social worker

direct care worker

registered nurse

mental health technician

licensed practical nurse

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Although working for the Department of Children and Families offers great benefits.  The work environment is very stressful and creates very limited balance within the work place.  Supervisors and managers are corrupted, micro managers only concerned about numbers and looking great statewide on paper.  The workers are unsupported, treated unfairly, unable to have voice.  If you speak up even in a respectful manner you become a target.  Once you are targeted you are either forced out of the door, or fired for false allegations.  The families really don't matter and aren't advocated for in their best interest.  The staff turn over is horrible and upper management does not care nor feel the need to get to the root of the problem.  The commissioner really should start investigating thoroughly by speaking to workers without supervisors, managers, and directs not present.  Families and children are being effected and lied to about why workers are no longer at the company.  Workers are not allowed to have an opinion unless you are favored.  Young people are being promoted who really shouldn't be in position, they are using their authority and power in a negative manner.  Just because you have an MSW with an LIC or LCSW does not make you qualified for the job or mean you as a person no more then the next person.   
The Department is real shady across the board and it is really sad and unfortunate.  I have seen managers, supervisors and workers, be in their feelings toward parents and for that children are being delayed reunification with biological parents, goals are being changed to adoption because of the supervisors and workers really not giving the parents a fair shot at getting their children back.  
When workers have an issue with a supervisor that is a no no, there is no opportunity to consult with managers or directors, the supervisor is always right.  There is lack of support by the union that you pay dues for.  They do nothing to advocate on your behalf in your best interest.  Innocent workers are being forced out of the door or fired.  The Department is truly corrupted statewide in each and every office in the state of Mass.  Great workers are really leaving the agency due to the corruption and ongoing unresolved issues.
Change can only happen for the better if the commissioner starts really taking a closer look at what is really going on and also take the time out to go to each office and meet with workers only to survey.  Following communication with workers conversations had with each groups of workers only their names be left confidential but address the issues as a whole with managers, directors and supervisors.  

The corruption really has stop for the sake of effectively helping the families reunite with children.  Really really unfortunate.

I work for the Dept. of Transitional Assistance but looking for another job.  This dept. is run by a poor team of directors and supervisors statewide.   

The statewide nepotism in the offices are deep and there isn't any possibility of advancement if you don't know anybody simply because those who run the department (operating chiefs, regional directors, office directors, and assistant directors) are handing promotions to their own kids, cousins, and best friends, which leaves no room for you to become a supervisor if you don't know anybody.  Even if your performance is remarkable, they don't care.  You have got to know somebody or sleep with to advance.  Oh and most of the directors are "appointed".  They won't interview, which actually happened in an office I worked.  How they get away with this is beyond many.  

There is no confidentiality and no moral, ethic anything.  There is fraternizing across each office with directors and workers and security personnel (even though security are contracted, not hired by the Commonwealth).   

It's a huge joke and a huge hostile work environment due to management creating lies and rumors (when they don't get their way or someone files a grievance in their office).  File a grievance and you'll be the target.  I've seen it where they treat the worker awful and create an environment for them where the person gets fired and some resort to resigning because it's too much drama.  If they decide to create and spread lies (and they will), it trickles from the director to supervisors down to the workers and the entire workplace which becomes a huge place of hostility and drama and causes workers to despise one another and talk behind backs, it's really very awful.

Management and supervisors pretend workers have a quota to complete cases when there really isn't one.  Another lie they feed to the workers to use as a scare tactic.

They have too many supervisor-worker meetings that aren't neccessary and a waste of time.

The majority of who they hire are unskilled, unprofessional, and moronic and it seems as if they want to silence those that have been here for ages so that they can create new rules for us unsuspecting new workers, sort of like erasing the history and rules of the department in that if we don't know any better and how the dept. used to run, management can and will get away with EVERYthing.

I could go on but it's just too much.  Too many cons and the only pro is the benefits.  Stay far away if you're thinking about employment here and look for something else.

A day at work for me is always different. I do work at home as I adopted three children now adults, all with disabilities. I deal with the best part of my children's days when they are happy, proud, excited and so on. I also deal with seizures, SIB's, behaviors, and meeting all their basic needs. There are also days of meetings with social workers, day habs, school, IEP's, ISP's, doctor appointments, or I may do a respite case for someone and that individual most likely will arrive here with many needs and I have to be prepared for anything and everything and every type of disability imaginable. 
The hardest part of my job is I am only one person and I wish with all I have I could bring more people into my home so I could help get them where they wish to be or simply keep them safe. I have had over seventy-three individuals stay in our home over the last twenty-five years and loved every minute and learned more about people and life from those that past through here than I believe I could have working a forty hour job. I have seen things these children have lived through and am amazed at the power they each have even if I have to help them find it. I have seen damage others have caused and the ramifications it is heartbreaking the joy is when you see these children and adults find their own way and the smile is for all to see. That is what makes what I do perfect.. 
Working for the state no matter if it is DCF, DDS, DMH, DOE or any of the agencies under each division is not easy. There is never enough funding, case overload is unreal, burnout is a real issue, and I think all would agree there are not enough hours in a day. If you go into any of these jobs for the right reasons with all that is wrong you still know you made a difference no matter how small. 
One important fact if you decide this is the job for you, never take a case you cannot handle. Be sure you are educated on the care needed for that person and be sure you have the facts, there are times you are not told everything or it may be unknown. It is true that you can in fact do more harm than good if you take on more than you are skilled to do. That is not something you want to learn the hard way.

It is a State Job, in my opinion one of the worst one's to have. Although, it is very fascinating gaining knowledge and learning things you never knew in life. It goes well beyond just determining eligibility in issuing food stamps. You learn about INS in confirming US citizenship status, SSI, RSDI, Unemployment, earned/unearned income, Dept. Revenue, Child Support and so on and so forth. You are in training learning policies, dept. databases and the job. Supervisor responsible for training starts out supportive and emphasize its not about speed and accuracy. It's about learning the job, systems, etc. and everything falls into place. Well within 3-4 weeks all that is out the door. You should know everything as you've been on the job for years. It's all about the # of cases in a day and your error rate. You are micromanaged and they are breathing down your neck. The higher ups are monitoring everything you do and have access from their office. If they perceive your on a call too long, there's inactivity or your paused. They are having Supervisors sneak around corners, walking by cubicles trying to catch you in the act of doing something.
The Dept. knows exactly what they are doing. All new supervisors hired are aged 23-29.  Upper management have been there for years. When they tell their supervisors to jump they say how high. They are young and wet behind the ears with no life or work experience. These young bucks are running around not knowing how to talk to people and disrespecting while micromanaging. They will do whatever is needed to advance their careers and backstab everyone in the process. There's no integrity with putting your time in and earning it. The workplace is comprised of all women as supervisors. I respect and support all women in the workplace. But common on when you have 18 out of 20 that is a major disparity and that's a problem. To conclude, I have not indicated that all working relationships among co-workers are great and a great culturally diverse work environment.
It the supervisors and managent that have something to be desired.

I started my career with the Key Program. I was an outreach and tracking case worker but my position was cut and Key offered me hours at two different locations (temporary old Methuen and a worchester program) until a full time position opened at Old Methuen.  I spent majority of my time at Old Methuen but did bounce back to tracking and over to the boys program before moving to a supervisor position at the ALP.  After Key I was a VWA with the DA's office and currently I am a Probation Officer.  

Although I have not worked for the Key Program for years now I use the skills I learned there in my work everyday.  The caseworker position in programs and tracking is a difficult position to say the least but you learn more skills not only about working with difficult people but more importantly about yourself.  If you can survive in your time as a caseworker you can do anything. Working in other positions since I have skills that I learned from Key that just many of my coworkers now have yet to learn. I could not encourage anyone more to start as a caseworker whether an internship or a job.  With that on your resume and the skills you learn. You will make a successful in this field.

To this day some of my best friends are the people I met at Key.  You go through an experience unlike any other and a support system that will bond you for years beyond Key.  Whenever I have needed help, resource, reference, etc. Key is my first call.

Along my travels I have come across former clients and I have not hesitated to ask about their time in Key as they have moved on, aged out, grew up etc.  Many will tell you Key was a turning point in their lives.  Key has many many success stories some large, some small, some personal, some professional.  But as you meet people in all different positions in this field many ...many... have started with the Key Program.

After the long nights hours and days the tough shifts.. I miss it sometimes even to this day.  And if you are starting a job in this field - Key is a great place to start, learn, and grow.

I actually enjoy working in the fast paced life of the RMV.  You get to meet all different types of people.  The experiences range from mostly good to a few bad times.  I work with a great crew of people.  We are a happy crew that likes to joke and talk with our customers.  Most of our customers leave in a good attitude.  But, it is the RMV, and not all customers are satisfied.  My typical day would be arriving to work early to help open the branch.  Get all clerks situated and ready to work.  I have my Receiving Teller responsibilities which involve getting the previous days work ready to ship off to Headquarters, finding discrepancies with previous days balancing, and verifying everyone's change fund.  I will then get on the counter and help process registrations, license and suspension transactions.  Assist all clerks when needed.  Make sure breaks and lunches are followed in a timely manner.  Take care of any issues that arise with clerks and customers.  After lunch, I count all clerks and prepare one of two deposits.  I search for any discrepancies if any clerk does not balance the previous day and it is not found right away.  When that part of my day is done, I will either hop back on the counter to help customers or do clerical work such as preparing work schedule, order supplies, do clerk audits, preparing clerk payroll for the week, going over clerk overrides or one of many other responsibilities.  When the branch closes, it is my responsibility to count and close all clerks and to process the last deposit for the day.  Then I close up the branch and head home to start it all again the next day.  There is soo much in keeping an RMV running, that I cannot list it all.

The DDS western Massachusetts state-operated group home system used to be a very good place to work. It was once an environment where it was safe to bring up real issues, such as health and safety concerns, so that the whole team could collaborate and work towards a solution. 

It turned into a workplace where bringing up real concerns, concerns that affect the healthcare and wellbeing of developmentally disabled people, transforms you into a target by management. When bringing up issues they wish to ignore or not make an effort into addressing: The retaliation, and manipulation begins to occur. It’s a paradox really, and a decision nobody working in healthcare wants to have to make: Do speak up for the people who need us to speak up for them: (In a desperate attempt to protect them from abuse, poor care, pain, as well as inhumane emotional or physical trauma) or do I keep quiet and listen to what management and many of their new nursing supervisors demand, and push the required agenda? Only one of them allows you to survive there and I think you can guess which one it is.

It is truly sad and concerning how upper level management (regional management specifically, labor management and HR) can turn a blind eye to the the treatment of nursing and direct care staff but worse the inevitable poor care it results in for the individuals served by DDS. This agency is truly in desperate need of an overhaul and reorganization. 
 - 

What is the best part of working at the company?
The staff and coworkers in my unit, and the management, were some of the nicest, best people I have ever worked with. I loved the people in my unit and my unit supervisor. I always felt that I was among friends and very helpful, professional people were always surrounding and supporting me.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The families, the degree of dysfunction, addiction, violence, or unpredictability of the problems plaguing each family. Sometimes this would be either when working with the family or a child, or sometimes in the courtroom or the negotiations related to situations that would come up there.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
In my office, super supportive, helpful, teamlike, a culture of opportunities in a variety of aspects of child welfare work or other aspects of the social work field. A culture of growth professionally through trainings, supervision, school to help each worker to identify and follow their career dreams.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Travelling to visit families and children, coordinating with coworkers, supervisors, documentation, court hearings, training, meetings, with frequent connection to a supervisor to consult on things that come up or need addressing with flexibility, urgency, and coordination so as to achieve maximum safety, wellbeing, and permanence of the children.

Having worked in this field for over 15 years i thought i had experienced the pros and cons of working with an agency who support their clients and employees. First off the training i was provided during orientation was a joke. I was excited to start a job where i knew i would make a huge difference in the people we service. The agency made so many promises. The hiring process was a joke and the man who hired me was unprofessional lazy and clearly not good at his job. I was placed in a medical home with no training and with staff who were not willing to accept someone with experience into the home. The house manager was two faced a gossip and extremely unprofessional. Due to reporting an incident witnessed i was moved to another home in Amesbury. Again i was not welcomed and treated poorly (I have a very thick skin ) I was was told because I was perceived as gay I would not be accepted due to the religious beliefs of the house supervisor (a cruel and abusive woman ) and the foreign house staff. This disgusting behavior was present throughout my employment. I filed several complaints with no result. I feel bad for the residents of that home because I witnessed abuse verbally and physically. I resigned with no follow up from management. I am now working in a healthy environment with staff with compassion.

My day starts off, by helping individuals at the counter, who may have got arrested the night before, summoned into court or there to remove a default warrant. I then go to my assigned courtroom and represent probation in that courtroom, which my be the arraignment, pre-trial or trial session. I also have case load of individuals who are on probation for first time OUI's, administrative and courtesy testing for other courts for individuals who live outside of that court's jurisdiction.

My supervisor's are great people who give you room to grow and are open to new ideas and suggestions and who also want you to succeed and move on if so desired. 
My fellow co-workers are great to work with, because we are all there to do a job and to make sure that the work is getting done to perfection.

Working as an Associate Probation Officer is quite rewarding for me, because I am able to meet people form different backgrounds and cultures. Interactions with individuals who come into court, where you are able to to make there experience there less stressful and in some cases and enjoyable one, and knowing that you never know if you could be on the other side of that counter, seeking help from a person who cares.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Social worker 7 salaries reported	$80,392 per year
Direct care worker 7 salaries reported	$26.71 per hour
Registered nurse 3 salaries reported	$122,116 per year
Mental health technician 4 salaries reported	$25.38 per hour
Licensed practical nurse 3 salaries reported	$71,015 per year

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