clinician

direct care worker

direct support professional

case worker

recovery specialist

Center for Human Development

If you're considering working for this supposed "non-profit" agency stop.  

They have a huge turn over rate, low staff morale and fail to recognize that there is an obvious problem.  It's easier to live in oblivion than admit your ship is sinking.

Management and staff are supposed to be non-judgmental of clients that they are supposed to be there to help.  Management makes judgments, sometimes so blatant and ignorantly placed, such as on an individuals outward appearance, religion, orientation/identification, weight, tattoos and race!  Most of the staff is putting forth a valiant effort as best as they can considering what little support they receive from management.

Management does not like to admit problems within the agency and if staff tries to point out issues they are muted out and squashed.  Management does not like clinicians and staff to work as a team...not sure why, maybe some type of jealousy or envy?  They want staff to walk around like little robots, however don't really know what they want the "controls" set at, so it's a scene of constant confusion.

If you decide to work for this agency you will get empty promises from the start.  One of the famous promises is that you'll receive a raise and review after 6 months.  You will likely see neither for a year or 2, or more.
One of the famous empty promises is that you'll be granted a "supervisory" position within X amount of time...never happens.

Also, when finally receiving a raise after years of employment you will have to literally beg them to make it actually appear in your pay, and that's if they get it right.  Numerous mistakes are made in paying employees and no one takes responsibility.  It's always someone else's fault. This happens pretty much with all aspects of this company.  No one has a straight answer.
You never really know who your boss is and you're lucky to get an answer to your question without someone else saying it's the wrong answer and you take the downfall.  No accountability here, no support.

If you would enjoy working for a human service agency that cares more about making $$ than actually "helping" others, go for it.

I could go on and on about the negatives here...

Let me put it this way, since leaving I feel like a huge, heavy weight has been lifted off my shoulders.  I feel "free" again.  I am better than this company.

CHD use to be known as a place you wanted to work. Teamwork,creativity, quality work, admin and direct care all working to benefit the client services and supportive of family  life balance. This was the atmosphere at CHD. While some of this still exists in pockets, what you now often hear is people quitting because they feel undermined, under appreciated and working in a debilitating environment.  

Morale is at major low point and unfortunately senior management is oblivious of why this is. While CHD has grown, there is a strong sentiment that CHD will be in decline over the next few years. CHD is viewed as arrogant and definitely not a collaborator. Other agencies have been teaming up to challenge and marginalized them significantly and  already it is excluded from major initiatives and has a go it alone attitude on most projects. A prevailing prediction is that CHD will continue to have its  niche programs but will be smaller in the future. 

As others have written here, the management culture has become extremely reactive and knee jerking with quick fixes. It often looks for simple answers and someone to blame rather than be seriously introspective and build on the existing strengths and staff . An atmosphere of mistrust and lack of job security has developed that never previously existed. I have enormous empathy for the main office staff  as I've seen what challenges they have faced the past few years as well as lack of support and seen morale drop especially there. 

CHD invests heavily in its direct care staff but not administrative or management staff and this is one of the reasons I left. These professionals seem to be viewed as commodities to be used and disposed of and not strong resources to be invested in.  It seems easier for CHD to recruit externally people in whom others have invested and developed rather  than invest and develop internally.  CHDs record in this and of promotions from within, proportionate to its size,, and current morale is a clear indicator of this. 

Sad to see this happen to an organization with such a history and previously strong reputation.

I never expected that I would ever give anything but very positive review of CHD. It has always offered good benefits and working conditions and it's reputation led me to want to work there, though raises are few and very far between. 

Over the past couple of years things have changed drastically.  While there are many areas of CHD that have strong programs and great management, outpatient and part of corporate management is sorely lacking. Seeking very rapid expansion and growth and seeming to want to do everything, came with inadequate research and planning on what CHD was getting into and lack of knowledge of how to implement these new programs. As a result CHD has experienced financial losses.  For well over a year management has seemed to be just reacting crisis to crisis and looking for someone to blame. A few recently hired managers lack the industry knowledge and skills to thoughtfully plan and implement change, though they believe they are experts. Decision making is muddled and extremely reactive. 

Where there use to be a tight team approach that made CHD such a success, now there is blame and criticism and experienced and dedicated staff often feel unsupported and scapegoated. At the main office for a training I was flabbergasted to overhear a senior manager berating a staff member in an open area, something that would have never tolerated in the past. Many staff feel set up for failure with expectations that are unreasonable and moral is at a true low point. Managers who want to make positive improvements are minimalized. With the right opportunities many long term and high performing staff and managers would be gone, which also seems to be fine with management.  

I hope that things improve as this will become an opportunity for competitors. There are many other fine programs and mangers at CHD that would be great opportunities but for now I would not recommend taking any position with CHD  that puts you in this line of this management until things settle out.

I worked at CHD for six months, and overall it was a rewarding, hands-on experience that allowed me to take on meaningful responsibilities and develop practical skills quickly. The work itself was engaging and mission-driven, and frontline colleagues were dedicated, collaborative, and resourceful. I appreciated the opportunity to contribute directly to client outcomes and to learn from peers who demonstrated strong work ethic and creativity under pressure.

However, the role was frequently constrained by chronic understaffing, which meant team members often managed heavier-than-expected workloads and had limited bandwidth for long-range planning or professional development. This environment increased stress and sometimes hindered consistent service delivery. Additionally, turnover and role-shifting among senior leadership reduced strategic continuity and made decision-making less clear; inconsistent leadership presence meant priorities could change abruptly and mentorship opportunities were uneven.

In summary, CHD offers meaningful work and motivated coworkers, making it a valuable place for hands-on learning and contribution. To maximize impact and sustain team morale, the organization would benefit from more consistent staffing levels and more stable, clearly defined leadership roles to support long-term planning and clearer guidance.

The toxicity at CHD is through the roof. It starts at the top and trickles down. There are bullies throughout the management structure and it is tolerated. Corporate regularly throws themselves parties and celebrations which they splash all over social media while denying programs raises or funds for even basic staff support. The whole culture is focused on taking care of top management and squeezing whatever they can out of workers for as little as possible. They keep opening services when they can't staff the ones they have. Time off is slow to accrue and then you're discouraged from using it. They do everything they can not to pay out your accrued time when you leave. Penny pinchers until it's time for corporate to have a beautiful renovation or a party. Middle management turnover is horrendous due to poor treatment and poor management from senior manager/VP level. There are managers who openly bully their staff and Corporate absolutely knows about it but has zero interest in addressing it which just keeps it going. They will require a clinical degree and experience and call you a "Manager" and then have you doing direct care level work getting no clinical experience. 

Center for Human Development is a wonderful organization overall.  The mission is excellent, and the vast majority of people are well-intentioned and hard-working.  The core values expressed seem to be real, not just puffery. The benefits are decent--PTO, holidays, retirement, health insurance, dental, longer term disability, short term disability, tuition reimbursement and more. Like many organizations in the industry, we do suffer from burnout in many departments that provide direct care.  COVID and recent job market challenges in finding staff haven't helped that.  The biggest challenges I see in the organization relate to communication and process.  Divisions and departments can be very siloed.  Information often doesn't make its way from the top down or across the organization.  Many business processes are manual or outdated and in dire need of attention.  There is also little attention to developing a defined organizational culture. 
The thinking seems to be "hire good people and the culture will take care of itself". But despite the few areas of opportunity for improvement, overall, I would definitely recommend CHD as a great place to work.

CHD is a company that will grossly underpay you, but expect so much of you. Across all the programs they consistory struggle with retaining staff. There is a toxic culture that starts from the very top and trickles down. Those who are favored are virtually untouchable and can treat their staff however they would like, with no consequences. The work load is insane and you are constantly stretched thin. It’s extremely stressful, and it’s even worse when you don’t have any support from your manager, instead they just gaslight you! I never felt that it was about the work we did, the quality of the work, or the clients themselves- rather it was a large push to make sure we met the metrics in order to maintain grants. Ultimately that is what mattered to management and they made that extremely clear through their actions. I would not suggest working here, even if you are looking to gain experience and have no previous work experience in the field. Look elsewhere. CHD will run you into the ground and burn you out. They KNOW the deeply rooted issues within this agency and actively choose to do nothing about it, because simply put they do not care. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Helping individuals who need the help the most

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Not organized. Poor management.  No true leadership. HR violets HIPAA. They cover up their neglect of responsibilities on state contracts. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
What is convenient for managers/ vice presidents at the time is how they manage.  Executive office presentation of taking care of their space is broadcast to all their programs. Showing how they have free coffee, muffins, pizza ect for their staff, yet programs are told you don’t have a budget for that for your staff.  $15 per person allocated to your program for a Holiday party.  This place does not take care of their own. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
What’s the tshirt of the day, today? You never know what mud they threw at a wall to see what will stick. The most unorganized set of sheep with no contingency plans for Covid.  They literally watched the news to hear what they should do next.  No safety plans. They will say they have something on paper. It’s never brought out and “honestly” practiced.

There are too many serious issues that are ignored even after you bring it to upper management. Workplace culture is toxic as employees are advanced based on favoritism, not merit. Management is a joke, they are often part of the problem and will turn on you once they realize you hold up ethics and standards- you become a threat. Hardest part of the job is enjoying the people you support while enduring the toxic environment around them. The company's retention rate is low for a reason and they are very, very unwilling to give raises or bonuses despite saving money due to all the vacancies. This company has impacted my own mental health to the point I take more days off for that reason, rather than physical illness. If I could give one piece of advice, do not waste your time working for this company. The most enjoyable thing about working here will be the day you resign- trust me. 

Nepotism at its best 
’ve witnessed and experienced clear patterns of nepotism within CHD that are deeply concerning. Hiring and promotion decisions often seem to prioritize personal relationships over qualifications, experience, or work ethic. This creates a toxic environment where hardworking, competent employees are overlooked while others are fast-tracked due to their connections.

It’s disheartening to see opportunities routinely handed to individuals based on who they know rather than what they bring to the table. This not only affects staff morale but also compromises the quality and integrity of the services CHD provides to the community.

Organizations dedicated to human development should be the first to champion transparency, fairness, and merit-based advancement. Unfortunately, at CHD, it feels like the opposite is happening.

Until CHD addresses these internal issues and implements a more accountable and transparent hiring process, it’s hard to have confidence in the organization’s leadership or its commitment to its own stated values.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Clinician 41 salaries reported	$65,016 per year
Direct care worker 39 salaries reported	$20.38 per hour
Direct support professional 31 salaries reported	$20.00 per hour
Case worker 35 salaries reported	$20.64 per hour
Recovery specialist 12 salaries reported	$19.88 per hour

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