in home caregiver

caregiver

program manager

mental health technician

transport driver

Innovative Care Services

The company as a whole- needs to get it's priorities straight.  

In my position, I saw numerous aspects of the company from the on-boarding process to the work environment.  The main downsides were the lack of pay that innovative was willing to give to the hard working employees and the high turnover rate.

With the work that is expected of direct care staff; dressing, grooming, transferring, bathing, meds, documentation, errands, etc. This company is not willing to pay you for it.  Most direct care professionals start out at $9.00/hr- at that's for the hard stuff- youth staff that get to hang out and play with kids, they are paid over $11.00/hr.  Why the huge gap, with it given to the wrong staff?  They should definitely reevaluate where their dollars are going...

EX.  I know of a 3-4 day/night "management re-treat" that thousands of dollars were paid out for staff to be away from their offices/families.   (It was a pretty title for staff to get loaded and party all night with other managerial staff from the other areas.)  Everyone (50+ staff) were put up in nice cabins along a lake, all meals were paid for, mileage was reimbursed, all booze was paid for and corporate money/time was even spent on decorations for a party to attend at the end.  They even sent all of those staff home with a fancy sweatsuit (innovative pants & sweatshirt) retailing at least $70 a set.  Multiply all that money wasted (for the staff that can afford to purchase their own, because they are paid decent money), they could have afforded to give all of the direct care staff a little raise. 

Also, working in the local office with the regional administer and other managers, I witnessed alot of "high-school" behaviors.  I could not believe the cattiness and how much the professional team talked badly about their staff and other managers that they appointed to the positions they held.  There was alot of negative re-enforcements and poor language used consistently. 

The turnover rate for innovative-la crosse- is sky high!  in a typical 4 person orientation group, only 1 staff would make it past the 6 month mark of employment (and that is on the conservative end).  It was often said that employee's had no idea what exactly the job was going to entail and how many "CNA-like-tasks" they would be required to complete on a daily basis.  Innovative also does not complete any type of reference check with previous employers...or the listed personal/professional reference.  Checks like this would really alleviate some of the poor employees that they are bringing in. Alot of the hiring that was done, was just to get a body in.  Reasoning behind that is, they would continue to take clients on, even if there was no staff available.  They would just continue to over-work and under pay employees.  Making it too difficult on new staff and too much for old staff. 

The company's mission is a great idea- but it isn't the bottom dollar for this company...the dollar is.

When I started at this company, I was very excited to help people and get to know them as well. During the interview process and orientation they make it seem like you will be doing a ton of one on one work and will mostly be working with people who have behavioral and/or mental disabilities. However, this is not the case! Although you will be doing some work with these types of people, you will be expected to do quite a lot with personal cares (cares similar to CNA 
work).

So that wasn't a big deal for me, however it may be for some people. I had very little on the job training (less than a week) and trained with coworkers rather than the manager. Because of this, I was taught several contradicting things with each client. 

The biggest problem I have with this company was the fact that whenever I worked with a male co-worker I would have to do everything that was more difficult and demanding with the clients. The personal cares (bathing, changing, hoyering, etc) are the most demanding of the job. Many of the clients do not feel comfortable with male employees helping them with things like this which is very understandable but it puts a lot of stress on one person if the other coworker is male. (There were only two people scheduled in the pm typically). This also prevented me from getting to know more than 10 or 12 clients (they had upwards of 35 when I worked there), since I ALWAYS worked with a male coworker. I will add that the coworker I am talking about also bossed me around even though he started after me and had no experience with being a care provider, and the management could care less about his behavior.

The worst thing about working here that made me quit was the management. There is a new manager (she should still be there but I am not sure) who actually came to the Point program from the Plover program. She expected me to be a middle-man when it came to delivering information to the clients which stressed out the clients as well as myself. She also does not understand the handbook's policy on attendance and vacation days versus just asking for a day off. She was never around and every time I tried to call her she said "just text me"....Try texting someone about a huge important issue rather than just calling and telling them! She also rarely ever answers her phone if you do decide to call anyway.

I feel sorry for a majority of the clients just because they are not getting the care they deserve. Don't get me wrong, there are a select few employees who are awesome and actually care about the client and treat them as people rather than objects or a job, but the majority of employees are not like that. I've had many of the clients I took care of talk to me about this issue and tell me that I am one of the only employees who took the time to understand them rather than just come in a boss them around.

I was only a casual call employee, in the end. The issue that I would run into was that they would try to work with your schedule however, that would lead to you coming in and immediately being backed up with several hours worth of work to squish into a few minutes which became very stressful and not a pleasant experience. I would dread coming in because I always knew there would be a bunch of stuff that I needed to assist with but with very little time. Everyday was not like this but it was more times than not, unfortunately.
Then, they'd hit me up last minute to see if I would be available to work. If/when I'd say I'm not available, I would be sure not to get a call/text for the next couple of months. The communication between management and staff is just not there. It's like, they expect you to do all of the communicating and that's opposite of what management should be doing, management is supposed to help lead their staff, not leave them in the dark and expect them to come to the light. Rarely did I ever receive a schedule which would show open hours that I could pick up. Closed mouths don't get fed and that goes both ways, of course, but if management is not communicating with their casuals about open hours, casuals will not know when to fill in. If you're looking to be a casual employee then you should expect that you'll be doing more of the communicating rather than the program manager.
I'm not here just to explain all the bad because there were good perks working here too.  It's a good company to start out with if you have little to no experience. I really liked that I was on my own, constantly doing different things to help people in their homes. More times than not, the clients were pleasant and grateful which does make the job feel rewarding. Picking up shifts would earn you 'innovative' currency which could be traded for gift cards and gear. They provided a work vehicle so I didn't have to run up my miles and if I did for any reason, they paid by the miles, so that's nice too. And if you're an actual full time or part time employee, they do offer PTO and other benefits.
Management is very good at sticking up for their staff when clients complain about the work of a DSP or the lack of but they were also great at leaving other time consuming tasks for the next staff.

Youth Behavioral Specialists work with mentally disabled and high-risk behavioral clients ages 5-25 on a variety of goals. A typical day might include picking the client up from home or school (in your own vehicle) and transporting them back to the office in Kimberly, WI.  Once at the office you are responsible for working with your client on their goals such as daily living, anger management, emotional regulation, coping skills, independence, safety in the community, etc.  Clients are then transported home at the end of the contact.  You must write clinical case notes based on each contact. 

There are many activities to do at the office such as sensory activities, puzzles, games, basketball, a gym, backyard area, Ping-Pong, cooking, art projects, reading, etc. Clients may also be taken out into the community.  Innovative will pay for community activities that cost money as long as there is sufficient funds to do so. 

Employees are responsible for picking up one on-call 24 hour crisis shift per month and working every other weekend. Hours vary from day-to-day and week-to-week. Generally our clients need services between 7 AM and 7 PM.  Pay starts around $10.75 an hour. Mileage is paid on a bi-weekly basis and we get $.38 to the mile. 

I stay for the clients, however, this is not an ideal company to work for. Management does not seem to care about the employees that are actually working with the clients. I have never worked for a company in which management does not support their employees or where I have felt uncomfortable asking for help. Apparently the CEO is amazing and helpful, but to actually get ahold of him to share issues is impossible. Even after numerous requests for changes by staff nothing has been done.  My advice is if you can get a job with a company in which management works with their employees, do it!

Working with the clients can be very fulfilling, but it does have drawbacks that need to be weighed out by potential applicants.  Some of the clients can be physically and verbally abusive.  Parents of the clients can be disrespectful and rude, creating some unpleasant interactions.  However, these are not the biggest issues facing employees.

The training program is poor.  You are given very little information about the specifics of the job, and have to hope that the employees you shadow are competent, as well as willing to answer questions and provide explanations.  During my shadowing experience, I received mixed messages a number of times.  Only one individual I shadowed covered documentation, a key aspect of the job.  Unfortunately, it had to be covered briefly in between tasks, as no extra time for training was allotted.

Management is well intentioned, but lacking.  They claim to be open to questions and feedback, but are short with you when anything is brought forth.  Info on clients is updated infrequently, and is often dated.  Announcements are sent out through different methods each time, and might not reach you at all.  Important details may only get to you if you cross paths with your manager during your shift, or if you happen to be a part of the branch Facebook group.  It is an open secret that management treats employees differently based on personal favorability.  Obviously, this creates an unhealthy work environment.  If I had to describe management in one word, it would be inconsistent.

Pay is low in relation to the work that is required.   Shift hours change regularly, seemingly without reason.  Accrued gas expenses are compensated for bi-monthly, which is a nice perk.

Overall, I could not recommend Innovative Services as a long-term work solution to anyone I know.

I want to be upfront about this: the people at Innovative really do care about what they're doing. I cannot fault a single person that I met there for their intentions. Intentions only get you so far, however. 

Their training was the next best thing to laughable. A week of instruction in client-centered techniques and error-ridden first aid instruction isn't nearly enough to turn the average person into an acceptable line therapist. The three days of shadowing weren't of much help in really learning what the clients needed either, particularly if you end up shadowing with clients that you never work with again. The management says that you can take as much time as you need pouring over client files, but starts getting snarky if you take more time than they've allotted you (which was ~20min per client, in case you're wondering). Oh, and the majority of their record keeping is still written out by hand. Only state-mandated records are in electronic form. They're a bit behind the times for such a new organization. I understand their inability to pay well for the work being done...there isn't a whole lot of money in trying to make the world a better place...but three to five hours a day with fairly random scheduling that only comes out a week in advance isn't going to do much for anyone's pocketbook. Or for their ability to hold down another part-time job, for that matter.

That's not to say that the job doesn't have its perks.The coworkers are a great group of people (assuming that any of the same people are still there, as the turnover rate is pretty awful). The clients can be a blast to work with, even the most challenging of them. Overall my experience with Innovative was pretty wretched, they are the most disorganized group I've ever worked for, but I can guarantee that I'll remember the clients forever.

I worked as a casual on call, so I was able to work in almost any house in the company as long as I had the training for it. With this position I got to pick shifts I wanted as well, I could work as much or as little as I needed at the time. It's great for someone who can only work at certain times! The position was amazing since I got to see and help many different people in the company. 

On the other hand when I would give the managers the schedule I could work for in the long run, in case I would not be around to sign up for shifts, several of them would just ignore it completely calling me in at odd times when I had told them before that I could not work at all. I understand losing the sheet but when I had made it out two or three times I just gave up with it. There is no organization at all. Also once I was out of transportation for a week because of something that happened to my car I called the manager who I worked for to tell them that I had no way of getting there. They told me to find a way or I'd be fired even though I had never been late ore reprimanded before. The managers also seem to pick favorites quite often and if you aren't one of the favorites your out of luck. The higher up's don't help with it either.

The manager's will run the PCW's and CNA's they have under them until they are burnt out if you really let them. 

I loved helping out all the clients and it was very rewarding to be able to put a smile on their face. The hardest parts where the behaviors that some could have as well as sometimes having to handle more then once client at a time.

I would still be there if the management would be better.

I believe Innovative Services could be a great company, they serve clients that truly need advocates and services that are overlooked in our society.  
That being said Innovative Services has no clue what they are doing!  They are not medically trained and many of their clients need medical care.  The senior leaders treat the workers with very little respect.  No one knows how to communicate with each other or work together.  The company has the highest turnover I have every seen.  They blame this on the recruiters or program managers but it is because the senior leaders do not value the staff and pay them very little (9-10 dollars an hour).  These staff are responsible for a ton of client care, medication administration, dressing, bathing, transport.  They are mini nurses without any training.  Staff give insulin, neb treatments, tube feedings, and many other cares. Some of the clients should be in a skilled nursing home not assisted living, but the leadership thinks they can care for these people without any nurse oversight!  They have grown so big in such a short time that they have lost their way.  

They waste a ton of money on senior leadership retreats and other outings instead of paying their employees more or giving benefits.  

They cut part-time benefits and only give 30 hours of vacation/sick time to anyone working less than 32 hours a week.  So if you work 24 hours a week you can have a weeks vacation over the course of a year and 6 hours of sick time.  Full-time employees get 3-4 weeks of vacation/sick time!!  Funny how they hire mostly part-time people!!!

As a youth behavioral specialist at the Oshkosh location, I have had positive interactions with my current program manager. My manager cares about staff as individuals and is willing to build relationships with clients and staff to promote a positive work place.  Our program is currently transitioning into a new program manager and I am hoping for positive change as the current program manager continues and the new manager starts. If the program continues to stay under current management that is still with the program I can only guess that the work life will continue to progress for staff. I have personally felt supported by my manager as sh consistently checks in with all staff to ensure she is doing everything she can for everyone of us. Aside from that, the work load looks different each day. Working with behavioral youth is rewarding, fun, but can also be challenging at times. Innovative provides an opportunity for the client to learn and grow as well yourself. Hours can be flexible with your schedule and staff work well together. While reading these reviews I was shocked and had to remember that each review is dependent on personal experience. I know that some staff have left with a bitter taste in their mouth due to things that simply were out of managements’ control. Overall I would highly recommend this job to anyone who is looking for a flexible, fun, and rewarding place to work.

I originally started as a Youth Behavior Specialist staff and was promoted to Youth Program Manager after about a year--which is honestly the best thing that could have happened to me. That's one of the best things about this company is that they take a chance on people, as that opportunity opened so many other doors for me!! It's a good place to start your career (or maybe continue). 

Honestly, most of these negative reviews seem like they come from people who either haven't worked for a non-profit or in the human services field for very long. There are going to be long days with little pay. There are going to be days that you feel burnt out. There are going to be days where you don't feel like you have enough training for the work you're doing. But all of those moments are washed away when you see the progress that's being made with the Youth and families you're working with! 

It's hard and exhausting work, but it's worth it. It's not for everyone, but I guess this is a good test to see if this type of field is for you. :-)

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
In home caregiver 44 salaries reported	$15.16 per hour
Caregiver 26 salaries reported	$16.87 per hour
Program manager 27 salaries reported	$19.65 per hour
Mental health technician 22 salaries reported	$17.80 per hour
Transport driver 1 salary reported	$15.00 per hour

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