealing. I am not saying all the people who work there but I have seen a lot of good workers leave due to management.

It was so amazing working with the person supported to help achieve their dreams, however the companies upper management is not person centered. They have allowed individuals to be put in dangerous positions for themselves and community members, but when staff bring up this concerns they are punished instead for ‘not minding their business’. They allow for their staff and person supported to be verbal and sometimes physical abused, and will only move the offender to a different home to work in. They state that they value person centered thinking however if that person does not fit their mold of someone they can use on their ads that person is kicked out of services and is left without any supports or home. It is truly sad that individuals with disabilities have no choice in where they can receive services and are left with this agency.

When you help people with day to day life skills and struggles, your day is never the same.  You never know what is waiting behind the door before you go in.  It could be a smooth beautiful, fun fill day or it could be a day with challenges.  On either end you leave with  feeling a sense of purpose. It might be that you just showed up, many of the people that we work with have trust issues,  they might be a bit happier just to see that you are a solid familiar face.  It might be the day that you help them archive a life goal.   Your day might be helping someone live a healthy, safe life that they might not have had if it wasn't for you.  You could have a very overwhelming day, but leaving knowing that you will be back again tomorrow understanding that everyone has overwhelming days and that  is ok, because your team has your back! Everyone working together for the same great purpose equals amazing work that doesn't feel like a job!

Typical day at Behavioral health of Black Hills works is under staffed and a rush to get things done, let alone document everything. The people we support are great after they learn to trust you. Interacting with them fills your heart with joy. The struggle is they have little money and management tends to favor some over others. So, it is hard to stand up for what they need. The company is huge and there are many positions to try, if you don't like the one you have. We had raises when the cost of living went up but yearly raises have not been a thing for awhile. Lots of overtime opportunities but it is rough if you burn yourself out. No sick pay and PTO builds slowly.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Direct support professional 13 salaries reported	$21.80 per hour
Behavior technician 2 salaries reported	$25.00 per hour
Driver 2 salaries reported	$20.00 per hour
Rehabilitation specialist 1 salary reported	$20.00 per hour
Case manager 6 salaries reported	$32.67 per hour

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