registered nurse

mental health technician

social worker

patient accounts representative

referral specialist

Friends Hospital

This is one of the nastiest places I have ever worked at. As a stationary, you will not have much time to spend in the boiler room. You will unclog defecated shower drains, toilets and sinks. You will also change light bulbs, start up low pressure steam boilers, fix  furniture, replace a/c’s  ,tile  showers, change filters  and other irrelevant jobs  in the other buildings. Meanwhile, 3 fire tube boilers will overfill through the passing valves. In your night shift you will work as a security guard to lock and unlock doors through the whole hospital; and, at the same time answer maintenance and any other calls. So by the end of the shift in the morning you will be completely exhausted.  Basically, you will work as a maintenance man/security officer who once in a while visits the actual boiler room, in order to see if it has overfilled or shut down.
Compensation there is also one of the lowest in the industry. You will be lucky if you get $ 19/ hr. In 2012 my coworker with more than 40 years of experience as a stationary engineer for Sunoco and a few hospitals on interview with the Friends hospital was offered $ 15/ hr. You will work a rotational shift, because you will have the lowest seniority.  Most of the time, you will work as a maintenance man and work as a stationary engineer only when they need you to. If somebody calls out, you will have to fill that person’s spot. Most of the time, you will found out around 3-4 pm that you will have to come back at 11 pm to work the night shift. However, the next day you will be off because they are very strict on overtime. All the buildings and tunnels between them are very old and unpleasant. Boilers and boiler room equipment is very old and exhausted. You will work with #6 oil and your uniform will be dirty and smell. You cannot trust your coworkers, because they will rat you out. The managers also look at you as a number that can and will be easily replaced after a couple of small mistakes. You will also be working among ill and unpredictable people who will try to steal your tools. You will also get calls to obtain the mentally unstable patients hanging onto a tree outside 20 feet from the ground.
Good luck.

My day normally starts off with me arriving at the office of the Autism Center and checking off the phone messages, making sure that I respond to all inquiries in a timely fashion. Then throughout the day I would assist the Human Resource personnel with filing, copying, faxing, and mailing patient documents ensuring that everything is done in compliance with company's policies and procedures. I would make sure to verify and manage all patient data as well as employee data before inputting them in the Microsoft Excel Management Reports. Throughout the day, I would also submit updated employee data reports after having them assembled, prepared, and analyzed. On patient visit days, I would make sure to kindly greet patients, take down their names, and have them take a seat in the waiting area until they are seen by a doctor.
What I have learned from this experience, is to work independently but in accordance with the organization's standards so as to provide quality services. I have worked under no direct supervision and times and that has made me more confident in my abilities to get the job done the right way. It was my fortune to work amongst excellent co-workers who were always willing to help out or give advice. There was no sense of hierarchy at this place, as all employees were interconnected with one another. Also, my manager was excellent as he always checked to see how we were doing on a weekly basis. He was always willing to answer any questions or concerns as well as provide and intake feedback on how things should change for the better.
Basically, the most enjoyable part of my job was interacting with employees and patients. This was a part of the day I enjoyed the most as I got to interact with people and learn something new about each and everyone of them. I didnt feel that there was any part of my job that was hard.

A typical work day at Friends Hospital begins with verbal and written report from the CNO and nurse managers regarding any abnormal events that have occurred in the previous 24 hours.  Then I will assess the staffing needs for the next shift.  I prepare my staffing sheets so that while performing rounds through the hospital I can recruit any staff that may be needed to fill staffing needs.  I then go to every unit in the hospital to obtain the patient census and provide any needed support the staff of the units.  This gives me the opportunity to visit with both staff and patients.  I respond to any emergencies that may arise.  These can be anything from medical, behavioral, or environmental.  I collaborate with on-call management to solve any issues that may arise.  At the end of the shift I assign all staff to their appropriate units for the next shift and report any events to the oncoming supervisor.  I have learned exceptional management skills since transitioning from charge nurse of the Crisis unit to nursing supervisor for the hospital.  It takes a village to run a hospital and through positive communication with the staff we are able to maintain a therapeutic, safe environment for our patients.  The hardest part of my job is recruiting enough staff to meet the needs of the hospital.  The most enjoyable part of my job is being able to interact wit both staff and patients.  I enjoy being able to problem solve with the support of my staff.

You don't want to work here. The grounds are beautiful. And many of the employees are friendly and helpful. It's the management, especially the HR dept that is cold, detached, punitive and treat you like a second grader. If you are a social worker they pay you a lousy $23 a hour. What a joke. A secretary practically makes that! And that's what they pay someone with a master's degree? A joke. The good part about the place is that as jobs go, it is low stress. But if there is a problem management does not warn you. They just let you go. The director of HR, who I will not name, is a cold corporate type guy who couldn't care less about you. If you are new you are considered expendable. One mistake and you are gone. Also you need a car to get there. The hospital is out of the way and public transportation takes for ever. You could literally wait an hour for the bus to get home! This is a good place to work if you are a psychiatrist or established. Other than that they obviously couldn't care whether or not you succeed, and they will get rid of you during orientation even before you start. A woman in HR talks to you like you are in 2nd grade. "You need to get upstairs" is just one of many examples. I think she should have been a cop or detective or in the military. If you are getting paid well it's worth it. If not..... you will feel expendable and not appreciated. Obviously, they don't care about you. And you are on your own.

As a former employee in the role of a mental health technician, I feel it is important to share my experiences to provide a clear picture of the working environment.

Horrible Working Conditions: The job was extremely demanding, yet the compensation did not reflect the effort and risks involved. Mental health technicians were consistently underpaid despite the critical nature of our work and the high levels of stress we faced daily.

Safety Concerns: The work environment felt highly unsafe. There were numerous instances where safety protocols were not adequately followed, putting both staff and patients at risk. The lack of adequate training and support further exacerbated these issues.

Invasion of Privacy: One of the most unsettling aspects was the constant surveillance. The company monitored employees extensively via cameras, creating an atmosphere of mistrust and discomfort. It felt like a gross invasion of privacy and undermined the trust between the staff and management.

Toxic Management: The behavior of the nursing staff and upper management was deeply concerning. There was a prevalent culture of gaslighting, where legitimate concerns raised by employees were dismissed or twisted to make us feel unreasonable. This not only created a toxic work environment but also eroded any sense of support or fairness.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Everyone is amazing. The CNO,ADON, Nurse managers, nurses, Lead BHTs,  dietary, staff, human resource department, social workers, housekeepers and maintenance crew. Literally everyone, it is a warm and welcoming environment, and my only issue was I couldn't be in the area longer. My departure was not something I wanted, it was because I had to put my newborn baby first. I actually loved my position, the support I received and the place was like walking into a second home. I truly miss working there. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part was other people calling out and not showing up for their shifts. It is a hospital and many of the people become burnt out from working extra that it leaves people short, and then the scramble begins. It was always covered at last minute but it was a stressor. Their staffing coordinator is amazing 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Like family. People often greeted one another with a kind word or a hug. Almost always was friendly banter and people remembered your name. It was unlike anywhere I have ever worked before. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Chaos. Every nursing job in every hospital is. It is filled with loyalty, humanity and care.

Friends hospital was a great place to work when we had management that was professional, caring and not all about the money. Friends hospital was known for looking out for you and your family. Especially when in need of care.  In the 90s and early 2000s IT was the best hospital as far as management being right there for an employee and their family. Then management start changing to people who had no people skills with caring, safety and even fairness to the patients. It became all about the money and the cheapest way of their stay there. Patients were getting discharged in the same mentally unstable way they had been admitted. Patients were actually being abused by staff. I have no experience with any other Mental health hospital. I just pray that the things i seen at FRIENDS is not happening at other hospitals. Especially one of UHS's hospitals "Brookglenn, Horsham, Fairmount, Foundations etc.' When I started FRIENDS hospital over 20 years ago I loved my job, the hospital and co-workers. Now I wouldn't want a family member admitted there. In the past I have had many family and friends admitted to this hospital.  Now i don't trust the people who work there at all. Cannot believe It has come to this opinion of mine about FRIENDS HOSPITAL ( SO SAD)

My day usually included arriving at 6am, to help with tray line, inspect all refrigerators for labeling and temp logs, placing an order up to $8000 twice a week, receiving and stocking those orders twice a week, writing the cafe menu, payroll, schedule writing, training, cooking, filling out work order tickets, P&L reports, helping with dinner tray line and going home around 5pm.  I have learned more in the past two years about Human resources, disciplinary filing, money and people management than I have in my entire career.  
My management was often impatient and inappropriate, but very informative and a great teacher.  I would have to say the most challenging part of this job was keeping him calm enough to understand the information I was giving him; a very outwardly stressed fellow, often making we nervous rather than focused.  My employees were also difficult at times, but in the end they were family and hard workers. 
The best part of the job was the satisfaction i got form the patients and clinical staff.  They often complimented my work in the department and often asked me to be part of performance improvement committees. I was extremely proud of what we accomplished together.

Workplace culture is MISERABLE.

Most employees are completely burnt out and in need of some serious self-care. Benefits/vacation/days-off time takes years to build in one of the most STRESSFUL fields/areas you can work in (the irony). 

Management is HORRID. The turnover of director positions happens at least once-twice a year because no one can stand those positions before running out of the door.  So prepare to have continuously changing coworkers, supervisors and directors (because in one year, I had SEVERAL of each).

There is a lot of click-y/catty behavior from coworkers. I've blatantly been lied about to management who chose to believe lies rather than the available proof due to her friendship with my coworker. The definition of childish, high school behavior. If I wanted to feel like I was in High school again, I would've taken up a job in one.

I really enjoyed working with the patients & in the workplace setting BUT it's the employed who make the job miserable. A lot of cleaning of house needs to be done in several departments before this becomes a bearable work environment. But until then, avoid. Apply elsewhere.

Friends Hospital is your typical mental health facility.  They like to claim that their priorities are aimed at servicing clients as opposed to prioritizing employees but I'm sure some clients would disagree.  I have not been there long and I only work part-time but there seems to be a mass exodus of employees searching for better salaries and more opportunities for advancement.  To be honest the job is ok with me, being as though I am only part-time but I have been in the field for some time so I knew what to expect.  This seems to be the status quo among all mental health and direct care facilities, where employees feel overused and undervalued.  Other companies promise a better culture and better salaries but in this field you have to understand that the work with the clients can be very stressful at times regardless of the company you work at.  Having a positive work culture is very important to keeping employees, I would like to say just as valuable as salaries.  Friends isn't the worse place I've worked because there are some very good people there but it's nothing to rave about because it's pretty much in line with many of the other facilities I've worked at.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Registered nurse 1 salary reported	$44.00 per hour
Mental health technician 3 salaries reported	$17.36 per hour
Social worker 1 salary reported	$29.78 per hour
Patient accounts representative 1 salary reported	$26.35 per hour
Referral specialist 1 salary reported	$25.00 per hour

Working at Friends Hospital: Company Overview and Reviews

Friends Hospital

Friends Hospital Ratings

Popular jobs at Friends Hospital

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected