therapist

technician

family support counselor

director of information technology

case manager

La Frontera EMPACT-SPC

This review is specifically for crisis teams which are very similar at either Glendale or Tempe
Empact has consistent overtime available, if you are a workaholic you can work 7 days a week and be cross trained in hotline, R&I, PAD and crisis
The pay is on par with other outpatient public (non profit) providers. You aren't going to make as much as inpatient positions or private counseling practices
There is an opportunity to make noticeably more with over-night differential and Spanish differential 
The benefit with crisis compared to other outpatient social work/counseling jobs is not having a caseload, no productivity requirements
There is an expectation for crisis teams to provide brief counseling, the down side is that many BHT level specialists are not clinically trained and do not have the degree or background to provide counseling, this sometimes leads to crisis team members providing services outside their scope
The management is a mix of experienced licensed individuals with relevant backgrounds in other behavioral health services and other management positions that appear to be crossing off checklists with little to no interest in creating the best and most appropriate services for individuals in crisis (while respecting a client's right to self-determination)
As far as the actual work, crisis teams respond to community based calls which can range from a temper tantrum 4 year old child, up to a intoxicated adult holding a gun in their hand(Hopefully with PD involved). You will respond to numerous calls that have little to no danger involved in the call circumstances
Crisis is good experience for clinicians looking to gain experience working with a wide range of demographics, substance abuse calls, every mental illness imaginable, family dynamics, group homes, gero psych calls
Day time teams responds to numerous "school calls" which can many times be an adolescent who recently lost their phone privileges and is acting defiant 



Typically the work location is not bad great coworkers who are always willing to help out. The director and supervisors are helpful and approachable; even the director. The supervisors are kind and answer any questions you may have. Basically I outreach, scheduling appointments and meetings, updating documentation, doing referrals, making home visits, and helping out with group. Overall love my clients and it’s nice when I talk to them and get to know them; especially I love seeing them succeed and getting them services they need.

Now the main problem I have is productivity. Yes I know that the state requires it is ridiculous. It should be enough that you work your full time hours. On top of your full time hours you need to hit a minimum of 85 hours or go to 115 hours. Yes you get a bonus but is it really worth it. Plus you do not get overtime you have to stay within 40 hours a week and still hit productivity? Make that make sense. What I have seen some people work long hours and many of it overtime; you basically have no life. Some people work late at their own home to get these hours in.

Second you may get crazy clients with disrespect. Also most of your appointments have to be late in the afternoon or evening due to clients wanting to meet after work or school.

There are no work life balance days meaning you are not given days to just work from home.

Pay is okay but very low for the work we do. You can transfer departments after 6 months but you have to see what positions fit your style and good luck finding one that doesn’t require productivity.

Benefits are fair. I love the savings account option for health care, FSA benefits, and tickets at work discounts.

Caseload can be overwhelming and large . Your case load has no limit to how many clients you have.





Working for this agency is like being back in high school. There are members of management who seek out the weakest link and use them to do their dirty work. There is so much trash talk in this building I'm surprised the walls are still standing! Not many employees here, including management (and I use that term loosely) care about the well-being of the clients. Day in and day out the push is to make "productivity". It's always about the money. Make your numbers or you won't have a job. Work 100 hours a week, but you better only put 40 on your timecard! Management claims they are there to help you succeed, pfft, they are simply there to talk trash about past employees, employees that intimidate them, employees they think are attractive, sit in their office and scroll their Facebook accounts or play their internet games. Not once have I received the support I've needed from their so called "management" team. The culture there is a joke - it's like a revolving door of employees. Long story short - if you're looking for a stressful job, lack of support, constant turn-over, back-stabbing co-workers (including members of management),  no room for advancement, poor quality of care for clients, and where the number one concern is bringing in the billables - this IS the inferno for you. Just don't say you weren't warned!!!

Excited when I accepted an offer and within 2 days of on the job training, I knew I made a mistake and was overly qualified.  There's no efficiency, processes are non existent, HR is never in the office and everyone pretty much does things the way they want too which makes on the job training chaotic and undesirable.  HR sends template emails with instructions and information to new hires and employees not needed.  As a new hire, I received an email asking for license and CPR information.  I had to remind HR of the position I was hired for and those items weren't required.  It immediately demonstrated lazy, carelessness; and lacks management because everyone does whatever they want.  The culture is semi toxic.  Although friendly and smiling face to face, I didn't appreciate the gossip going on as a new hire.  Listening to stories from HR peers talk negative about previous employees, current  employees, how the department was structured, kids dating co workers kids, how fine someone is in a gray suit and how many people leave and come back made me regret that I left my previous career for a place like La Frontera -EMPACT!   Without proper HR management and leadership, they'll continue to have a high turnover and may one day find themselves in trouble for compliance issues for a federally funded organization. 

