clinician

mental health technician

licensed vocational nurse

nurse

registered nurse

Community Research Foundation

CRF as an organization is not being directly reviewed in this review. This review is primarily for Downtown IMPACT (DTI). The mission and general idea of the work being done as an LVN for an ACT program is amazing. The clients I served was my motivation and fueled my drive to continue serving them. The organization is under the umbrella of the county and that’s where the issues lie - extremely high expectations for productivity and very little room for growth/increase in compensation. Still, the team I was on was tight knit and truly amazing. We had a way of working with and depending on each other to truly make a difference in the lives of our clients. I worked closely with the team of nurses and the psychiatrists and other providers. It really takes a certain work ethic and personality to work with the severely mentally ill and dual-diagnosis clients. It’s not an easy job, but boy is it rewarding. Nevertheless, it’s not for everyone. Middle management tries their best, but overall upper management seems to have a “fend for yourself” response to pretty much everything. I worked with developing and implementing new processes to prevent medical errors and that was a good experience. I felt appreciated by my team and the medical providers - so it made dealing with the extremely high workload a little easier. Another perk was being in the clinic 2-3 days per week and being in the field the rest of the days. The variety/balance was good for someone that doesn’t want to be trapped inside 4 walls every single day. You must be a self-starter and able to work very well independently and on a team. It takes it all. The impact you will make on the clients you serve will stay with you forever  - or is it the impact they leave on you..? Either way, it’s a great place if you have the heart, patience and thick skin for mental health. 

Where to start...The workload and expectations for staff are incredibly unrealistic and cause even the most dedicated of clinicians to drive themselves into the ground attempting to meet productivity and complete MOUNTAINS of paperwork required. Turnover is absolutely ridiculous. The program I worked at couldn't retain employees to save their life and it really didn't seem like they cared about it either. They are great at hiring people, but terrible at keeping them. People have been dropping like flies and the clients suffer because of consistent abandonment by staff. Pay is okay, but definitely not enough for all of the work you do on a daily basis. Management is inconsistent and usually not very helpful. All supervisors/team leads usually leave after they get their license, leading to ineffective management because we are constantly getting new managers who eventually leave anyway.
For the ACT programs- one thing that is unbelievable is that there is no hazard pay. We are constantly put in situations that are dangerous and super sketchy, but apparently that means nothing because "it's part of the job." 

Let me be clear, the clients are the only thing about this job that make it all worth it. The work you do will make an impact but, because of high turnover and burnout rates, you will struggle to hold your head above water.

Co-workers in direct service lines are super hard working and dedicated to clients. It is a great place to easily get hours towards licensing. They are always desperate for employees to cover shifts. Employees are often over worked and stretched thin due to high turn over and not enough staff. Middle management often put in a difficult position of meeting requirements with little or no support / resources to do their job. This impacts the ones they supervise. It is a head down, look the other way work environment. The upper management creates an environment that is inhospitable to: change, methods to improve programs, or providing the necessary support that allow programs to implement productive ways of completing the day to day requirements at programs. It is a head down, just get this done approach to the job, not looking for ways to improve. Upper management sees employees as easily replaceable and has even verbalized this.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Well honestly the best part of working on that company was the day I left although not exactly because I was told just to come in for a couple of hours and pick up my paycheck and say goodbyes and then they still worked me. Totally disrespectful of me and my time and made me wait there for hours on in for my final paycheck I should have just told them to mail it. But that was part of the reason I was leaving is because I was treated like garbage and kicked around and disrespected. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The other employees that treated me like garbage, disrespected me, and threw my food out. One of which was management I mean when you're  boss lies that you you seriously don't need to work at that place.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Obviously great if you're part of the click but if you don't fit into the little click that they formed you're just SOL

If you're considering working at Community Research Foundation, go in with your eyes open. The mission is important, but the reality is grueling. Staff are expected to manage heavy caseloads, endless documentation, and emotionally complex situations, all for relatively low pay and little recognition.

