direct support professional

case planner

youth counselor

activity specialist

residence manager

HeartShare

My work day consisted of me assisting individuals with developmental disabilities.  I enjoyed working with the individuals.  However management made my job harder because they would always delegate task instead of asking for input or feedback.  Supervisors and managers showed a lot of favoritism when it came to giving out overtime, mandating workers to stay and preparing the weekly schedules.  You do not get a lunch break, so if you are religious and don't eat certain foods, you'll have little time to eat what you bring to work because your expected to eat with the residents.  If an allegation is made, you are usually suspended with out any cause and then are never provided with details on why you are suspended.  If you go to an investigation meeting and asked to sign documents, you will not be given a copy of them.  A worker does not assist in objectives and ways to implement their daily goals.  I think this is the biggest mistake since direct care professionals work with the individuals for the most of the time.  Overall, i would not recommend this agency to anyone.  Through my research i have found that they pay their management and general services too much.  They should focus on providing better services than paying their high ranking professionals.  I learned how to assist clients with their daily living activities.  I taught them how to enhance their socialization skills, make their beds, do laundry and learn new sign language.  The hardest part of the job is going to work when theirs no motivation.  The most enjoyable part for me was seeing the smiles on my individuals when i helped them accomplish a goal.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Job satisfaction came from working with the people we support from the very dependent to generally independent.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Almost every pay period. Even if it was submitted with the correct hours main office payroll department made changes which then needed correction. They need you for overtime yet somehow do not give all the overtime earned. They remind you that it is a business and paperwork needs to be completed yet forget that you are working not volunteering, therefore you expect payment.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
You job location may be okay as I have done part time in four locations while building overtime hours. However, main office (when connected to the appropriate extention) do not answer their phones. You can leave messages, but they do not call back. The best advice I received was to accompany the phone calls with emails for paper trail. Not sure it helped with responses but it made me feel better just in case I decided to take the matter to the Labor Department. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
When interacting with the individuals, if this is something you enjoy, it's the highlight of working there. They are funny, and have such personalities. If they are non-verbal just look at their expressions, signs, gestures, etc. Behaviors such as those that needs to be discouraged will occur but recording is key since that allows for the proper plans to be written.

I would not recommend this place to anyone. Compensation is lower compared to other organizations in the city, management does not care about their employees, everyone is overworked, HR NEVER responds to emails or phone calls even though it is their job to help the employees, and Payroll made multiple mistakes regarding my pay while I was there. I have never worked at a more incompetent and poorly run place and the turnover rate reflects that. When team members left, my manager did not replace them, but instead made me continue to do all their work WITHOUT additional pay. In talking to others at the agency, I realized this is the norm. When the boiler broke in our building, my coworkers and I complained multiple times and all the company did was provide the cheapest, most inefficient space heaters and forced us to work in cold rooms when it was 20 degree weather outside. I cannot in good conscience tell anyone to work here and you would be better off at another nonprofit in the city. The final push for me to find another job was having managers that were overbearing and expected you to drop everything and stop your lunch break to do what they asked, even though they were rarely showing up to the office themselves, never replied to emails, and refused to provide or approve any professional growth opportunities you asked about.

My experience at this job was disappointing. There was no proper training, no introductions, and very little guidance. I was thrown into the role without clear expectations and was still held accountable for things I was never properly shown. I was written up for something I truly don’t believe I did wrong, and from that point on, it felt like management was trying to find a reason to terminate me.

Despite the disorganization, lack of staff, and absence of guidance, I still did my best every day to fulfill my responsibilities and contribute to the team.

There was also a clear sense of favoritism. Certain individuals had close personal ties which created an uneven dynamic. I was never given the same chance to build that kind of connection or feel part of the inner circle, and it affected the overall atmosphere and sense of fairness.

That said, the teacher’s and teacher’s aids I worked alongside were great. They were hardworking, supportive, and committed, even while being short-staffed and often unable to take proper breaks or lunches. I truly commend them for how much they carried despite the pressure.

If you’re considering this job, I’d suggest asking detailed questions about training, communication, and how management supports their team. My experience felt unbalanced and isolating.

I have worked for this company for the past thirteen years.  It is working for this company where I have discovered what it is I wish to do with my future career.  Advancement opportunities are readily available.  The company is growing rapidly and I have had all the opportunities offered to me to participate in any and all the advancement opportunities available to me in the company.  A typical day at work currently is assisting my other co workers in their transitions that is mandated by the governor, as well as looking for a new Assistant Coordinator.  I currently supervise twenty-two individuals over fifty line staff and twelve clinical staff.  I love my job and love helping people with special needs.  I travel to Albany annually for the past three years to advocate for funding as well as services required for the people I serve.  I take on the new challenges handed to me with the constant change in regulations regularly and i am not afraid to ask questions when I need help.  I am a go getter and a quick study and take pride in all work that I do, I know that i would be an asset to your company, although it will be bitter sweet to leave my current job it is time for me to move on.

I come into work prepared to make my clients day as safe and comfortable as possible. We have to check the schedule to see which groups we have and what activities is on schedule for the day. We greet our clients coming in from their daily programs. We administer medications to the ones who need it in our Med Room.  We give them snacks, and do their daily goals with them, which are done throughout the evening. We take them out into the community for store runs or to whatever activity is on the program for the day. We bring them in and serve them dinner. We also assist them with their hygienic needs. Then they relax, watch T.V. and then go to bed. 

The best part is making them happy and comfortable. The hardest part is not knowing how to determine what may their problem when they have behaviors, which can occur at any time. My co-workers were a good team because it took team work to keep our house running smoothly. Management is usually available whenever needed and was easy to talk to. I learned that our clients are more like us then we know.

The job can be as easy or as hard as you want it to be. Everyone seemed professional, and if there was gossip, I never knew about it. 

Because the job was fieldwork, I made a lot of connections with people from outside agencies, which is helpful if you want to grow in the social work space. Management is hit or miss, depending on who you have. Some will work with you and your outside goals, others will not. 

Some teams have high turnover because supervisor expectations are too high. Only two Supervisors have retained most of their workers for more than a year, and they are fantastic.

I left because my supervisor,  (not one of the two mentioned above) started micromanaging everyone, regardless of my ten years of experience. So, everyone on my team quit. They need to learn that you cannot manage everyone the same way. But the job is good if your only focus is getting hands-on experience. Outside of their management style, they know their stuff.

My shift begins waiting for our clients to come in from their daily programs. With assistance from other staff, we assist the clients with emptying their lunch bags, & hanging up their jackets once they're home.They then go wash their hands for snacks. The individuals that take medication go to the nurses office before snacks. If we have an activity planned for the day we'll go out with them. When we return, the clients assists us with preparing dinner set-up as well as clean-up. Then we do their daily goals with them, which are prepared by the psychologist or the QMRP. After these duties are done, we assist them with their bathing. For those who receive evening medication they go back down to the nurses office before going to bed. The hardest part is if we have to deal with a behavior. The most enjoyable part is watching their progress, seeing them content, and comfortable.

NIGHTMARE ON BOERUM PLACE- upper management does not support the employees. I had no formal training when I joined, was not introduced to the agency forms, who to submit it to, did not have access to a computer for my first 3 weeks, etc. I asked my director for assistance daily; she scheduled supervision but never showed up. Then 3 months in I was told I do not submit paperwork on time and was behind in notes. They were totally oblivious to the fact that I was not taught who, when, where, how for this agency plus notes would be behind since I did not have access to a computer nor did I have a username and password to log-in on any computer.
After continuously asking my director for assistance and getting no help, I started asking other staff members, but then my director accused me of being insubordinate and threatened to write me up for asking for help. I went to her boss and was told they need someone who is "competent". This is no place I would ever refer anyone who's looking for work.

A typical day at Heartshare deals with helping the consumers and their problems, health problems, over all changes they are feeling.
Each day one can learn something from the consumers this is the most enjoyable part dealing with people direct.

 The work place culture is good overall the staff works well and cares for the consumers. This range from cleaning , cooking, medication, wash, and any other function that has to be done. 

  I did the medication part and learned a lot about each person and any changes they experience. This is a importance part of the job that one must learn. Also dealing with management in this part of the employment, I had paper work and computer data to enter.
   
  Overall this type of work I learned to keep a open mind and take note of all changes for the best and worst of each day. The consumers have a way to grow on you. This is the best part of job because I saw ways to help them and see some changes.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Direct support professional 404 salaries reported	$19.40 per hour
Case planner 31 salaries reported	$28.01 per hour
Youth counselor 35 salaries reported	$22.96 per hour
Activity specialist 19 salaries reported	$18.28 per hour
Residence manager 46 salaries reported	$66,236 per year

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