behavior technician

warehouse clerk

therapist

licensed practical nurse

nursing supervisor

LifeStream Behavioral Center

It's more focused on getting patients in and out within 3 to 5 days because it's a crisis stabilizing unit. It gets them assessed and medicated, but there aren't any licensed therapists there.  My job position as a Recovery Specialist expected to 'play therapist' when a patient needed to talk to someone or if they needed to calm down. The goal was to redirect the patient's behavior by de-escalating him/her to avoid  giving any them an ETO. It's a challenging position,  but if you truly have a passion for caring about people with mental health illnesses, then this is a great job for you.  However, the amount of work that management expects you to get completed in one work day is impossible.  
We were always short staffed, so the limited amount of Recovery Specialists were expected to see every single patient admitted to Lifestream everyday single day that they are admitted. 

That's usually an average of 2 or 3 Recovery Specialists who need to collectively see anywhere from 75 to almost 200 patients on any given day. There's a lot of paperwork that needs to be completed for every patient,  every day. The amount of paperwork has significantly increased over the past 2 years to the point it was absolutely impossible to get it all done properly in one day without having to stay late to get it done. My work/life balance was non-existent because I was usually working 2 to 3 hours later than when 10 hour shift was supposed to end.  
My family obligations became secondary to my job because I was coming home so late and my home and family were becoming neglected because of my job. This was mentioned to management many times,  but it fell on deaf ears or I would get the response from management that 'they've done this job and it's possible to see all patients, every day, and get all paperwork completed by the end of the day. 
If it wasn't for poor management, I'd still be there because my favorite thing about this job was meeting patients who were struggling with their own demons. Some simply needed someone to listen to them, to show them respect, and to really try to understand their struggle.  Sometimes, all people need is for someone, anyone, to care, to be a bright light to guide them through the darkness. 
There were many caring employees at Lifestream, however, there were also numerous employees who never should've been hired to work with people who have mental illness and/or substance abuse problems.  I've witnessed employees yelling, screaming, insulting, ignoring, and simply not caring towards patients who were in dire need of help. In many cases such as that, if I was present, I would assist the patient while the other employee sat there complaining that I didn't need to help, that the patient can wait until later for whatever it is they needed. Those employees were cold-hearted and abusive towards patients. I'm sure the only reason they work(ed) at Lifestream is because it's the only place that will hire them. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Basically a hot mess.  They are disorganized, very disorganized. Management plays favoritism on a whole new level. Rules and policies change very often depending on what suits the management team best.  Its confusing and unclear about expectations.  Everyone seems to follow their own set of rules many employees eating up as much clocked in time while doing absolutely nothing.  Management never sees a thing. 
These are generally employees in the favoritism clique.  If you aren't in that clique you are accountable for everything, as it should be.  Environment is so toxic and continually getting worse that I knew it was just a matter of time before something shady happened to me.  People try to tell other management and get retaliated against; write ups, accusations without allowing employees to say their side. It was hard to tell how far and deep the favoritism clique ran. People would put in a notice to quit and management would relieve them almost immediately.  Makes it hard to give a 2 week notice if you are afraid, with good reason, that you will loose 2 weeks of pay.  I cannot afford this.  If you want to work for a company you can be proud of and cares about employees, their work ethic, and stands behind their employees as a team: THIS ISN'T THE JOB FOR YOU! If you have integrity, morals and are a hard worker; go somewhere else where you will be appreciated and used as an asset to the company instead of them taking advantage of you however they can. I warned you. Don't do it. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
All of it.  Disorganized, unclear rules and expectations that constantly change 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It is toxic, filled with favoritism and sweeping things under the rug for the favorites.  

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Disorganized many other employees try to get away with doing as little as humanly possible.

Lifestream Behavioral Center could be an amazing place but unfortunately leadership is not present to cultivate you. Im use to having some sort of feedback from my supervisors in order to adapt and improve instead I'm left to figure things out or I'm left in the dark so I'm guessing alot of the time. it's daunting for those of us starting our journeys in the mental health field, we want to ensure we are providing quality care. you're left hoping you're doing the best thing for your clients. The compensation is horrible, people who are licensed or may have been there for over a decade make between $18-22 which is insulting to a person's knowledge and experience. Those that have bachelors make more than others with masters and experience. leaders are not created here everyone unfortunately has their own sneaky agenda.

there's no possibility for growth because the retention rate is low, people leave before their 30 day which leads to program burnouts. higher ups don't care about the case loads on clinicians and expect you to work nonstop because of your compassion for your clients.

