mental health case manager

driver

addiction counselor

program counselor

director

Helping-Hand-Behavioral-Health

Update (6/15/25): If I had a nickel for every time this company got a 5-star review right after receiving a negative one (after otherwise having months of no review activity), I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.  It happened right after a critical review was posted on 3/8, with 2 back-to-back 5-star reviews being posted for the same location less than 2 weeks later, and again with this review (originally posted on 5/30), which was followed by a 5-star review 3 days later for the same location (again, after months of having no review activity otherwise). The positive reviews could very well have been posted in good faith, but the timing of the positive reviews were too convenient to ignore. Keep this in mind when reading the reviews.

Original Review (5/30/25): I had a lot of love for certain parts of my job at Helping Hand Behavioral Health. The clients were amazing and working alongside my coworkers was one of the few highlights of my time there. The camaraderie and support among the team really helped keep things going in a very challenging environment.

Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. The company itself was incredibly poorly managed. We were consistently and severely understaffed, which meant that the workload and caseload was much higher than what was promised during hiring, largely due to the job's high turnover rate and the revolving door of employees constantly coming and going. Everyone was either on the verge of burnout or already deep in it. I often found myself drowning in tasks, taking work home regularly just to keep my head above water. Nights, weekends, and vacations were rarely my own.

Although management would occasionally acknowledge that I was overloaded and "offer" help, this usually involved giving me one day where I could focus on just my work without anything else, but it didn't amount to much since I was given so many responsibilities. There were no meaningful changes to my caseload, workload, or expectations, and any offer of assistance often ended up being another way to pile more responsibility on without proper support.

The culture around stepping up was especially toxic. Going the extra mile was seen less as dedication and more as an opportunity to exploit your willingness, with little to no appreciation or compensation in return.

Management would rather lose or let go hardworking, dedicated employees than confront or correct a fundamentally flawed and unsustainable system. Instead of listening to staff feedback or investing in solutions, they allowed a toxic cycle of burnout and attrition to continue unchecked. Burnout wasn’t a risk, but rather a guarantee that was baked into the very structure of how the place operated.

Don’t get me wrong, Helping Hand Behavioral Health can be a decent place to go for a few months if you're looking to gain entry level experience in the mental health field and can overlook the lack of compensation. It can offer hands-on exposure to meaningful client work and can be a valuable stepping stone for early-career professionals. HOWEVER, it is NOT a realistic or sustainable long-term job. There are many better places that will give you the experience AND a living wage.

In short: amazing clients, the best coworkers, but a workplace that drains you dry and offers little in return.


Helping Hand Behavioral Health is a good place to get your foot in the door of a mental health career, and it does not offer much to its employees beyond that.  The starting salary for case managers is shockingly low, which they justify by saying it is an entry-level position.  Along with the very low starting salary, the benefits options are limited and HR gives very little notice when changing the health insurance plans.  The most difficult part of the job is the deadlines.  You will be expected to think up new group activities and write treatment plans, weekly reports, and group reports for 15+ clients, all within the 14-17 hours per week you spend not facilitating group program.  Good luck with overtime to get all this paperwork done because "that's one of the drawbacks of a salaried position"... even though your salary, once converted to 40 hours per week, is equivalent to 47 cents above minimum wage.  The high level of responsibility and planning required for the position are absolutely not worth the pay you receive.  But according to Helping Hand, if you want to get your start in mental health, you have to grin and bear it.

The clients are easily the best part of working there.  It is a shame that many of them are reluctant to connect with their case managers because they don't believe they will be working there for very long.

They know this is going to be your first job in mental healthcare, so they have no qualms about high turnover because every May there will be a new crop of graduates with no experience to replace you once you've had enough or been around long enough to ask for a raise.  They had to  replace the entire office's staff of case managers twice in one year.  

Pay is low for demands expected. Case workers must facilitate groups, write treatment plans and daily/weekly progress notes, schedule appts and transportation, drive clients to/from appts/program, serve meals, maintain a caseload of 16+ and more. Management is unorganized, unprofessional and unreliable. Very poor communication between management, case workers, and other staff. Health insurance is expensive for the least amount of coverage ($200 a month). Many employees stay after hours or work at home (unpaid) to meet deadlines. The clients are the best part but unfortunately their needs are not met as case workers are trained incorrectly and burned out. Despite being understaffed management continue to complete intakes and increase caseloads. The program is not completely in person due to COVID so some clients come into the building but the others receive telehealth services. There are no strict rules regarding employee vaccination or testing. Lunch is provided most days but depends on if there is enough for the clients. This job does give great experience in the field and can work with you if you go to school, but can be very frustrating due to miscommunication and staffing issues. 

With the help of my coworkers I was able to have an idea on how to do my job correctly. I was never given any training (promise they would never did). If things need fixing or we need proper healthy meals for clients its no one to depend on. Management hides in their offices and case managers run the program 95% of the time. I remember running around with my other coworkers trying to constantly figure out what to feed the clients. We were expected to clean, feed, group facilitate 2-3 groups a day, work on recovery planning, talk to your 12-20 clients within a week. Be careful respectfully speaking up for yourself or as a team of coworkers at meetings. Management has not taken care of any concerns of the staff and clients. Some clients were often told by management to not come to treatment and instead work for daybreak and stay home. Clients end up missing proper care from case managers. Many clients are not receiving proper care and food. Lack of staff causes others to have to learn other positions quickly which leads to burnout and not being able to produce great quality work. 

Great place to learn but terrible in every other way. The pay is literally an insult to all of humanity and is not worth the stress and the amount of work. You could literally go work at Walmart or any fast food place and make more. It's impossible to do any case management (which you know the position is a case manager... go figure) when you're running 5 groups a day and don't even get a break for lunch. Being a lunch lady isn't part of your job description but guess what? You get to do that too! Some days are extremely hard with the clients. They don't listen and get mad at you over things you can't control. Other days are great. You never know what you're going to get (kind of like a box of chocolate). Now for management... They're pretty much absent and case managers run the program 95% of the time. Management gets holidays off but CMs don't so you'll really be running the show by yourself then. Oh management will also send you emails at all hours of the night so make sure your phone notifications are shut off if you don't want to be woken up ;)

This was by far the worst place I’ve ever worked. The overall environment was extremely disappointing, with poor conditions that negatively affected both clients and staff on a daily basis. Basic standards of care and professionalism were not consistently met, creating a stressful and uncomfortable atmosphere. Employees were often overworked, under-supported, and not given the resources needed to perform their jobs effectively. What made the situation even worse was the clear unequal treatment among staff. Favoritism was evident, and policies were not applied fairly or consistently. Some employees were held to different standards than others, which led to frustration and low morale across the team. Communication from management was lacking, and concerns raised by staff were often ignored rather than addressed. Overall, it was an unhealthy work environment that failed to support its employees or provide quality conditions for those being served.

Helping Hand is entry-level, so although this job will help you "cut your teeth" in the world of psychology and mental health, this company is NOT worth the hassle. You can expect to be cursed at by their witchy office manager who gets away with anything (harassment, racism, threats, bullying, etc.) You can also expect to be give so much work that you will NEVER meet your deadlines. The last thing HHBH cares about is their employees and their clients. Clients are viewed by management as dollar signs. You will be forced to vouch for awful slum lord and boarding homes. You will be ignored if you complain or bring concerns to HR. The ad says they offer benefits. The packages are horrid. You can't afford the packages based on the salaries given. Stay away from this place. There are better places in the area. Nobody deserves to work here. 

I worked here from November 2024-March 2025. 

Management was disengaged and provided little to no meaningful supervision or support. Serious concerns regarding client care and safety were raised but not appropriately addressed, reflecting a lack of accountability and follow-through from leadership. Effective client advocacy was difficult without active supervisory involvement.

This role is one of the lowest-paying yet most demanding positions in the field, requiring a bachelor’s degree while carrying high caseloads and significant responsibility. Despite this, leadership made no visible effort to improve conditions or support staff. Frontline caseworkers worked hard under pressure, but the absence of ethical, responsive leadership was a consistent issue. 


The pay is so low your better off working in retail you will make the same salary and work less. Staff are nice to your face atleast but behind your back thats a different story. My supervisor would only speak to me through email even when we were in the same room and reframed from giving me any direction until I was pulled into the office with her and her supervisor for meetings about my performance. Not a good environment to learn the business in and if you have prior experience the pay is still to low they will never pay you what your worth and they don't appreciate employees even if they show up everyday and are willing to stay late to finish work without being asked.

This place has grown and expanded so much - especially in the last two years.  There has been a real focus on learning and creating a learning culture for staff and interns. Like most mental health agencies they rely on entry level staff but really create opportunities for learning and offer flexibility.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Mental health case manager 11 salaries reported	$16.53 per hour
Driver 8 salaries reported	$16.28 per hour
Addiction counselor 5 salaries reported	$19.50 per hour
Program counselor 4 salaries reported	$20.63 per hour
Director 4 salaries reported	$77,500 per year

Working at Helping Hand Behavioral Health: Company Overview and Reviews

Helping Hand Behavioral Health

Helping Hand Behavioral Health Ratings

Popular jobs at Helping Hand Behavioral Health

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected