direct support professional

residential specialist

program coordinator

program specialist

mental health technician

IT CONCEPTS

My time here at SCFF has been a mixed bag. I love the residents I’ve worked with over the years and I love helping these individuals find balance and community integration. It’s not easy work, but it can be a lot of fun. I love the interaction, whether it’s building rapport, doing activities, playing music for them, preparing meals with their help, community outings, helping them cope when they’re feeling down or dealing with difficulty, and making sure they have their medication and are safe in their environment.

The training department really shines at SCFF. The instructors are all very good teachers, and they make the mandatory trainings and initial orientations fun and engaging. Many folks coming into this field are nervous at first, but the training staff are really great at alleviating any anxiety. Going to my annual bundle training is something I look forward to.

The pay rates did go up in 2021 but they could be more competitive. As someone with more than a few years in, I feel I should be making more than what I currently do, especially given that new hires start at close to my wage and get sign-on bonuses. 

The benefits aren’t bad, but they could be better. There’s a good amount of PTO, but it accrues over the year, and if you use your allotment before the fiscal year ends and then leave, you will owe the company for whatever PTO you didn’t accrue. You are also forced to use PTO before you use unpaid time off, and there is no PTO sharing. You’re not allowed to buy into the highest tier of coverage. Residential Specialists only have access to the basic and medium-tier coverage plans. It’s not bad coverage, but if you are disabled or have higher medical needs the medium plan has a higher deductible and copay.

And this is, ultimately, where I think the company tends to have issues, because whether it involves the individuals in our care or staff relations, upper management tends to turn a deaf ear to what the staff are saying and asking.

Upper management will make very broad and sweeping policy decisions that don’t take into effect how these changes will affect the residents, staff, and home supervisors. They will pile on the work and add responsibilities to the DSPs but not provide them with more resources to aid us in our task. We often have to make do with less.

Staff support from the company tends to go towards the malcontents and not to the people who are working diligently to ensure the safety and well-being of the individuals. Also, since this is ratio-based work, the company will at times move individuals to other houses and upend a staff member’s entire schedule, displacing them and forcing them to seek work in other homes which may be very far away or not have the hours that align with your personal schedule. 

To their credit, the scheduling department does try to accommodate staff when that happens, but sometimes they can’t, and it’s up to you to scout around and find a new place, which isn’t necessarily easy to do.

All in all, as far as support agencies go, it’s not the worst, but it’s not the best. If upper management actually listened to what the staff and home supervisors were saying and gave us what we need from them it would be miles better. 

IMO what they could do to improve staff happiness and retention:

- Just give people their PTO, don’t make them accrue it. And let them decide if they wish to use their paid time or take unpaid time because they’re saving PTO for later in the year.

- Allow PTO sharing for people who use their paid time due to medical needs. At least to where it can cover the gap between what short term disability covers and their full weekly pay.

- Don’t deny access to the highest tier of medical coverage. Some folks are disabled and have chronic conditions, and making them pay for a plan with higher deductibles and copays is punitive and might make that staff forego seeing a doctor, which could put them and the residents in their care in jeopardy.

- More competitive pay. Other agencies pay their DSPs more especially if they’ve been with the company for more than a couple of years.

- Listen to the people who work in the homes and don’t treat us like we are unfeeling, unthinking cogs in a machine. Understand that we have lives too, and work with us to ensure that we are valued and cared for even as we give care to our residents.

A typical day at work for me is to show up for a shift at one of over 40 community homes owned by the company. The shift can last anywhere from 2-14 hours depending on the hours they need me there and I would be responsible from anywhere between 1-3 consumers. The consumers typically suffer from either an "IDD", Intellectual Developmental Disorder, or have an "MHD", Mental Health Disorder. Some consumers are considered total care and need help in every aspect of their day to day life (i.e. feeding, toileting, grooming, moving, communication), while the more high functioning consumers may only need help with taking their medication and redirection when they have what the company calls a "behavior". 
   A behavior is when a consumer acts out either verbally or physically. Some consumers are physically aggressive towards staff, some are aggressive towards other consumers who they may live with, and some consumers are only aggressive to themselves and act out with self-injurous behaviors. As their staff, it is my job to redirect such behaviors and provide consumers with a safer, more productive coping mechanism and way of life.
   While I may not recommend this company to someone looking for a job, I will honestly say that this company has taught me some very important things. Aside from the medical training I have learned, this job really taught me how to be responsable as well as efficient and detail-oriented. Most consumers take multiple medications, and as their care giver, I can not take that lightly. Some of the medication consumers take is vital to their survival, so I need to make sure that they take it correctly, they take the correct dosage, they take it at the proper time, and that their medications can be taken together. In my opinion the BEST way to teach someone responsability is to put them in charge of someone else's well-being. 
   As far as management goes, the best way I can word it is, they are a lot of disfunctional people trying to function. SCFF is a LARGE company with lousy communication that says one thing and does something different. Their turnover rate is unbelievable because so many staff get tired of being SEVERELY over worked and INCREDIBLY under paid. People are constantly being hired because the company keeps taking on consumers they do not have the staffing or space for! The new staff go through only a WEEK of training and are then shipped into a house having no idea what to expect or how to go about handling it. 
   That being said, the staff they do hire are questionable at best. Don't get me wrong, I have met some very hardworking, top-knotch people in this company, however, I have also met some down right no good, "HOW THE HECK DID YOU GET THIS JOB??!!" type people. They have gone through so many people that at this point they are hiring anyone who can pass a backround check, pass a drug test, and can kind of speak english. This isn't retail, this isn't a restuarant, THESE ARE PEOPLE'S LIVES! These consumers come to this company because they need our help in one way or another, and hiring people who have no regard for human life and are only here for the paycheck sends out such a terrible message.  
   The hardest part of my job is hands down having to deal with management and the company itself. Sure, there are some very tough consumers to work with that are either physically trying or mentally trying, sometimes both, but getting punched and hit is nothing compared to dealing with my bosses. They constantly will change my schedule last minute or call me to come work on my day off because the supervisors dont want to have to stay to cover the shift but then yell at me come payday because of the overtime (which is a joke away). 
  The most enjoyable part of my job is getting to work with the consumers. I'd say 85% of the consumers I've gotten to work with are really cool and awesome to be around. Once you've built a relationship with the consumers and get to know them, it isn't so bad. You can watch movies, take them shopping, maybe play some games with them, just hang out and let them feel normal. Now, the remaining 15%, yikes. Some consumers need multiple staff because of how aggressive they can be, so watch out!

When I first started at SCFF, I told HR they had the wrong girl for this job and I could not do it. Our HR person at that time told me to give it time it has only been 2 weeks. Well I gave it 7 more years. With no regrets. I have become who I am today because of my career at SCFF. SCFF stood for something that I believed in for many years. Then one day something changed and the values changed. I, to this day, still have nothing bad to say about SCFF because it has given me many opportunities to add to my resume. Without some individuals in management, I would not be where I am today with my career and for that I am thankful. I learned more from my consumers then I would of ever learned on my own and they also impacted who I have become and I am also thankful for them. The Co-Workers I worked with throughout my 7 year career at SCFF, well, we became a family. We were not just people we worked with everyday. We became apart of eachothers lives inside those doors and outside those doors. We have all impacted eachothers lives one way or another. It was a job I loved going to everyday and for that I felt lucky. Hardest part of that job was leaving. In October of 2011 we had a 4 million dollar budget cut and I was one of about 40 who was affected by that. I was as devastated as one could be. I didn't even know how to begin to start my life over again without SCFF being apart of it. Somehow I managed to bounce back. I found the strengh I had deep inside that I'm sure I learned I had from working there. I hope to one day, find another career that I will have the same passion and same ambition for as I did at Supportive Concepts For Families.

A typical day at work consumes of when I get there my consumer will go to the bathroom and get a shower. While they are showering I will give him his supplies and make sure he properly cleans himself. Then when he gets out he gets dressed and then we have to brush his teeth. He will get a glass of water before bed and then he will stay in his room the rest of the night. While he is in the room I am cleaning the floors and disinfecting the counter tops along with the dining room table and chairs. I will mop the floors and run the vacuum in the living room. Then I will clean the bathroom sinks and toilets and shower/ tub. Then when all of that is done I will start laundry and fold any laundry that the day shift has washed. 
I learned that when you work with different people you can learn how to do some things differently in life and that sometimes it can be hard but its nice when u have people who you work with actually care for you and the rest of the people you work with.
The hardest part of the job is when your consumer decides to have a behavior and it sets off the other consumers in the house. You have to try and calm everyone down before anything bad happens to anyone.
The most enjoyable part is getting to know different types of consumers and being able to help them when they ask for it. You grow a bond with them and you learn how they think and depending on if they are verbal or non-verbal you can learn what they want and how they want it.

The philosophy of this company is that the top 10 percent of the hierarchy make anywhere from 100 to 215k (its online) from the patients medicare funds while they provide the patients with free food bank/charity/generic food and sub-par living situations and pay the direct care staff (who are the people actually taking care of the patients) anywhere from 9 to 12 dollars an hour and give the site supervisors (who are supposed to be on-call 24/7 to come in - in the case of any emergency or staff call off).. I know I am a supervisor..but not for much longer..) a dollar or two extra an hour to dedicate their life to this so-called "non-profit" company of "compassion." The ceo also spends a great deal of the state's money paying off sexual harassment accusations and lost his license for a time in the last few years for not being up to code. Finally, they promise us "incentive bonuses" to get us working like their little soldiers; they then push back the dates of these supposed bonuses until they finally come up with a reason why 75% of the work force does not deserve it (and this allows the extra "bonus" money at the end of the financial year to be divided by fewer people.. thus allowing that top ten percent to keep all of it for themselves) The company is ran in a manner which is unethical and probably illegal if someone with legal knowledge and access to their records could audit it. Whatever you do, do not accept a site supervisor position at this company. Or any position for that matter. 

SCfF is not the worst job I've had.  The environment was not the worst environment I had.  You work with the mentally/physically infirm, who might be absolute angels or complete and total devils on any given day.  Comes with the territory.

Bottom line, this employer is not focused on it's employees.  It wants loyalty...but does nothing to earn it.  You can get better pay rates at a factory and, sad to say, a safer work environment with less demands and lower scrutiny.  Also, and this is a huge factor, there are no annual raises.  Whatever you start at is what you can expect to stay at.  There is a bonus system, but that's a pathetic stand in for actual consideration and recognition.

It is, however, also nowhere as rewarding as factory work.  For all the behaviors, making a positive effect in the lives of these people will fill your heart with joy.  The office, however, is going to fill you either with apathy or disgust.

They are ALWAYS hiring, which makes it easy to get your foot in the door and experience in the field.  However, unless you are looking to work your way out of direct care or into a more considerate employer?  You will probably find little to be happy with.  Satisfied maybe, but probably never more than that.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Poor structure and higher team member support. You feel like you are working alone and not with a Team. The individuals we served are Challenging but if you love taking care of people in need this is the job to do. But you will work alone. Sadly I decided to go ,emotionally draining and stressful, specially if you really care. I tried to find help for my individuals and the red tape is to strong to be able to get throughout.  Superiors act like they God's. Risk of staying stuck on shift for over 45 hours. Only good thing is the clients. After they get to know you they do treat you well and they give you more support and respect than HR or any Superiors.  

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The lack of support from your higher-ups.  They say a lot and don't support their own lies.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Work environment is good. You make the Job yours. Individuals are Challenging but loving. 
Upper Management HR is 70% good. 
Inmediate suppervisors part of your team are never there to give support. Stressful draining environment. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Always worried you are going to get stuck and your call for help will be ignord.

This company will only loves you if you kiss %%**%^ alot. You have home supervisors there with high school diploma or GED giving you orders on how to do your job on a daily and acting like they know better than everyone, wont listen to your advice or nothing.  Those same home supervisors won’t cover shifts when other staffs called off ( but supposed to be in their job Duty  or description though when someone called off). You can be stuck there for hours, and hours if staffs do not show up. Too many bosses, doesn’t matter if you have a PHD or Doctorate degree in psychological or spent years in school. This job still won’t appreciate none of that. You get somewhere in this company based on who you know, associate with and who you are having some type of relationship with.  Your education or good work addict won’t determine how far you make it within this company. They just worry about money, don’t appreciate their staffs who Are actually doing the real jobs, meanwhile managements sit on their big *++** You know what eating Tacos, and by the way no raises.  All these money these consumers receive and they still make them sign up for food stamps or food banks. Always wondering where these money goes. Oh, we know....

I am actually leaving Supportive.They put just anyone in the position as a Supervisor.They have their favorites.If ur not one,it can make working in the house uncomfortable and awkward.Everything is pretty much put on the night shift staff.Anything new comes up,its put on night shift.No teamwork.They try to cut ur regular hours so u r forced to go to another house.I could go on but wen I started I thot it was a gd company to work for but the longer Im there,the more I regret applying there.I wldnt recommend working here to anyone.The only good thing is the consumers.Yes they can b difficult and challenging but they r awesome! I love doing wat I do.I just wish I can find a good company  that treats their employees like they r important in the lives of our Special Needs community.I will continue to do this work cuz I love it.Just not with this company.My advice,do not apply.

This company holds ALOT of accountability for the care of its consumers, so this job can be intense if you expect to come and babysit. The best part of working here is that you are provided with proper training and you have support from the Nursing Department or the Oncall service if needed. The worst part is that often times it feels like the higher ups do not care how many low level workers they burn out, even if its truly dedicated workers. They also never step in to assist even when the wheels are falling off. The lack of consistent staff negatively affects the consumers and the lack of consistent staff occurs because the low wages versus the expectations. High turnover rate for the direct care staff/supervisors.  

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Direct support professional 178 salaries reported	$17.28 per hour
Residential specialist 97 salaries reported	$16.43 per hour
Program coordinator 148 salaries reported	$18.57 per hour
Program specialist 19 salaries reported	$57,855 per year
Mental health technician 24 salaries reported	$17.16 per hour

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