case manager

program director

program specialist

program assistant

monitor

BronxWorks

I do think this place is a good starting point for folks interested in case management and in working with the designated populations. I learned a tremendous amount of information here and was able to hone my social work skills, which include my capacities in completing assessments, managing crises, and attending to medication management. BW is a fast-paced environment that requires workers to be flexible, to be problem-solvers, and to perform well under pressure. BW also pushes one to be aware of their personal triggers when working with the clients. 

That said, it is imperative to have a functional and supportive workplace & team. However, I experienced the following/ observed the following issues matters in this workplace:

- the Program Director (PD) expects employees to meet deadlines but does not meet deadlines themselves
- the PD stresses frivolous tasks like sending Covid screens when there are FAR MORE important matters to focus on (of course, COVID protocols are important. The point is, there were more salient matters to stress employees about)
- the PD made several errors with medication management but never took accountability (I.e. protocol for documenting discrepancies or incidents were not followed)
- The PD stresses time management and prioritization, yet the PD is the one interfering with our time management and prioritization (e.g. asking staff to handle one task but then abruptly demanding staff to complete a different & unrelated assignment)
- communication from management to workers is inconsistent and lacks transparency (e.g. being volun-TOLD, not asked to volunteer, for tasks outside of our already demanding schedules)
- Workers are often micro-managed
- There were times when members of management did not present to work and no notices were given to staff in advance, if at all

The rules were applicable for some and not others (e.g., some folks were policed for not adhering to dress code while others were not) and/or inconsistently followed, and employees were expected to uphold certain standards while management was not. I need to stress that the lack of accountability, self-awareness, and support from the PD was quite egregious - all that to say is if you do not work well with folks with the aforementioned characteristics, this is not a recommended place for you. I am not certain when the environment became so toxic and when the sense of team-work dissipated, but the workplace turned dictatorial rather than democratic.

Furthermore, the lack of empathy from management was concerning. As clinical coordinators, case managers, social workers, and anyone else working in this environment, one would think that there would be much more of a concerted effort to show support for one another in order to decrease burn-out and such. But there was a blatant disregard for our individual well-being (e.g. having obviously sick staff come into work while the PD took off from work). 

I’m not sure if the PD and other members of management receive the ample support they need to then, in turn, support their staff thoroughly and consistently, but I sincerely hope something is done so that this place runs much more professionally and effectively. 

A typical day at work would include managing a caseload along with assisting intakes who are not on caseload. Generally, in the morning each case managers obligation is to assist clients who are on medication management and to then complete a progress note after each medication management training (MMT) session that is completed. Once medication is completed we have a daily morning meeting with all staff. Usually, the objective of the week is to complete filing, progress notes and service plans and to help clients compose of the necessary documents for a housing package. At this company, I have learned how to effectively listen and communicate well with both staff and clients. I have learned how to maintain a professional relationship while keeping boundaries with clients. I have learned how to create safety plan assessments for clients who are on the verge of committing suicide or harming themselves or another individual. I have learned how to assist clients with medication management training while seeing them graduate from the program after learning their medication regimen. I have completed outreach for clients who are chronically street homeless/ severely mentally ill. Site management is flexible with team members. Coworkers are nice to work with, each worker provides professional support to all staff members. The hardest part of my is watching people give up and leaving the facility without  seeking the full services that the facility provides. The most enjoyable part of the job is knowing that I have assisted a client with a life changing experience of being in their own apartment and helping them get through traumatic experiences. It is a great feeling to know that I have helped someone go from being chronically street homeless to housing in a  supportive unit/ scattered housing.

Day to day tasks can spring up sporadically with no room for input. The overall expectation is that you get things done with no complaints, even if the request may require time for the worker to wrap their head around. A lot of the regulations come directly from New York City departments, so they throw a lot of weight around in terms of sudden policy changes. 

Management and leadership seems to focus on being as top-down as possible in terms of communication. There is very little room for transparent dialogue without it painting a target on the worker's back. Raising concerns about things being observed on the worksite can lead to potential blow-back so people tend to dance around issues when they can. Since the organization focuses on servicing clients that are going through various challenges and crises, many of them come into the worksite confrontational. Workers are expected to de-escalate and re-direct the conversation, but then will immediately take out their bad attitudes on subordinates or co-workers they do not like. 

The agency overall shows high favoritism for promotions. They also use performance reviews as punishment mechanisms and ways to push out people rather than realistically have them improve performance.

There is this constant obsession with professionalism from management that only focuses on aspects that benefit them rather than external professionalism to potential job candidates or their employees. Many in management speak to staff with openly condescending tones but would not tolerate that from anyone below them.

The pay is good for social work entry jobs. I’d say it’s actually great pay. However, you will soon realize that much of your workload is out of your control, and management will only shrug at this, it feels like they don’t advocate for the case managers and their insane workload and wait times. 

Please understand this: the majority of your work and performance is dependent on how responsive other city service workers are to your work. You cannot move forward or resolve a case sometimes unless a worker, for whom you have little to no access to even nudge or explain how dire the situation is for the client. You are told that this is how things are, and you can only accept it for what it is, because management may get upset if you try to fight for your clients in a way that’s not deemed respectable to the bureaucratic workflow in this job. On top of this, you are genuinely taking on the demands from all sides of every situation. Your direct manager that wants perfect results, your clients that want their housing crises resolved (understandably so), and the landlords that want their money and do not really care about their tenant’s living conditions. And you’re expected to do this for multiple people at once.

