career coach

youth counselor

instructor

residential advisor

wraparound facilitator

Eckerd Connects

Eckerd is all over the place, it's a great job ideally. YCT's keep the place running, with the least amount of compensation. There is some overreaching to where people in admin make decisions without thinking about how it will actually be applied or the repercussions for staff or clients.
The pay is good for entry level, however it is not enough (naturally in human services) for the work provided. Benefits are good as well. Hours are very long and very hard. I work four 12 hour shifts with three days off. 12 hours quickly turns into longer shifts and four days quickly turns into longer weeks. Overworking and overtime are plenty. 
The kids are the best part of this job. They are so diverse, intelligent, and they have so much potential. It's amazing to see them transform right in front of your eyes. However, naturally you will see very difficult things working here, very traumatized kids, violent kids, and misunderstood kids. You also cannot be lazy, or unobservant. Fights are inevitable and that means things might get rough so if you are a timid or unconfident individual, I don't think this is the job for you. Also if you plan on just letting the kids do whatever, or want to help them coast through the program, do everyone a favor and don't apply. The program works when applied, these kids need the structure and the support, NOT a pal or friend to get them through. This is the biggest set back to the program, unsupportive staff who don't implement the program.
Another frustrating part of working here is the environment feels like high school (clients and staff sometimes). There's always gossip to be heard. There are lots of people who get hired who have negative intentions, whether it be inappropriate interactions or just inability to uphold the program. 
Training is ongoing because turnover is so incredibly high, however this means chance of promotion is also high. Many people get promoted within a year of working there, that is if you can make it to a year mark and still want to remain. It's not for someone who wants a lot of structure as things happen so quickly and messily, you need to be able to go with the flow and think on your feet and be confident to stand by your decisions.
You will have a lot of frustrating days here, but if you're in it for the right reasons, you're going to be making an impact, even if it is a tiny one. You're not going to reach and change thousands of kids, but those few who walk away better people will really hit your heartstrings. Great stepping stone job, great on your feet job to help with confidence and quick decisions, very tough and rewarding.

I wake the youths up at 6:30 am and begin our day of productive and effective communication. Working through a typical day we work together, the youths and myself, to better there environment, attain educational, pro-social and therapeutic goals. The day is often filled with laughter as well as guidance from me in a variety of areas.  Our day typically ends together at 10:00 pm wherein I then go and talk about the days positives and negatives with co-staff. I work 4 days with the youths throughout the day and then am off 2 days a week. Long hours and days are traded for the second chance for a youth to change his life and in turn maybe the lives of his community. 
	I have learned throughout this time with this company that there are positive and negative ways of leading. The guidance of the staff at this facility is examples of a cohesive working environment in which both management and staff feel invested in the day to day work leaving both with a positive sense of pride as well as accomplishment.  Always supporting your staff as well and effectively communicating with them leads the staff to a clear understanding of the work environment. The correction process should always be done separate from general staff so as to present a united front always.
	The hardest part of my job is founded in the failure of the youth to successfully invest himself into the dynamics of the group as well as the positives to boundaries.  It is often in these times that, as teacher, I feel as if have failed them the most; however the choices a person makes within their life will define them and no one but they can make those choices. The positives to this job are found within the successes that we see day to day within the youths we are working with; like a tree that began as a small seed I find true joy in seeing them grow from who they were to definers of pro-social choices.

Eckerd Connect holds the management contract for Job Corps Centers in a number of cities. I work atone of those centers, since starting in mid-2022. In my department, four of the seven instructors quit as well as one critical manager. The Center is always understaffed, which puts pressure and additional responsibilities on those that are employed there. For instance, on our campus we require a Nursing Manager and haver three RN positions. We have no manager and one RN, so we had to drastically reduce the number of resident-students, because we had inadequate staff to student ratios. In our counseling department, five people left in a two month period. We have a full student recruitment department; yet, all staff are required to take part in recruitment and retention efforts. Buildings are not maintain, including building violations in the educational / training buildings as well as the dormitories. academic staff are required to work 7:30am to 4:30pm weekdays with an additional evening class. The overall management of the program is fear-based.  Salaries are not competitive and benefits are limited. Licensed professionals are treated like clerks and not afforded the respect that their education and experience should dictate. Thee is a distinction to be made between Eckerd and Job Corps itself. Th mission of Job Corps is admirable, but Eckerd is a company that views its employees as units of payroll expense - not valued contributors of extensive expertise.  

I can assure you that this will be one of the most demanding positions that you will ever hold. The issues that you will face will not be corrected by uncovering complex algorithms or correcting a few lines of CSS commands, it will be corrected by your investment. Most sites have moved away from the “wilderness” idea which was consistent among all camps at one point. Now that camps have focused on becoming “residential,” you can imagine just how intense things were then. Although you will not be using canoes or hiking through the woods to make a fire at a campsite, you can quite possibly be hiking through the woods and on your feet for the majority of the day. 
The benefits that you will come to realize are that you will first be addressing yourself. You will have a pretty good idea of what your breaking points are and the most resilient among us will push pass those breaking points. As someone that has spent the majority of his life in a northern city, I can assure you that spending over a year in the woods of North Carolina was quite the culture shock… ever season. All in all, as you learn about yourself you will become more equipped to address the needs of the guys around you. You will become family to one another, you will laugh, cry and even become disappointed with one another but you will forge relationships that will fill you up with rewards that few others can offer.

A typical day at work started with waking the boys out of bed and getting them to do their chores.Then it's going up trails to have breakfast after which they head back down trails depending on their duties.They will have some recreational time,eat lunch,take a shower,plan chapel etc.then it's supper time and pow-wow after. The experience has taught me that there is some good in everyone and that proper role models are needed for our young adults.The management of the camp was poor and lacked proper leadership. Counsellors were often used as scape-goats.My co-workers were fabulous and very helpful,There was always someone to help.The hardest part of the job was living up to cetain expectations. especially when a female counsellor is working with a group of male deviants.Having to call huddles at 12am in the cold and being the lone female counsellor with a group of boys.The most enjoyable part of my job was pow-wow. The guys would share some great stories which were sometimes touching..Seeing boys going home on weekends as a part of re-integration back into their communities made it a truly worthy experience.

Pros:  Great meals-great staff for the most part.   Seeing the positive changed the kids make when they are at the facility.  Finally got a great teacher who can really relate to the kids and show them that they can be successful in school.  Free housing (but are living with a bunch of people)

Cons:: Counselors really have no clue to the what they are getting into as far as the type of kids that are coming into the program unless they have actually worked with at risk kids.  Nothing prepares them for being cursed at and disrespected almost every day.  you need to have a very thick skin in dealing with some of the kids.

No support from the managment.  On more than one occasion Management would sit in their office while counselors would have to deal with an agitated/escalated child instead of coming out and supporting the staff.  Counselors are overworked-they don't work a typical 8 hour day-they spend almost 14-16 hours with the kids but they only get paid for 8 hours.  Only break they get is when they are sleeping and thats if the kids go down when they are supposed to.

They keep kids too long in the program meaning that some of the kids should have been exited earlier since they were not trying at all to change.  

Lousy pay and HR dept is an absolute joke....

Would recommend that you think long and hard about working for Eckerd.....

Pros:
Eckerd Connects does important work in the community, and the mission itself is genuinely meaningful. Many staff care deeply about the families they serve, and the work can feel rewarding on a human level.

Cons:
In my experience, the workload and expectations were significantly greater than what was communicated during the hiring process. Responsibilities frequently expanded without clear guidance, training, or additional support. Communication from leadership could be inconsistent, and feedback sometimes felt reactive rather than collaborative. Burnout felt common and largely normalized, with limited flexibility or buffer for illness, disability, or personal needs.

While the organization emphasizes care and support externally, that same level of care was not always reflected internally for staff. The pace and emotional labor required can be difficult to sustain long-term, especially given the compensation.

Overall:
This role may be a good fit for someone early in their career who is comfortable with ambiguity, frequent changes, and high emotional demands. However, I would encourage prospective employees to ask very specific questions about workload, supervision, and work-life balance before accepting a position.

So far my teaching experience here at Eckerd Connects has been great. The students have been a joy to teach and work with, as well as the staff and upper management have been nothing but supportive. I like to make the young people feel special, have fun, but learn in class at the same time. We do special activities to make the classroom experience a more vibrant place to be. Some of the things I have implemented have been something as simple as a team building scavenger hunt exercise, where are young people break off into groups and have to find items from a worksheet and have to present them to me, where the team with the most items found wins, or an exercise called the Assumption Game, where from a brief description of about 10 people, you have to decide who would be a good fit to join your team, you could assume the wrong person for the right person etc. etc., but it’s great to see the young people interact and work together as a team on these exercises. Finally my teaching experience has come full circle as I am the proud creator of the new curriculum here at Eckerd Connects, hoping it’s use will help the young people in our program for years to come.

A typical day at Eckerd was alertness at all times.  The fact that students are juvenile delinquents, it is very important to be self aware and be focused at all times.  

I have learned that not all persons who find themselves on the wrong side of the law are bad.  'Nature versus nurture' plays a big role in how humans turn out in life.  The young people that I worked with deserved a second chance.

Management was very 'near' - they always seem to be there all the time and that type of support in that environment was very necessary.  The support from fellow employees was great as we looked out for each other,

The hardest part of the job was adjusting to new students who themselves needed to adjust to their new 'home' for at least six months.  They are usually very rebellious and disruptive, but being equipped mentally and emotionally to deal with these situations, being the authority figure, I am usually able to restore normalcy.

The most enjoyable part of the job was to see students come into the programme, learn from their msitakes, continue their education and graduate successfully.

A typical day at work consists of contacting formal and informal supports for the families we serve. Daily meetings with the families take place to monitor progress of service providers and school officials. I have learned to make connections in the community to benefit the families. I have also learned how to review charts and paperwork as part of a quality committee. I have learned to train employees in the field in order for the new employees learn different techniques to help the families. Management is a major part of the position; the company ensures that management assist employees with anything they may need. The hardest part of the job is getting the families to connect with the services available and keeping the families engaged in the program. The most enjoyable part of the job is meeting families who are willing to help there children. Another enjoyable part of the job is meeting outside entities in the schools and other agencies and make the necessary connections to benefit those in the different communities.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Career coach 64 salaries reported	$22.99 per hour
Youth counselor 44 salaries reported	$18.00 per hour
Instructor 35 salaries reported	$47,159 per year
Residential advisor 33 salaries reported	$17.64 per hour
Wraparound facilitator 14 salaries reported	$19.13 per hour

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