case manager

safety supervisor

housing specialist

porter

residential aide

HELP USA

A typical day at work:
A typical day was chaotic and overwhelming. I was expected to complete daily ILPs (Independent Living Plans), assist clients with public assistance issues, and handle administrative tasks. Often, I was asked to cover clients who weren’t even on my caseload due to constant staff shortages. Most days involved scrambling to meet deadlines with minimal guidance or support.

What I learned:
I learned to trust my instincts. This role showed me the importance of having clear training, supportive leadership, and realistic expectations in a workplace. I also gained resilience and a deeper understanding of the challenges low-income populations face—but at the cost of my own mental well-being.

Management:
Management was highly demanding and offered little support. The environment was top-down, with frequent reminders of termination if tasks weren’t completed fast enough. There was little room for learning or professional development.

Workplace culture:
The culture was high-pressure and reactive, not supportive. Staff were burnt out, morale was low, and turnover was extremely high. You constantly felt replaceable. People often left within weeks or a few months, which created instability across teams.

The hardest part of the job:
Balancing an unreasonable workload with almost no support. Having to perform at full capacity after just 30 days of training, while managing complex client cases and navigating unfamiliar systems, was incredibly difficult.

The most enjoyable part of the job:
The only fulfilling part was working directly with clients and helping them access the support they needed. That part reminded me why I chose to work in public health—but unfortunately, the overall environment made it impossible to sustain. Please don’t work for Helpusa.

This agency allows you to assist others within a vulnerable setting such as homelessness, mental health, and domestic violence. The job is not only a day to day however a career in which you are able to become intrinsically motivated in your journey, as well as, becoming a liaison to others quality of life.

The hardest part of this job is to leave work at work. In times of adversity we become our clients "safe place" and there are times when some stories and situations are very hard to leave at work because we are human. 

The work place culture is to assist each client to their success. Meeting clients where they are at and assisting them with goals which have been formulated by them.

The most enjoyable part of this job is watching families and single adults that have suffered significant trauma successfully reintegrate into the communities from which they were snatched from, and regain their independence. 


Everyday that I work at this agency I learn something new about myself and about service delivery. My goal is to assist others and I cannot always expect everything to turn out the way I plan it. I accept each client for their individual self and I stand by "person centered planning" because meeting a client where they are at is the best place for THEM to be and for THEM to move forward from. The thing is, THEY have to want it. 

Lastly, motivational interviewing has been the most successful part of my process as a human service professional. In this method of client assistance I've assisted many clients in their goal achievement.

Management sucks. Too much gossip in the workplace and people become easy targets because people work upon their personal feelings and humiliate you. Everyone wants to be in charge. They step over each other’s toes. Zero communication. There is absolutely no structure in the shelter I worked in. The staff bring you more problems than the clients. Senior female staff enjoy competing against new staff. They act as if the shelter is theirs. There is no professionalism at all. It’s definitely not a place to excel because management take advantage of employees also it’s a dangerous place to work. There are no consequences for people’s actions they’re all condoned by management. There are no safety precautions for the staff nor the clients. And you constantly work under pressure due to managements lack of work. It’s too stressful. They’ll notice how good you work and want more from you. So, your hard work is recognized, but never enough. You’re barely appreciated. I hate to be talked about and talked down too. Staff cannot be trusted well at least where I worked. Words gets around quickly through management. You cannot express concern about anything nor anyone because it’ll turn into gossip. Also, staff often omit information. They only report what’s convenient to them about all situations in the shelter. Most things the CEO doesn’t know. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Engagement with the clients putting smiles on the families faces

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Management considers you to be a team and their really not. Management don't want staff engaging with one another. Its alot of favoritism and clicks. If you not apart of a click then all eyes on you. Too much micromanagement on the wrong things.  There's no real support for families. Management support families when they want and not when its needed. Nobody should have to come to work and stay in one place. Its so much more to say its sad. You start the job happy and leave there miserable and stress because there is no communication. Communication only works for Management when they want it. Management have you working in the freezing cold building for weeks/ months before they decide to send everyone home. If a situation occurs such as a fight, Management wants staff to not get involved and remove the children around the situation and allow the adults to fight. Doesn't provide overtime. Pay to low. Wouldn't recommend anyone to work there. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Work environment can be better but they don't care what's going on. Management only care for their clicks and themselves and their pay. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Too much micro management  every day whether the weather is bad or not. Too stressful

I took this position because of my love and affiliation for the military.  I had the qualifications (in fact overly qualified), experience, and previous military alliance.  The VA was a pleasure to work with, and this interaction has been of great assistance in my departure.  If you have a short time need of a position, it will provide you with a "job."   The time off helps you survive.

The negatives are many.  The management and Las Vegas HR are inept, subpar, and perpetrating a con job on the VA, their New York office, veterans, and employees.  Be very careful.  If you have supreme experience, do not work here.  For those positions not in need of education, be careful, management and their following will not treat you well.  The location is a necessary evil of the job but be cautious if you must work by yourself, at night or weekends as it is an awful area.  Unfortunately, the security is unable, some unwilling, and others unaware of what is needed to keep other staff safe.  

The New York headquarters will offer an ear but nothing more.  There are those above you who embellish their credentials, micromanage, and disrespect both the veterans (their first client), the VA ( their dollar) and employees with education and experience.  You will not be paid your vacation or sick time when you leave so use it often and do not allow it to accumulate.

Make this your last choice.

Should been a great place to work because the clients really appreciate you. Many were super friendly and didn't hesitate to draw me a picture or write me a poem. Management was the problem. The lack of professionalism was unmatched. Never have I worked at a place were the ED cursed and carried on as if she was at a bar. The staff was extremely scared to speak up for fear of losing their jobs. HR is a complete joke, all they do is record complaints and nothing is done about it. You can basically record your boss cursing you out on a daily basis (not exaggerating, the Executive Director was a beast at making anyone turned off by her abrasive nature.) Lack of professionalism  made that place horrible, turn over was inevitable. Staff was over worked ; no one knew what the other was doing. Everyone did things according tho their own policies. Anyone with a brain would be frustrated on a daily basis just trying to cope with the ghetto behaviors of the staff. Drug use, employees engaging in suspicious activities, cover ups, favoritism, not to mention the few illegal acts staff there was a mess. Moving on is the best thing about HELP, they teach you to appreciate corporate jobs so much more. 

I work the overnight shift. There are people who work the shift before me that don't do simple things to complete their part of the job. The night crew winds up having to pick up their slack. The night crew has more paperwork to do. It's not too bad but it's easier if others would put in information that is vital to getting things done properly.  Management has now taken away chairs. They, for some reason,  is blaming the home office.  It's hard to do paperwork standing up and also, standing  for 8 hours with downtime is ridiculous.  It's a family shelter,  now a venue where guards must stand.  Managers expect you to do whatever is expected,  however,  there are things that do not get done on their end at all. They pass the blame to other people and make excuses.  I also work in Mount Vernon, NY so I was told that for that reason, I get paid lower wages than someone who in my position,  in the same  company,  but a different location,  such as the Bronx,  makes $2 more. I think it's very unfair. The building itself is falling apart.  There's  always  repairs to be done, IT also has to constantly repair equipment for us to use on the job. Also, even with an exterminator coming once a month, the place is infested with all sorts of insects as well as rodents.  I was desperate for a job when I took the position, otherwise,  I would  have never bothered.

HELPUSA . If you are looking for a company that has career growth then you’ll find that you can be promoted from maintenance to management with little or no training needed at all. But keep in mind that the quality of employees are only as good as the employer. I believe that most people work at this place, or places; because they have a few, because of the relationships that they build with their coworkers. But as a company, they don’t offer all of the benefits to the average worker’s. That means that you’re not going to benefit from the things they tell you they offer because the average worker doesn’t make enough. This is not a good company to be a security officer, or a caseworker, or work anyplace other than the central office. They have all the perk’s. I was working at one of their Brooklyn locations and called the central office for information, they didn’t even recognize the location I was calling from. That will hopefully tell you that people get away with what they want to do rather than follow the rules they make up. Hmmmm. Aha. You get it…


A typical day at work is crazy. There is no structure within the program, from Social Services to Safety. I have learned to be more of a self starter and not rely on the "knowledge" of the management team. I have learned to work, even better, in a team setting. My co workers are what keep me coming to work everyday. We try to build each other up by supporting each other. There is a huge disconnect between the Managment (Executive Director and Team Leader) and the social service staff (Case managers and housing specialist). The hardest part about this job is that we as staff do not have control of the building. The clients are able to say and do, pretty much, whatever they want to.

Overall, I dont recommend HELP USA, to anyone, if they are looking to be a Case manager, Housing Specialist, or any other position below the Administrative level. They pay people that work at the central office, downtown Manhattan, the top dollars, and forget about everyone else. Executive Directors get a pretty penny, so they do not count!

Accounted for time and attendance daily
checked log book for activities on the night shift
co-chaired the daily morning meetings
checked staff 's roster to inquire how long a client has been on their caseload and the progress of such clients, so that client can be on the weekly night client review
Audited staff's client list, and conducted chart reviews
Mediated between staff/client conflict and staff/staff conflicts
Conversed with DHS,section 8, and other resources for clients
Made psychiatric appointments for my case load of Mentally ill, terminally homeless Vets.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Case manager 127 salaries reported	$25.53 per hour
Safety supervisor 87 salaries reported	$22.45 per hour
Housing specialist 49 salaries reported	$23.48 per hour
Porter 61 salaries reported	$17.74 per hour
Residential aide 53 salaries reported	$17.61 per hour

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