You’re also thrown into the work because of the insane demand for resolution, and you get reprimanded for not doing things fast enough.

You will probably excel at this job if you are extremely adept at multitasking, judgment calling, and good at taking flack from all sides if your manager makes mistakes or does a bad job and it falls on you.

I have since left this employer, and unfortunately, it stands out as one of the most challenging workplaces I have experienced in my professional career. While I previously shared positive feedback about the clients and frontline staff—and I still believe they are dedicated and hardworking—the overall environment became increasingly difficult to navigate. At times, client interactions at one of the centers involved inappropriate or bullying behavior, which, although manageable, added to the daily stress of the role.

My main concerns were related to management practices and HR policies. Throughout my employment, I experienced what felt like hostile and inconsistent decision-making, particularly around time-off requests. Despite following proper procedures, I faced pushback for taking leave and later experienced negative consequences that felt retaliatory. This created an environment where employees did not feel supported or protected.

Overall, there appeared to be a lack of accountability within leadership. A healthy workplace should prioritize fairness, transparency, and employee well-being, and unfortunately, this organization consistently fell short. These experiences ultimately led to my decision to leave.

A typical day at work consist of checking my calander in the morning. Attending meetings, trainings and meeting with clients that are on my calander.

I evaluate my clients needs and address these issues with a meeting with the client. to develope a strategy to combat the issue.
I call broker, landlords, management companies to inquire about apartment availabilities that my clients may qualify for.

In addition, I develope and conduct trainings on how to obtain employment and housing. I also submit weekly and monthly reports to the Director on the progress and achievments in my department.

My work co-workers are like extened family and the work dynamic is very supportive.

The hardest apart of the job is the red-tape in the Social Service field. Obtaining assistance and getting results can be difficult in a field that services a large number of people with a minimual budget.

The most enjoyable part of the job is when clients are accepted for an apartment and they are happy. The tears of joy, thank you cards, and thank you letters from the clients and their children fill me with happiness.

Working at my employer I have learned that hard work, team work, being resourceful, empathy and a little sweat can go a long way when working this field.

The pay was the best I could find for entry level social services work. I am grateful for the experience mostly because it toughened me up and I learned a lot about housing in nyc. 

This job will test you in many ways. Clients are in housing crisis which is a stressor on its own. They have high expectations of you and you are thrown into the work with little knowledge and background. On top of that, you could very possibly get a supervisor who has no idea what they are doing and is learning beside you. Your coworkers will be your lifeline. The job is a revolving door. People often leave within a few months. There are a handful of CMs who have lasted more than 2/3 years. It doesn’t seem like retention is important to the leadership. It feels like their main focus is making the contract KPIs which can feel overwhelming as a CM (10 intakes per month). No upward growth unless you have a degree, but that’s normal for a gov contract funded program. Solid first job right out of college! It’ll pay the bills and teach you a lot about housing subsidies and systems in NYC. It addresses a very important need in the Bronx. 

Only stayed a week before I learned and saw it wasn't for me. That alone should tell you enough.   Have a 6 month orientation period where you can't even used earned says to take off. Want you to dress business casual. While working with small children (not a smart choice), jeans would have been okay, but those aren't allowed. 

Supervisor shows favoritism to people who are from the same place as them. 

The company talks a big deal about caring for the Bronx and children, yet cheap and won't provide the necessary funds. Would have to spend own money if want to properly ran your class. 

And DOH is bad here, you have to let the table you clean air dry. Never heard of this in my 5 years of teaching. That is a danger if the kids touch the solution and put it in their mouth.

I learned that working in Bronx in ECE is the worst and will be returning to Manhattan, since they do their right.

Only thing good is pay, kids and parents. But the overall of the company and supervisor and some of the staff is not worth the headache.

I'll stay away. 

I enjoyed working at BronxWorks because of the younger children I worked with and I got a glimpse of what it was like to be a teachers aid. I learned how too interact with smaller children and teach them without telling  them the answers to the questions and providing them with tools to help solve problems. I was not only a camp leader but i also tutored the children and read to the students each day. Working at a school and having to watch over thirty little people on a field trip was a quit a handful. I didn't enjoy the older staff on the job because they would talk down and would teach us or treat us like we were actually a coworker they treated us like the children we worked with and talked down to us. But aside from not being really respected by the older staff in the school it was worth working in the job. The kids loved me and I really enjoyed seeing their face expressions everyday when they would see me and I would read to them and help them with homework.

BronxWorks is a great place to get experience but the environment is toxic.  Upper management has been at the agency for years and do not adapt their working styles.  Caseloads for case managers are extremely high, sometimes higher than the contracts allow.  Expectations are not adjusted in these times.  There is blatant favoritism within the departments.  Directors undermine each other in order to cover themselves and leave the direct staff confused and unsupported.  Upper management berates and embarrass staff and have stated explicitly that this is how you get staff to produce positive outcomes and results. If you need experience for graduate school or an internship this is the place to do it but immediate after leave and find a place where you can make a difference AND maintain your mental well-being. The most enjoyable part of the job are the clients and the direct service staff.  Make your connections, serve the public, get your experience and move on.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Case manager 152 salaries reported	$58,482 per year
Program director 33 salaries reported	$86,607 per year
Program specialist 36 salaries reported	$41,216 per year
Program assistant 18 salaries reported	$39,474 per year
Monitor 31 salaries reported	$21.33 per hour

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