care associate

direct care worker

recovery specialist

licensed clinical social worker

psychiatric nurse

Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board

Admittedly, the human services field can be challenging though very rewarding; however, for some programs at the CSB, it can be especially difficult because of the management.  In this job, rewards are few.

A typical work day in this particular job requires doing copious  amounts of documentation beyond what you could imagine, seeing several children in the public school environment for individual and group counseling, and visiting classrooms to assist with problematic behaviors/crises. Funding for the service is supplied via Medicaid.

Management is extremely difficult to work for due to condescending attitudes; a micro-management style; a lack of working knowledge and a lack of understanding about the true demands faced by the counselors;  unrealistic and impossible goals; and what seems to be the drive to address billing and financial needs over quality care and ethical concerns for the children or employees.  Add to this, a tendency to be secretive with a large divide between management and "underlings."  One counselor was once heard saying that she felt so excited upon coming on board to assist the students, but soon enough felt "like [she] was a dog waiting to be whipped by a newspaper as soon as [she] walked through the office door." This is the type of Management who will "prove" their worth through documentation.  Even if they attempt to provide quality care, it is most certainly impossible with the expectations. They will claim this is due to the inability of some counselors to balance the inherent duties, but don't believe this: It just isn't true.

Co-workers are usually the best part of the job, along with seeing the children, although even seeing the children becomes more stressful than warranted due to threats of supervision logs (write ups) for not having documentation in within 24 hours, or within a certain time period (normally unreasonable.) Comp time and flextime were not things that were allowed in my experience there, which makes no sense, since work is more demanding at some time than others (depending on caseload, number of reports due for that time period, audits, extra duties, needs of clients and more.) 

If you need experience and good benefits, such as insurance etc., and you are young, this can be a good possible starting point. CSB's are stable in nature, unlike many small businesses that are attempting to obtain a piece of the action. Advancement is for those who have Master's degrees, and are licensed eligible. Advancement will generally be easier for those with less life experience and less competence.  There are employees who have been there for years, only to be fired by a new supervisor with ridiculous expectations. (I wasn't one of those employees, fortunately.)

Not a good agency to work for in regards to support from upper management. I supervised 15+staff and if mistakes were made upper management expected heads to roll. Instead of using a mistake as an opportunity to learn and revise or create needed policies they expectef someone to be fired. I could understand and support that decision if it were warranted however, 99.9% of the time it was not. I spent much time defending my staff to upper management.  They were the most unempathetic group I've ever worked for. I was told by my boss that the Human Resources Department was "consistently inconsistent" which is true of the entire agency and speaks volumes to the type of services the clients are receiving and how staff is treated. Upper management refuses to take any responsibility for program deficiencies and places blame unfairly on staff who have not been properly trained.  Staff is retaliated upon if they speak up about things that should not be happening, I watched this and experienced it first hand on numerous occasions. Expectations are unrealistic if you have a family or want any life outside of work at all.  When I first started I felt like I could possibly retire from this agency and felt very supported. Within a few years there were some changes at the top and it was clear that I was disliked and expendible which was very disheartening as I poured my heart and life into my career. There are a few staff that have worked for the agency for 20+ years and I'm sure they have seen much change over the years.  If you like to feel valued, treated fairly, and have a reasonable workload I would strongly suggest looking elsewhere.



Work-life balance
My experience at Hampton Newport News was Amazing. My first position was a Case Manager and my second role was PACT Clinician. I had Outstanding supervisors in both departments. HNN-CSB training program is one of the best experiences I’ve had with any agency. HR staff are knowledgeable and very professional. I gained a wealth of knowledge in the mental health field at this agency. I had the opportunity to receive supervision towards my LPC licensure as well. My supervisors were professional, knowledgeable and provided me with Outstanding training and guidance. My entire team with Mobile Crisis and PACT were family oriented. I really miss my coworkers and I am honored to have worked with an Amazing group of people.

Pay & benefits
Legal Resources is a great benefit. PTO and sick leave are great benefits as well. By being enrolled in Legal Resources and identity theft I save thousands of dollars towards attorney fees and court cost.

Job security and advancement
You have the opportunity to apply for employment with other programs. You have the opportunity to receive supervision towards LPC or LCSW license.

Management
Management take care of their employees and are genuine concerned with employees professional and personal growth.

Overall
As previously stated before, I had an Amazing experience while working at HNN-CSB. My supervisors and coworkers had my back at all times. The benefits are awesome.

The HNNCSB can be good for a new person in the field that wants to get the experience with children, but can be very stressful for those with experience in the field. There is no room for advance besides getting promoted to supervisor. The hardest part of the job is completing documentation. It can be overwhelming to get done due to amount and lack of time due to client needs. The pay does not compensate for all the stress you endure. You constantly have to adjust changes in caseload and potentially being moved between schools to meet program needs. Most if not all of the time, you have no say so in what happens. The most enjoyable part of the job is seeing students make progress and successfully complete the program.  Management can be difficult to deal with but its based on your individual supervisor. Each supervisor has their own way of doing things as you change supervisors you will have to adjust to their styles of writing and their routine. Co-workers can be great and supportive if you have them at your school, but only if your caseload requires additional counselors. Sometimes you have more clients than you can serve and don't get the additional help that you need.

This agency is great for those who have visions of doing greater things in life. Please use it as a stepping stone and get the experience! The turn over rate is crazy, but they are not doing anything to fix it on the front end. There are no incentives here outside of your supervisor telling you, "great job." so if you have a great annual review, it does not translate to anything, just keep doing a good job and the form gets put in your personal file. You will get more training on the job or with those who have been there for years, than the company and supervisor training you receive. Expect to get cases from people who have left that were not cleaned up or properly monitored by the supervisor. So in essence, headaches and stress continues to be passed around and the cycle just continues. Every year you may get a 2% raise, however there is no room for advancement in this department. Profiler works against employees and it is the WORST investment made by the CSB. Its old and outdated, it deletes your entries, and its difficult to navigate.

As someone who is starting out in the mental health field, this is a great job because it provides you with so much experience working with children who have been diagnosed with mental health conditions. However, the expectations for documentation are high, and it is often difficult to meet both clinical paperwork demands and the needs of the children we are serving. There is little support and understanding from supervisory staff, and much of the counselors' appraisal is based upon their ability to complete paperwork accurately and in a timely manner. There could be more supervisory support with interventions and with clientele in general. Overall, this job has helped me to learn how to work with the mental health population, and has allowed me to utilize the counseling skills I am learning about in school. It has also made me aware of how mental health illness affects children in school and has allowed me to be creative with my interventions. I truly enjoying working with the children and families I serve.

The hiring process, which gets you into what they call your program, or your job title, was quick and easy. Since it is federally funded, you will be required to undergo a drug test, and smoking is prohibited on campus grounds. I was in the 200 building, everyone was welcoming, laid back about the dress code since I was just starting, but it did have some downfalls. I was just thrown into working a very busy front desk after only barely learning the basics of the computer on my first day. My second day I spent in training learning about the company & the said system, but it was not helpful at all. I was not told at all that I would have to message each doctor, nurse, and nurse's chat when each patient came in, so I am doing two check in peoples work for one person. As stated, I barely learned the system and was left to check everyone in while my trainer did her job, not checking on me at all, or maybe sitting with me for a day or two until I fully knew the system. It felt like the person who was training me pawned me off on other people to show me things because they felt I should know it after one day. After all the patients are checked in for the day, there isn't any to do so we just sit around until it was time to clock out 

My experience working at Partners in Recovery was extremely disappointing and unprofessional. Management is disorganized and messy, with little to no accountability. There is a high turnover rate, which speaks volumes about the work environment. HR was not helpful and failed to address concerns when issues were brought forward.

While things appeared supportive and positive at first, that tone quickly changed. Once the “nice” act faded, the environment became hostile. I was spoken to in a condescending manner, treated like a child, and even screamed at for making mistakes instead of being coached or supported. Mistakes were met with intimidation rather than guidance.

The lack of professionalism, support, and respectful communication made it difficult to feel valued or succeed in the role. Employees deserve to be treated with dignity, especially in a field that emphasizes care and recovery. I would strongly encourage leadership to reflect on their management practices and workplace culture.

I agree with many of the reviews in regards to the HNNCSB is a great place to start off because it gives you direct experience with those diagnosed with a mental illness. However, management is horrible and lack compassion for their employees. In addition, many of the supervisors and program managers lack experience in the field therefore are unable to truly empathesize with the employees. The documentation is extensive and is unlike any other skill building program. Management is very secretive and tries to withhold information and errors  in order to make themselves seem proficient at their job.  The overall confidentiality within the HNNCSB between employees is horrible. You can mention confidential information to your supervisor and you can believe that within the next few days that information is made public. Lastly when you are hired for the job they withhold information about the job duties you may have to perform. I would not recommend this company

There is a VERY HIGH turnover rate! They try to train quickly to distribute cases quickly. I did not feel supported when crisis arose with my caseload. I would constantly ask for support and it would not be addressed unless audits or situation became critical. The paperwork and requirements are constantly changing. When you finally get used to the new format new forms are introduced. Due to high caseload I always felt overwhelmed. It was very difficult to balance work and life. I found myself always working late nights and weekends. When you tried to get overtime it was like pulling teeth. There is no way to complete all that is asked in the required shift with high caseload.  When I interviewed I was told a full caseload was 20-25 (NEVER HAD THAT LOW)  more like 35+. This job became more about paperwork and less about the clients. How are you supposed to effectively serve clients if the caseload is always high! 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Care associate 6 salaries reported	$20.19 per hour
Direct care worker 2 salaries reported	$18.94 per hour
Recovery specialist 17 salaries reported	$33,612 per year
Licensed clinical social worker 4 salaries reported	$64,436 per year
Psychiatric nurse 3 salaries reported	$38.50 per hour

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