Burnout is rampant, and turnover is high. Many team members don't stay long because the demands are unsustainable, and upper management appears uninterested in addressing the root problems. Supervision can be inconsistent, and support for frontline staff often feels performative rather than real.

Work-life balance is practically nonexistent in some roles. Even if you're passionate about mental health, the stress, lack of boundaries, and low compensation will wear you down fast.

In short, CRF may be a stepping stone, but it's not a place where most people thrive in the long term. Be cautious, ask direct questions in the interview, and advocate hard for yourself if you decide to work here.

Your license is not important to them. You will be asked to make judgement calls regarding medications and instructions outside of scope of practice and more. 

High turnover in all positions. Bare minimum pay with no raises, health care professional to patient ratio excessive and insufficient training provided. Non direct patient care responsibilities such as calling pharmacies, applying for Prior Auths, Patient Assistance Programs and assisting therapists in daily crisis /urgent situations - coupled with overtime restrictions resulted in documentation always being last and behind. 

Positives: Excellent MD relationships. 10 federal paid holiday and no weekends. Great camaraderie with therapists and and administrative support staff. Amazing purpose in helping the patients recover and thrive in mental health.

PERT (Psychiatric Emergency Response Team) Training and Event Coordinator position was rewarding and exciting. Hard work and dedication went unnoticed. Organization and attention to detail were secondary to maintaining appearances. Workload continued to increase without support from upper management or any increase in pay. Upper management was untrained in my required duties, and repeatedly turned down my offers to train them. 
I was required to use my personal vehicle (truck) due to the company vehicle being too small to transport all the equipment. 
Towards the end of my time there I had expressed my feelings of frustration, mental exhaustion, and requested help due to being overwhelmed over emails and in person multiple times. After submitting my two weeks notice, I was condemned for "the haste of my departure". 

My day started at 9, so that was nice. It worked out for getting my clinical hours. We were given too much to do & not enough time to get it all done. They said they respect work life balance, but I always came home anxious and stressed about the work I didn't finish and would have to do incognito the next morning as unpaid overtime. 

 Management was not supportive and to do my ADA accommodations took forever (6-months). and it was still unresolved when I left. I really liked my clients, even if Management would insist that the clients were of the highest acuity possible. I had to ask the program Mgr and asst program manager to my office to help in a situation where I didn't feel confident and instead of being a teaching moment, they put it in my file as punishment for later.

I never had worked for any other company with such low morale until experiencing this company. Management lies left and right to cover themselves and don't care about individual employees. Management accuses you of doing something wrong even when you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. When relational problems among staff occur, management looks the other way as if no problem exists. Almost every day is a challenge at work as it is understaffed most of the days and staff are fed up with overworking and getting underpaid while being disrespected by the management personnel. Somethings gotta happen to upside-down these places. Until then, run the other way if you don't want to lose your self-respect/dignity or drive/motivation for doing what you do.

A lot of paperwork with minimal pay. Constantly adding work to your plate as county demands change. You will not just be a mental health clinician who sees them for an hour and writes a note. You will be responsible for a plethora of other things (case management and beyond). They are county funded thus always focused on pay points... which can make a non-profit feel more like a for-profit than a for-profit organization. You as the employee take the lowest priority (below pleasing the clients, higher ups and the county pay points). Sadly another turn and burn that takes advantage of your desire to work for a "good cause". Expect to be frustrated, stressed and overwhelmed. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Clinician 253 salaries reported	$37.91 per hour
Mental health technician 51 salaries reported	$30.99 per hour
Licensed vocational nurse 29 salaries reported	$38.58 per hour
Nurse 45 salaries reported	$49.68 per hour
Registered nurse 18 salaries reported	$49.06 per hour

Working at Community Research Foundation: Company Overview and Reviews

Community Research Foundation

Community Research Foundation Ratings

Popular jobs at Community Research Foundation

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected