social worker

therapist

mental health technician

psychiatric nurse

registered nurse

Centennial Peaks Hospital

I really didn't feel valued here as an employee from about 8 months onward after employment, mainly from HR and the inability of some of the managers to follow up with me on practically anything. Don't get me wrong these people on a personable level are decent and good people, but professionally I didn't see a lot of basic leadership skills you're suppose to have even when you start out at an entry level position in management. I worked here for about 2 years as a nurse, I did most the things inside the hospital a nurse can do, and had decent relations with the physicians and most of the management even. Administration is another story though. What was appalling was that they didn't even have an understanding of the quality of worker (or lack thereof) you are for the company. The managers themselves don't do a good job of transmitting what happens on the floor to measurable data that could be used for a performance review, and in theory no one is ever actually knows whether you're a good employee or not. In two years I was never told specifically what any of my shortcomings were on the floor, or things I needed to improve upon. Anything positive was something along the lines of " You're great with patients." I don't feel like administration or management ever had a "real feel" or even a capacity to know who they were managing. One problem I had with admin was how recklessly they compensated nurses without rhyme or reason, while almost incentivizing other staff (myself included) to leave due to unfair treatment, I mean I understand some people negotiate which could account for and extra $1-2 an hour, but I knew multiple cases of new grads that had been hired on for $12-20K more than some of the nurses that had been there for several years, managers included. How do you expect someone to stick around with practices like that? Theres a lot of unintended feelings of division inside of the hospital too, administration rarely steps foot on the floor, partly because its not a desirable place to be; they also are trained in CPI and by company policy should be required to respond to and show up during a crisis intervention (putting hands on patients) but they never do, leaving floor staff to get hit in the face. On a positive note, you have some great coworkers, particularly the counselors, who can make the job more enjoyable and the work itself builds character. If you do decide to apply here, make sure you counter with an offer at least 10-15 percent more than what they offer you- they lowball everyone.

There are some wonderful people who work at CPH, unfortunately none in management.  Folks are hired before references are checked, background checks complete and drug tests done, because they are so short staffed.  The majority of staff do not stay once they get the picture. The ones who do not know the regulations and standards of care under which they work ignorantly stay.  Some simply never return from their breaks or even show up for their next shift, without any notice.
The orientation is ludicrous and staff are required to work the units before their competency is evaluated/determined by supervisors. Even if they state they are not prepared, they are told, "You have to, we are short staffed".    
Management does not increase staffing even when as many as 5 patients are admitted on a shift that was only staffed for the census at the beginning of the shift, usu. with only one nurse, who is completely overwhelmed.  Often new involuntary patients (as most are) are extremely violent which requires more staff to safely manage them and the existing milieu. Tears of frustration from patients and staff are not uncommon.
So a new freaked out patient cannot get the orders/medications they need for sometimes a whole shift, or their clothing/belongings checked and approved. How frightening is that?   You've just been admitted to a psych hospital because you are in great need and your needs cannot be met!?!  Especially for the medications you must take to regain your equilibrium... 
Any good manager knows one must vet, train, supervise, nurture and prepare staff, your greatest asset, so they will take excellent care of patients.  Staff are used and abused, and patients are not given all they need during what are most likely the most stressful, scary days of their lives.  Numerous times one would hear staff say in report, "This was the worst shift of my entire career!"
A case against the company (Universal Health Services) by the United States Government for fraudulent claims was heard by the Supreme Court on April 16, 2016. That and the fact that CPH never told it's staff about it speaks volumes. What else are they hiding?
It's a shame and a sham.

Each and every day is different. I never know what to expect, which keeps me on my toes. The patients at the hospital can range from depression to extremely psychotic. Providing the care and the support that the patients need is my first priority and when they thank you for providing them the emotional support and care they needed is the reward and satisfaction that comes with my job. Other enjoyable parts of the job are watching the patients learn and grow as they complete the program of the hospital from the groups that I facilitate and from the groups that my fellow co-workers facilitate. It is great watching them apply something that they took away from the group and utilize it to achieve their treatment goals. The challenges are when dealing with difficult and dangerous patients. My co-workers are very supportive and communicate well in regards to patient care. They help maintain a positive and uplifting environment, which helps keep the patients happy and in good moods. In times of crisis, my co-workers are very responsive and supportive to help the management of the patients safe and we are able to de-escalate the patients to the best of our ability as a team. I have struggled with management and their lack of support. There is a lot of micro management, which makes it difficult to do my job appropriately. There are times when management was great and I did not have any issues with them, but it is more often times then not, I am struggling to work with them to improve on my career and make a positive impact on the patients at the hospital.

It's hard to really put it all into words. I was here for a while. The staff on the floor are amazing. Techs, nurses, everyone. They work hard, are as ethical as they can be given the monumental tasks given to them, and strive to be personable and kind. I have seen the most burnt out people be wonderful to patients despite low pay and unreasonable demands on their time and no control of their schedule. To put it bluntly the management simply does not care for the lower level employee. They are disposable and it feels that way. There is no need for change despite repeated calls for it. The definition of for profit. Patient care is secondary to making money of course. Under staffed and over crowded floors, often at unsafe census levels with little to do. Patients of course act out with the rigidity of policies and the restrictive nature of the institution. I worked amongst wonderful patients and staff who were rewarded with little compensation and the aspiration to join the ranks of the management to then exploit the people they once were. It's a vicious system. I wouldn't say this is atypical for a psych hospital. In fact it is the problem with psych hospitals in this country. Centennial Peaks has no right being as high quality as it is, but it falls entirely on the wonderful staff who allow it to run and take the commitment to patient care as a personal mission. You all are amazing. If you need experience working in psych this is certainly a place to cut your teeth. It prepared me for every other place I've ever worked and I've held it up as a rubric. Long may you reign amazing staff. You are with me every day. 

We have a dedicated team of individuals focused on our hospital patients and staff. While the job is challenging on a good day, it is rewarding every day in the fact we are positively influencing so many lives. There is always room to grow and learn and I think as a hospital we do that every day as we continually chase the latest best practices, safety standards, and patient care techniques from our Lavender Team, Patient Management Leaders, Medical Management Leaders, CPI training Coordinators, and now the new Milieu Managers. These all highlight key clinical components and are focused to support both the patients and the staff. There has been a lot of change to the leadership team from Directors to Medical staff, and I believe we are in a better position today with active listening and more robust communication to continually learn and grow as an entire team. Some strengths include good opportunities and avenues for staff to collaborate and work on new projects and ideas to improve patient care and staff/patient satisfaction, The hospital does offer meals at extremely affordable rates to staff and are currently $2 per meal for everything, Free soda-coffee-and juice 24/7 in dinning room, staff lounge called the Florence Room is a space for staff to go into and sit on a nice couch or reclining chair to watch TV or use the room light functions to create a calming low stimulation space. 

I have worked in behavioral health for many years. I currently have the skills and ability to go work at any behavioral health hospital in Colorado, and would not leave Centennial Peaks, even for higher pay. Working in behavioral is very difficult as any employee would tell you. There are risks to working in the behavioral health field, just as there are in any other medical hospital. They give an equal approach to maintain patient safety as well as staff safety. Leadership is very caring when any sort of traumatic incident takes place, and is always trying to create a better work environment for the staff, and a more compassionate and caring environment for the patients. Growth is possible at Centennial Peaks, and they are supportive with both a career ladder and with staff furthering their schooling. I have needed to change my schedule many times for school, and the staffing coordinator is always trying to be supportive and help with any issues I have come across. The teamwork and support that the staff show each other is one of the most positive things about centennial peaks. Are things perfect, absolutely not, nor is any other behavioral health hospital in this country. We strive each day to be a little better and improve the experience for both the patients and staff. Behavioral health is a difficult field to work in, but working at Centennial Peaks has been a great experience, and I look forward to working with others trying to change the culture and negative image that society has on mental health.

I had very little say in terms of advocating for the case load I was able to handle. I either had not that much to do or way too much to do, there  was no in between. I would work a range of 4-6 hours a day or 10-12 hours a day. Being PRN was stressful in terms of scheduling and having consistent hours. There were many times I would find out the morning of at 6:30 am if I would be flexed off or asked to come in later on days when I was scheduled. It was very stressful in terms of having a consistent salary. I was asked multiple times by my supervisor to only work a certain number of hours during the day due to the budget, but more often than not I was given too much work to do and wouldn't be able to get everything done in that amount of time. This lead me to clocking out early sometimes and working for free.  Unfortunately it's not the type of job where you can save work for the next day, since there are always new patients coming in and out of the hospital. When I would tell my supervisor that I felt overwhelmed she would just tell me to stay focused and work efficiently.  This job caused me to become burnt out very quickly and there were often times where I felt very anxious and hopeless. There was a communication issue with my supervisor since she would text me a lot and not talk to me in person as often, which lead to misinterpreting things sometimes. There was no opportunity for career development or continuing education. The job was very mundane, doing the same thing every single day.

The greatest Pro is my coworkers, the patients, and other departments working well together to provide quality care and also are able to look at the hospital as a whole and not just their department.  If you want experience working with mentally ill, it is a great place to learn.  
The biggest Con is; The CNO, now interim CEO has changed what once was a wonderful place to work that provided quality patient care to Now the culture has changed and become very punitive; discriminatory and only cares about budget, not patients or the staff. Staff have been threatened to be fired if they punch in too early; or punch out to late.  Ever since he started and then became interim CEO, things have changed for the worse. Beside it becoming more punitive to staff it is almost like “jail” to the patients.  Staff are often in tears at the nursing stations due to management and pt acuity. Nursing Management rarely have a kind, word to say to nursing staff; unless it is one of their few favorites. They spend a lot of their time, watching the staff on the cameras and then writing them up for doing things wrong. Lastly it feeling like “jail”.  The patients have nothing they can do during free time or as a calming activity, because things enjoyable have been taken away for “safety concerns” even when it has not been an issue for that population.

What is the best part of working at the company?
12 hour shifts is about it with opportunity for overtime and the salary 6 yrs ago was competitive

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Even as a full time employee who was hired for one unit I only worked that unit  a handful of times. I never knew what unit I would work for until the shift started constantly being moved around as if I was a float pool staff when not hired for that daily. Should have been paid more to float daily. When census fell mid shift was sent home as a full time staff. No security staff in premises ever even with violent patients. Had to eat lunch outside and I. My car in freezing temps segregated from everyone else before covid for not being able to take a flu shot for medical reasons though never sick while working there 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
You are easily replaced rather than valued. No communication as to where you will work until you arrive even as full time staff that worked only a few shifts on unit for which you were hired. Only a few tenured nurses were scheduled in same unit whenever they worked.  Treated like replaceable person. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Show up to find out what unit you work in and then mostly give meds all shift long and do admissions and discharges while being only RN on the unit.

2020 was a rocky year for Centennial Peaks. We had a major management change, and then COVID hit. It was touch and go as we all tried to find our footing. Now that we're through it, I can definitely say that the leadership change has been for the better. The work load is more predictable, the social work support has stabilized, and our new nursing leadership is focused on retaining our excellent nurses. Our CMO is active and engaged. The priority is squarely on excellent patient care and staff safety. 

It's the most meaningful work I've done. We treat everyone - homeless, uninsured, Medicaid, Medicare, privately insured and private pay. We see people in crisis - psychotic, manic, suicidal, homicidal, detoxing. It's high volume, high intensity, but I love it and wouldn't trade it for another job. I use my brain every day. I learn new things every day. I work with a team - mental health counselors, nurses, NPs and PAs, intake counselors, social workers, pharmacists, certified addiction counselors and fellow physicians. I go home feeling like I've made a difference in people's lives. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Social worker 35 salaries reported	$35.00 per hour
Therapist 27 salaries reported	$31.11 per hour
Mental health technician 12 salaries reported	$20.05 per hour
Psychiatric nurse 44 salaries reported	$52.93 per hour
Registered nurse 3 salaries reported	$40.50 per hour

Working at Centennial Peaks Hospital: Company Overview and Reviews

Centennial Peaks Hospital

Centennial Peaks Hospital Ratings

Popular jobs at Centennial Peaks Hospital

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected