program director

case manager

peer advocate

director of human resources

group leader

Community Counseling and Mediation

I came to CCM clear about one thing: I was working toward licensure and needed consistent supervision with signed clinical hours. I was told this would be supported. Over time, it became clear that it wasn’t. Several months past,  I completed a significant number of clinical hours that were never signed off on.  I was not the only clinician this happened to. 

Supervision felt inconsistent and stretched thin, with one clinical supervisor covering multiple locations. Training was minimal—essentially a PowerPoint—and there was little ongoing guidance. Therapist turnover was very high, which made the workplace feel disorganized and difficult to rely on. Leadership felt more defensive than open. Raising concerns or asking for clarification often felt discouraged rather than welcomed. Communication around expectations and policy changes was frequently unclear and last-minute. There was no employee handbook, and policies seemed to change often, sometimes communicated outside of work hours. I was also told at one point that I was expected to work on a holiday, which added to the sense of disorganization and unclear expectations. 

Compensation and benefits were below comparable organizations. 
Over time, the lack of consistent supervision, clear communication, and responsive leadership made the organization feel unstable and unreliable. For clinicians seeking licensure support, steady supervision, and professional growth, you can do better. This is not it.

As a Preventive Service Case Planner you never knew what would happen with your clients on any particular day. We handled only N.Y. City Children's Services Cases. The children were always at risk of placement into foster care. I learned the complete cycle of foster care, preventive services and investigative services during my twenty years of child welfare experience. 

I also learned to conduct work shops pertaining to the families progress with their service plan goals that I created for each individual family. My co-workers were helpful by way of net working needed services that were required for the familys. The hardest part of the job were the weekend and late night visits to the homes (twice per month) to ensure that the children were safe and not at risk of harm (no cuts/bruises/lacerations). I carried a15 file case load. The most enjoyable part of the job was watching a family become successful by achieving their service plan goals.  


I am now ready to change direction to obtain a career opportunity as a subtance abuse counselor. I possess the ability to work well under pressure, meet tight deadlines and manage large case loads. I can work successfully as part of a team or individually with little supervision. I have demonstrated the ability to communicate effectively with individuals of all back grounds. 

I started at CCM in March of 2025 and have already done so much amazing work and gained so much expertise in the short time I've been here. The people who work alongside me are passionate about the work they do, constantly inspiring me to do my best work: for myself, for the agency, and for the community at large. There have been so many wins, both big and small, that I feel like I've contributed to, which makes the work feel very meaningful. One thing that really stands apart is the leadership. They're always there for the staff, even while juggling so many responsibilities and tasks, and they really appreciate and honor employees who are hardworking, passionate, dedicated, and ethical in their work. So much good work has gone into transforming this agency for the better and I've been lucky enough to be privy to it and to help in creating sustainable change. All in all, I feel adequately challenged, trusted, and supported at my job and feel like my career trajectory matters to my supervisors. I feel like my work matters and that I'm making a difference alongside my other passionate and hardworking coworkers. 

I worked at Community Counseling & Mediation (also known as CCM) since the age of 14, both for their summer initiatives & part-time during the school year as an After-School Counselor for elementary-aged youths, to about the age of 26 as a Program Director & Administrative Assistant when I left to devote my full attention to my entrepreneurial endeavors. I learned the bulk of my professional skills working in the various capacities I did during those 12 years. Although, because of politics & the political nature of the non-profit sector, the pay rate is & probably will never be up-to-par with the amount of work that is required of you and the difficulty of the tasks at hand, the challenges & obstacles I've learned to overcome and the many connections with real, hard-working everyday youth & adults over that time are priceless assets to this very familial-feeling company. Their low overall rating is not indicative of the valuable lessons to be learned while working here, but rather an indication that non-profits that have such potential for deep impact should be funded properly by our government.

While my clinical work at the agency felt supported at the beginning because of amazing colleagues and former clinic directors, the last year of my employment with the agency were filled with frustration and disappointment, particularly following the onboarding of the new upper management. 

Therapists have generally received minimal clinical support due to ongoing vacancies in key leadership positions including supervisors, clinic director and director of clinical services. Decision making and policy changes introduced by new management often felt rushed and disconnected from the day to day operation at the clinics, contributing to disorganization, reduced efficiency, and growing dissatisfaction among clinicians and staff. There is a lack of communication from management, HR and the administration, with instances of repeated unresponsiveness to requests for supervision and guidance. Concerns and feedback often fell on deaf ears and went unaddressed, leading to heightened stress that negatively affected work performance and morale. 

It is essential for management to reflect on the root causes of the agency's low retention rate in comparison to peer organizations. 

CCM was once a company built on care and purpose, guided by a founder who valued people. Since his passing, however, the company has taken a sharp and disheartening turn.

The new leadership has introduced a management style that many employees have experienced as dismissive, chaotic, and at times hostile. A new COO was brought in who, despite a professional background in social work, has demonstrated behavior that many perceived as biased and exclusionary. Several team members, particularly from underrepresented backgrounds, reported feeling marginalized, unheard, or treated unequally. These concerns were raised internally, but no meaningful action was taken.

The HR function, rather than being a safeguard for employees, has become effectively non-responsive. Issues go unaddressed, and staff have little recourse or support.

Morale is at an all-time low. High turnover, disengagement, and a culture of fear have replaced what was once a mission-driven environment. It is heartbreaking to see a company with such a strong foundation fall into such dysfunction.

This company is DRAMA from the top to the bottom.  In a Mental Health facility, security is not something that is important.  After submitting time sheets, they reduce your hours/pay rate, with the hope that you don't find out.  The rate of people leaving CCM is very high. 

Untrained Managers are not there to look over work, or provide safe working environment, but mainly there to remind you of their position, come extremely late and leave early everyday,  and the list of can go on for days about the unethical practices that goes on at CCM.

Ex:
Staff made negative comments about female, President was made aware, and fired staff involved. Since Office manager had close relationship with the staff fired, she was transferred instead to another location.

Billing Manager fights in hallways of home office with Directors, Office Manager, and Sfaff. 

1 vacation day per year, 
no job security, 
no effective leadership
no advancement opportunity
not a safe place

The most enjoyable part of this job is their clientele.  I've learned many life lessons from the stories that clients have shared with me.

After people in the previous leadership team all left earlier this year, things went worse very quickly. This organization has serious legal and ethical problems. There is no real supervision, no functioning leadership, and patient care is regularly neglected. They brand themselves as a culturally competent social service agency, but they don’t provide clinical services or deliver the community programs they publicly promise—some are tied to social funding that never reaches the people. 

For employees, this is a highly toxic workplace. Your clinical time will be wasted in constant, pointless meetings and social events, with little to no support or professional development. More importantly, they refused to sign off many of the clinicians’ hours.


In the quality care and assistance department I read over case files and checked all cases that the organization handled with a three person team. I learned how a private social care organization operated from an analyst point of view who never left the office. Management was great as far as the CEO goes how ever my manager was one who was driven by hard choices and downsizing. The work place was uninviting i do not know how the workers tolerated it other then the fact that they were passionate about care for there individuals. Hardest part of the job was the document I was reading on a daily bases they described very disturbing situations and ongoing problems that children and families were having. The enjoyable part of the job was learning about social workers i had only very little knowledge on this career. (I signed a do not disclose document and cannot go into much detail.).

The work culture has become increasingly stressful in recent years, with noticeable shifts under new upper management. Communication can sometimes feel indirect, and there's a lack of transparency around certain policies and decisions. Support systems, including HR, are not responsive or employee-focused.

Some staff have observed disparities in how policies are applied across teams, with certain groups feeling disproportionately impacted by leadership decisions or lack of recognition. These experiences have contributed to low morale and higher turnover, particularly among employees of color.

There’s limited growth opportunity for clinicians, and compensation has remained relatively flat for over a decade. Concerns about fairness and equity in workplace practices have been raised by several staff. Hiring efforts appear minimal, which can lead to heavier workloads for current employees.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Program director 4 salaries reported	$59,625 per year
Case manager 3 salaries reported	$57,500 per year
Peer advocate 4 salaries reported	$48,375 per year
Director of human resources 10 salaries reported	$97,500 per year
Group leader 4 salaries reported	$18.47 per hour

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