When you apply and get offered a job be prepared to learn boundaries and patience. You will be working with the client one on one with minimum support and productivity is very important here if you do meet your hours over 115 mangers give you a hard time. It’s very clicky here and a lot of gossip so be careful who you talk to. My job is very dangerous due to the population I work with and the pay is not enough to pay bills you do more than what you get paid for to do it’s rewarding at times and draining at times too. People will get burned out and end up with more mental health issues then they already have. If you don’t get along with your co workers and manager you will deal with a hostile work environment and be a target. A lot of co workers are nice and so are managers but some are not. The clients are not stable and are always in crisis to where they can be very difficult. Its rare some clients are stable and a success. Please do self care and be firm with clients and your team. Some teams will take advantage of you and point the finger when you tell them no. The insurance and pet insurance is great you will have job security if you try your hardest and communicate. 

Anyone who works at la-frontera empact for any length of time ends up jaded. The work itself is obviously taxing but it's the culture that beats you down. The company over extends promises and their staff just to win more contracts ($$$). For instance, their hotline has part of the AZ contract for the National Lifeline but they only staff one call taker from 10p - 8am with zero backup. The "empathetic listener" every advertisement describes is non-existent when you also answers calls for 10+ other lines, cannot take a break, and have to just let the phone ring endlessly when you use the restroom. I'm sure no contractor thinks that's the quality they are paying for. You as the employee are under paid, under appreciated, and likely super over it in   no time. People do end up staying for long periods though because you can also get away with murder in between work duties. And like so many other places it gets clique-y. If you were dumb enough to get a degree in social work you're already good at making bad choices, but maybe spare yourself this one.

Lack of compensation, with extreme focus on billable hours, little to no concern for employee safety due to violent clients. Managers are supportive until they are not. They do not do raises so what you start at is what you will earn as long as you work there. The bonus program is a sham and they constantly change the rules on how you earn your bonus. You have to use your personal vehicle and may have to drive to Tuscon from the East Valley or often times to Downtown Phoenix. Bed BUGS lots of Bed BUGS. You have to visit clients homes and they often have bed bugs. It's a constant battle. Inner office gossip and co-worker backbiting co-workers will throw you under the bus in a heart beat, front office staff will stalk you on social media looking you up on Facebook and asking you questions about your personal life, then spread rumors about you.

The culture is different across their various locations. Overall, they are a great company to work for and their flaws are pretty normal across most community mental health agencies. They are very paperwork driven which takes away from the overall benefit for the client. This is not their choice but required by organizations that provide oversight. They don't seem to do raises per say but do offer bonuses annually if their is a surplus at the end of the year. Like  most community mental health there is a disconnect between holding the client's accountable and helping them. Unfortunately, the overall system (larger than the agency) promotes a system of dependence on the provider by shifting the responsibility to the agencies rather than dev eloping that since of responsibility with the client for their recovery.

I served as a client service liaison at the Glendale location. This was one of the worst work experiences of my life!

It all went downhill after I voiced concern to my supervisor that she had billed for services that were not rendered (case management notes indicating that she had staffed with me concerning newly assigned families to my case load --- she had never once discussed these cases with me!). 

After I voiced concern to the supervisor (my first mistake) she told me that it was "not my job" to check her notes and in the weeks and months following this encounter I was basically pushed out of the company.

Yikes!

If you take a job here expect very little support when it comes to troubled families with DCS involvement. You are on your own.

Empact has been good enough to sustain me for 5 years but its limitations are increasingly apparent. Compensation has improved but remains standardized; clinical skills and ability are not rewarded or compensated appropriately. Most of the culture has been great; us plebs have learned to support and grow together. Management is hit or miss across departments: its really about being autonomous and sufficient enough as staff to fly under the radar and connect selectively with leadership; My ability to set boundaries, realistic expectations, and assertiveness with leadership and staff has grown, as a result, though. 

Overall, it's a decent place to work once you accept it for what it is. 


Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Therapist 1 salary reported	$60,000 per year
Technician 1 salary reported	$24.98 per hour
Family support counselor 1 salary reported	$50,878 per year
Director of information technology 1 salary reported	$115,000 per year
Case manager 1 salary reported	$18.50 per hour

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