mental health technician

resident counselor

certified peer specialist

residential counselor

residential aide

Fountain House

It's a wonderful organization, and one would be lucky to find another that matches its zeal and spark.  However, it's model of mental health rehabilitation does not easily translate in the professional realm of social work.  Because the position is generalist in nature, one does not develop a specialty in anything; therefore, he or she may struggle to find firm ground in the clinical world requiring many skills.  The staff and the members  -indeed- a family, and conflicts are resolved very well.  The aim of diversity and inclusion has been very impressive to me.  Nevertheless, there is no room for professional growth that touches the  individual staff in this organization; which isn't bad because there is- indeed- some sort of an equilibrium.  But ambition is real and the cost of living is difficult in the city.  Therefore, a social worker is likely to move on within the next couple of years after hire.

Fountain House is an excellent place to work if you want to focus on education while earning income at the same time. Extremely flexible and accommodating when it comes to taking time off. Very difficult to advance with limited growth. If you want experience working in a social services environment I would absolutely recommend Fountain House. This organization is first class when it comes to helping people improve their lives. Excellent staff that work together to complete tasks. The hardest part of the job is not knowing when it is time to move on. You can get so complacent because of the welcoming atmosphere that before you know it, 3 years has passed by (in my case 6!). The most enjoyable part of the job is meeting the goals of your clients and helping them move forward with their lives.

Like others said, management is terrible on every level. HR is useless and unprofessional. If you stay for a few years, you'll get promoted even if you have no leadership skills. Their promotion practices enable lazy employees to stick around. There are so many awful managers at this organization. Employees who sit around and do nothing are never held accountable and are in fact rewarded. All in all, it's a toxic and exploitative culture. High turnover. Don't buy the union talk - it's a bunch of employees looking out for themselves only. Fountain House has spent millions expanding in the last few years, but continues to underpay their employees and push them to the brink.

Fountain House has a good mission and the members are wonderful.

HR and the Development Department make it a horrible place to work. The mission of Fountain House is to destigmatize mental illness but working for the Development Department as an employee you will develop a mental health issue. They expect you to work day and night and throw your work/life balance out of the window. The CDO runs the department like a tyrant and the senior managers need a life. And forget complaining to HR because they only take the side of upper management. Good luck working for this department.

I've had several temporary jobs through Fountain House. One as a office assistant in the American Stock Exchange where I was extremely productive. I worked as a squad where I coordinated and transported the values of stocks all across the floor. I worked closely with different Brokers and certain times depending on how busy they were. I was extremely busy.

The program highly values its members, but unfortunately not their employees.  There is no professional development or job training, and the supervisory support is minimal. The senior leadership is made up of unqualified people who have been with the organization for decades - very insular program that lacks community partnerships and is not open to change. There is no room for growth past middle management- a job that’s highly demanding and under paid. No limits on caseloads.  Pros: great benefits, the members receive good care, excellent PTO. 

Pros: Staff and members are for the most part great. Generous PTO. Good health insurance and other benefits. Fountain House Workers Union is negotiating a new contract. Fountain House facilities in Bronx and Hells Kitchen are  beautiful, the organization has an admirable mission and you can and will make a real difference in people's lives.   Cons:  Side by side staff and member participation is a great idea but on the other hand, purposeful understaffing sometimes just feels like purposeful overwork.  Pay is low.

Typically I mostly monitor medication intakes, update my case files amd interact with the residents. I learned to work efficiently when it comes to doing paperwork and how to work with out a supervisor on shift. My manager is very understanding and flexible. Coworkers have a strong team dynamic and communicate very well. The hardest part of the job would be keeping track of all appointments of the residents on my case load. The most enjoyable aspect of the job are the conversations I have with the residents.

 As a volunteer with this group I have been able to learn all aspects of it,s work
I began as a client   for t he        care that this organization  is noted for asi had suffered depression As I recovered I eventually became a volunteer  This work is    exciting and you always feel the challange of working  for the recovery of the mentally ill

The mission of Fountain House is an admirable one but senior management are cruel people. They are highly unprofessional (saying inappropriate things to staff) and have unrealistic expectations for working hours ranging hours past your 9am to 5pm schedule. Senior management is very uptight and treat staff like children and do not trust junior staff to complete work. Beware of the Development Department. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Mental health technician 15 salaries reported	$30.58 per hour
Resident counselor 7 salaries reported	$23.48 per hour
Certified peer specialist 5 salaries reported	$24.20 per hour
Residential counselor 1 salary reported	$23.48 per hour
Residential aide 1 salary reported	$23.48 per hour

Working at Fountain House: Company Overview and Reviews

Fountain House

Fountain House Ratings

Popular jobs at Fountain House

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected