case manager

registered behavior technician

speech language pathologist

senior case manager

program manager

Developmental Pathways

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part is the community: the individuals and families DP supports, and the case managers who keep showing up for them in incredibly complex circumstances.

The people served by DP are the reason the work matters. Families often come in overwhelmed, exhausted, confused, or already worn down by systems that are hard to navigate. Being able to help someone find a path through that, even a small piece of it, can feel deeply meaningful.

And the case managers are extraordinary. They carry technical knowledge, emotional steadiness, crisis response, documentation, timelines, policy changes, family dynamics, and the quiet human work of helping people feel less alone. 

The best parts of DP live in those moments of staff helping each other, sharing knowledge, protecting families from confusion, and still finding warmth and humor in work that asks a lot of them.

The strongest part of the organization is the people closest to the work. They deserve to be seen as the heart and intelligence of the system, not just the hands moving cases through it.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part was watching case managers carry work that was heavier than the structure around them.

The job asks for a lot at once from case managers.  Families in crisis, HCPF timelines, waiver and Medicaid rules, documentation, changing guidance, emotional conversations, and caseloads that may look manageable in a report but feel completely different in real life. Some staff were carrying materially heavier work while still being measured against expectations that did not fully reflect what they were holding.

I love data. That was part of the heartbreak. Data can reveal where a system is straining, where workload is uneven, and where people need better tools. But too often, the focus felt like oversight before support. Measurement before repair. A dashboard over a cracking floor.

The stress was seeing good case managers made to feel like they were the problem when they were often the clearest evidence of where the system needed better design, clearer processes, more realistic workload expectations, and leadership willing to act on what the frontline was already showing them.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The culture felt different depending on where you sat in the organization.

For case managers, the environment was immediate, heavy, and deeply human. Their days were full of family crises, Medicaid rules, waiver timelines, documentation, eligibility questions, emotional conversations, and constant changes that still had to be made understandable for families. They built real community around that work. They shared knowledge, checked on each other, covered gaps, made each other laugh, and carried a lot that never showed up cleanly in a report.

Leadership had a different experience of the same organization. From that level, the work could look more organized through metrics, dashboards, meetings, values language, and performance conversations. That difference created a real disconnect. The same system could look manageable from one angle and overwhelming from another.

I do want to say that my direct leadership was often trying to hold a difficult middle space too. There were people in leadership who cared, listened, and were also working inside constraints they did not fully control. That mattered deeply. The problem was bigger than one person or one team.

The hardest part of the culture was watching frontline care become something the system depended on. Case managers were praised for compassion and resilience, but that resilience sometimes became the cushion for unclear processes, uneven workload, and decisions that did not fully account for the reality of the job. The best culture at DP came from the people closest to the work. The organization would be stronger if their insight carried more power sooner.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day involved a lot of translation between policy, process, people, data, and real situations.

I supported case managers with questions, monitored compiance, responded to escalations, watched referral and caseload movement, helped troubleshoot system issues, and turned recurring confusion into clearer guidance, tools, or next steps. A single day could move from a staff coaching conversation to a family situation, then into data review, documentation questions, process cleanup, or a sudden policy shift that needed to be made usable quickly.

There was also a steady layer of metrics and oversight, tracking performance, looking for trends, monitoring timelines, and trying to understand what the numbers were actually showing. I value that kind of work when it helps reveal reality and improve the system around staff.

The most satisfying days were the ones where data, staff feedback, and process design actually connected, where I could clarify something messy, remove a barrier, or help turn what case managers were experiencing into something the organization could better understand and act on.

