crisis counselor

youth specialist

law enforcement officer

care coordinator

liaison

Foundation 2

I’ve worked at the Linn County Mental Health Access Center as a Foundation 2 Crisis Counselor for a little over two years. The best parts of the job are the team, the mission, and the overall culture. Most coworkers genuinely support each other, and the work itself feels meaningful.

That said, there are some real challenges. Burnout is common due to staffing issues and the emotional weight of the work. Communication can be inconsistent, pay isn’t great for the level of responsibility, and safety concerns come up more often than they should. Upper management could also be more present and supportive.

Day-to-day work includes waiting for clients to come in for triage, answering phones, completing follow-ups, documenting in CareLogic, and sometimes cleaning. It’s not always glamorous, but it’s steady.

I would still recommend this job as an entry-level position, especially for students. The flexibility is a big plus, and they allow downtime for schoolwork. I also completed my practicum here, which was a valuable experience.

There is a lack of support for and among shelter staff. They do not train you or prepare you for the potential situations you may face. Everything is "on the job training" which is meaningless when you don't learn what you need to know within the first few months and no one actually trains you while "on the job". They rely heavily on whatever previous experience you may have. The work environment can be toxic. Leadership does not uphold expectations or policies well, which can lead to issues for staff who try to. COVID-19 is not taken seriously by leadership or most staff. They try to be trauma informed, but could do better, especially by supporting staff and being more consistent accross the board.

Foundation 2 is an excellent place to work. It is a crisis center (among other departments) with both remote and in person employees. Taking calls on a suicide and crisis line while looking up information, providing support and making appropriate documentation l. Strong leadership and supportive supervisors. A place where every colleague has your back. Hardest part of the job was moving on. Working with the great people both on the team and the clients. Knowing you are doing something with a bigger purpose brings the greatest rewards. 

F2 is a great place to work.  There is a dynamic workplace with a great team of people who truly care about helping both fellow employees and others in the community.  The agency has a great reputation in the area for a reason!  Salaries are fair, especially for the nonprofit sector, and the benefits are definitely above-average.  Generous PTO, mental health days, and access to career-building training and experience also help make this a fantastic place to work.

Due to the nature of the Access Center, there was often idle time. One thing that was beneficial while being there was
I was certified in ASIST. I do not feel that I was supported by management, my direct supervisor did not advocate for me. Most enjoyable part was working with the clients

Loved it for the work I did with the kids, absolutely hated interacting with management. Anything you do that they disagree with, even when there is a positive outcome, is punished. They want you to be a robot to do a job that they can barely do themselves. They’re bullies. Don't sit in the chairs or they’ll write you up. 

I came to Foundation 2 after leaving a toxic local non-profit and couldn’t be happier. F2 has a good culture and work/life balance.With benefits dollars the pay isn’t bad, but higher pay is really the only thing I would change about my job. Supervisors are supportive and coworkers are helpful. I love that every day is different and I get to grow as a counselor every day.

Foundation 2 staff care deeply about serving the agency mission. The counselors are reliable and well-trained to do their job. The leadership team is open to feedback and change that will support staff and mission. The benefit package makes Foundation 2 salaries higher paying than most other nonprofits in the area.

This is a fabulous place to work. I am very impressed with the workplace culture, committed management, and a very flexible work life balance. The hardest part is getting familiar with the resources in the 5 counties we serve, and even that was pretty smooth!

Co-workers are great. Management needs improvement. Benefits are good, that helps compensate for pay rate. Challenging work but working on a good team is helpful. No weekends off unless requested in advance. 10 hour shifts. If you do not have experience working with high need youth, it can be very difficult.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Crisis counselor 61 salaries reported	$19.18 per hour
Youth specialist 3 salaries reported	$15.00 per hour
Law enforcement officer 3 salaries reported	$22.00 per hour
Care coordinator 2 salaries reported	$19.25 per hour
Liaison 5 salaries reported	$19.50 per hour

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