When I started in 2017 right out of college I thought, "This is it, this is a place I can see myself retiring from."  It was a great company to work for - I had a strong, supportive manager and team, I was setting and meeting goals to move up, and I felt overall fulfilled and valued more often than not.  As years passed, teams changed and we became more top heavy in management, the whole feeling of working here shifted - especially within the last couple of years when their sole focus became winning the state's RFP to offer SEP waiver coordination in addition to being a CCB.  Leadership does a great job at spouting pretty words they think staff want to hear (i.e. "You all are so valued, we couldn't do this work without you, you make DP what it is, etc., etc.") with zero intent to back up that sentiment when push comes to shove.  I watched as they let countless high-performing employees just walk away from the organization to accept another offer without any effort or fight to counter those offers and keep them on board, some having dedicated 4-7 hard-working years with the organization.  Bottom line, they do not value their workforce like they claim to; it does not matter how long you have dedicated your career and heart to the organization/the work or how hard you worked for them while there, at the end of the day they are willing to drop you on a dime without so much as a "Good luck".  Even those who choose to stay, who have dedicated 12+ years to the organization are passed over for promotions while those opportunities are awarded to staff who have been there less than 3 or who haven't spent even a full year in their previous role (these tend to be the ones who push back on leadership the least and have become favored for it).  It's absurd that an organization who is all about being a "business with heart" can so easily check theirs at the door when it comes to their own staff.  My best advice for job seekers would be this: If you do well with an employer who offers pretty words and a rosy picture while contradicting those sentiments later and telling you, "Sorry, there's nothing we can do," when you ask them to make good on that, then you'll do fine.  If you're able to go along with everything management says without pushing back and offering another perspective, you'll do fine and likely go far.  If not, I would highly recommend waiting for opportunities with other organizations who do have a reputation for putting their staff first to open up rather than settling here.  If you're like me and have a long-held passion for individuals with disabilities, the good news is Developmental Pathways is not the only organization doing this work. 

I worked in the Case Management Department of Developmental Pathways for 3 years. It was a relatively positive experience and I gained useful professional skills. I worked as a Case Manager and on the Administrative side of things. 

Working with the public could be challenging but rewarding. DP emphasized success stories and the positive impact of our work. I often felt connected to the mission of the organization. DP's work culture emphasized the importance of work-life balance and they worked to ensure that the workload was manageable. Unfortunately, the good benefits and shortened work week were used as a basis to under pay employees or ignore serious issues. 

Low pay, under staffing, and poor policy implementation, were often discussed with leadership. When these issues were brought before leadership, they often took on a tone that indicated that DP was a good place to work and that employees should be grateful to work there. Regardless of the fact that the pay was below market rate and raises were insubstantial, they emphasized that the benefits made up for this shortcoming.  

Many other organizations are now offering similar benefits (ample PTO, flexible working hours, etc.) but they also offer better pay. DP's benefits are no longer so unique among workplaces and they have slowly become less competitive in the job market. While a decent place to work, I generally regarded my experience as a good taking off point that helped me to advance my career. DP does not offer much incentive for employees to work there long-term. 

Pros:
Flexible working hours
4-day work week
Cheap health insurance for individuals
Invested in professional development of employees

Cons:
Low pay
Does not offer merit-based raises just 2% salary increases to keep up with inflation 
Expensive health insurance for families
Management is often unwilling to confront employee dissatisfaction in a meaningful way

Provided a warm, welcoming and organized environment.
Greet customers and guests and would give direction to appropriate employee(s) and respond to public inquires.
Received and directed incoming calls on multi-line console. 
Facilitated and kept track of signage out and return of access badges.
Maintained knowledge of key clients and contacts.
Communicated effectively with all levels of the organization.
Kept office area neat, clean and stocked with refreshments.
Signed for, sorted and distributed agency mail and forwarded faxes electronically.
Posted conference rooms assignment sheets on each floor.
Performed other related duties, including special projects, as required or requested.

My opinion in the following:

I learned of all the different services we provided for our clients with intellectual disabilities.

The management is well organized and helpful.

All co-workers were very cooperative and helpful making the environment a great morale atmosphere to work in.

My hardest part of the job was nothing.

My most enjoyable part of my job was to help clients, co-workers and customers knowing that they all receive proper assistance and this would make me feel good along with an enjoyable atmosphere for everyone.

The training is a whole month with homework and quizzes. It feels like you’re taking a class in high school. The trainers themselves were amazing, they got us super excited for this job, really made me feel like I was going to make a difference in the world with my job. Once the month was up, I was then moved onto the Onboarding int. Team (OIT) the people in this training group seemed to be really close so I was super excited to join. Boy, was I wrong. They were cliquey, if you had a bad experience with one of them and tried to open up, you were then the bad why. They give you a ridiculous load of work, on top of your case load and expect you to compete it in a timely manner. There is a ridiculous amount of meetings at least 3 a day, so even if you think you have the whole day to finish things, you probably won’t because you were doing icebreakers and meetings. If your PM doesn’t like you, you’re screwed. There was so much gossiping and talking badly about other CMs it was unbelievable. If you made a mistake they definitely let you know and make you feel bad about it. The OIT is reason why so many people end up leaving. I thought this job was going to be really be a positive experience, it’s wasnt. Also, the whole “work life balance” is not true whatsoever. 

DP used to be a great place to work before the CMRD and their new contract. It's hard to appreciate the benefits offered when the work pressures are unbearable. It is impossible to provide quality person-centered case management with the current conditions and 65+ caseload. My spirit broke when they started aggressively union-busting when employees advocated for better working conditions for us and the individuals we serve. I could not look at leadership the same for how they handled that and I had no desire to continue working for a company with those values. The best part of this job was interacting with the individuals we served and supporting them, it is the only reason I stayed as long as I did. The people who do the most important work are being paid the least/ are treated as disposable and I think that needs to be looked at with more scrutiny. 

DP is a great non profit full of hard working individuals who truly want to make the world a better place. 

Unfortunately, management doesn't make that easy. They will tell you that this place is flexible, but they don't mean it. If you have too many emergencies, you're at risk for corrective action. They will tell you that they understand compassion, but they don't. They will tell you there is an open door policy, but it won't feel very open. Some supervisors are on power trips. But if you keep your head down and don't ruffle any feathers, you might be able to stick it out. They pay better than most other companies in Denver/Aurora so there is that. Just don't expect empathy from supervisors everything and don't trust them. There is room to grow, but if your supervisor doesn't like you, then you won't get far.

Developmental Pathways is the worst place I’ve ever worked. They give you very minimal training- that doesn’t correlate to your job at all. And then just throw you into the position. After that it’s radio silence. You get no support at all. And none of their systems work. You do your job and follow every single step they give you- and it doesn’t matter because have the time their system glitches, is broken, or is down. Good luck getting help with that either! You will sit on the phone with support for over an hour with no solution. They hold listening sessions, just to gaslight all of their employees. There answer is always “ask your manager” when half of the time they don’t know either. They over load your case load, pay you HORRIBLE, and have the worst work environment I’ve ever witnessed. Working here made me miserable and almost all the people who got hired on with me as well. I had a horrible experience with this company. 

Poor management- multiple supervisors who rarely help or step in when you go to them about being overwhelmed.
Low pay- they ask a lot and don’t pay for years of experience. Someone with a decade of experience makes $.10 more than someone with zero. No raises (after almost a year) with very little room for advancement.
Toxic work environment- way too much behind the back talk between employees. Management has their favorites...
High expectations for a company that pays below average with high risk, sometimes volatile clients. 


Working for this company was ok. Working with multiple clients with different types of disabilities was a challenge due to the different types of personalities each client had.  I took great care of all my clients and the biggest challenge was so of the co-workers who worked with me trying to get them on board to care for clients due to the different needs each client had.  Some co-workers were intimidated by the clients due to clients at times would lash out at them my strategy was to get to know each clients personalities and treat them with care and respect therefore, I grew to really like my clients and was treated with respect by my clients.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Case manager 31 salaries reported	$24.56 per hour
Registered behavior technician 47 salaries reported	$20.06 per hour
Speech language pathologist 8 salaries reported	$76,014 per year
Senior case manager 4 salaries reported	$26.64 per hour
Program manager 4 salaries reported	$66,593 per year

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