I will say the offer good PTO but there's a catch, you have to use your PTO if you want any federal holiday off. If you don't work in the admin building you have to use your PTO. If you work the holidays you do not get time in a half/holiday pay/nor a floating holiday. There is health care, 401K, pensions, free supervision towards licensure (for interns)

There are some great people in lifestream, I have wonderful colleagues but with the lack of guidance we are constantly set up to fail and it's disheartening. You can definitely fine a better place of employment. For experience in fieldwork definitely get what you can from here you'll see alot but don't become a full time employee. get your experience and go elsewhere where you will grow and receive proper mentorship and a encouraging workplace culture.

Prior to 8 months ago I would say this was a difficult and stressful job but rewarding at times due to the positive outcome in some cases. There has always been a big turn over but more so since covid and even more now with new management that does not support staff or management, has no connection with employees closes her door, enters through a door and elevator where no one can see her coming or going. Supervisors are yelled at and talked to like they are garbage. When asked for assistance with new employees, the APD doesn't want to hear anything the supervisors say. 
Case managers and supervisors have Case loads that aren't safe and are exhausting. You get time denied off for doctors appointments because your work load is to high. 
There is favoritism new supervisors have over 50 children when the seasoned supervisor has 30. 
 You are pushed to work off the clock because its not possible to get your work down in the allowed time. 
 Promises are made but not kept. The last 8 months I have literally had a head ache everyday trying to keep a position that I dearly had a passion for but was driven away from. Race and favoritism are a huge factor here. The building is almost empty due to management.
Training in diversity, professionalism, and peer interaction is needed badly. The tone and facial expressions are very degrading. This was once a good place to work. 

Treat employees like they are nothing unless you are in a click. The 2 higher ups are jokes. Case managers have a higher education than them but yet they sit back an make the big bucks while case managers do all the work. The turn around there is ridiculous but no one makes changes. You get a case an basically have a list of paperwork to do that results in nothing. One particular supervisor has had 4 case managers request to be out of her unit but she still holds that position. You get discriminated against but speaking up does nothing. Another supervisor picks and chooses who she likes based on your personality. Another supervisor spends so much time changing hair colors that she doesn’t care what goes on. There is probably 3 supervisors that deserve to get that label. You go into this job with the mindset that you are going to help people. Most parents don’t want help but they go in front of “magistrate” an can have 2 year case plans an do nothing, but everyone has to be inconvenienced so these parents can mess up their children’s lives by doing visits when it’s convenient for them. Case managers have to send referral after referral an document when the parent “goes to the bathroom”! Case managers get thrown under the bus in court an have no one to back them up.  The goal is to establish permanency within a year, but that doesn’t happen in Lake county. Basically the dysfunction  starts with case management an then follows up the chain of command. Should be called chain of dsyfunctionalty.

This company puts on a great show, but the truth is they’re understaffed, ill equipped, and poorly managed. Employees are left alone in buildings because there isn’t enough staff to fill shifts; so if a combative consumer comes in, you better hope the officer who brought them will stay with you while you call all of your coworkers at 3am to come in and help, because the supervisors won’t call them for you, or come up to help you themselves. The vans you’ll be using to transport said consumers rarely have bars on the windows, so there are multiple occasions where the consumers just break the window and jump out while you’re driving. Complaints of such events will be reported by multiple employees, but rarely will management address receiving the complaint in the first place. You’re asked to find coverage for your own PTO requests and if you’re lucky enough to find anyone who has the time, you’ll typically be denied it anyways. Management will tell you that they’re consistently reviewing applications to help with the understaffing, but you’ll never actually see any new people being hired. If you bring any complaints to the VP, as you’re encouraged to do so, you’ll instead be targeted and fired for not following suit. Do not expect for anyone, other than your couple of genuinely good coworkers, to have your back or best interests in mind.

Also, base pay is $12/hr.. Wawa literally pays $13 to be a cashier. Come on people.

If you're someone who is deeply driven by purpose, growth, and meaningful impact, LifeStream may not be the place to fulfill that calling. While the organization serves a vulnerable population and operates under the umbrella of behavioral health and social services, the internal culture often fails to align with the values of true mission-driven work. Creativity is stifled, innovation is met with resistance, and leadership frequently prioritizes compliance and cost-cutting over staff development and program quality.

However, if you're seeking a stable paycheck, a routine set of responsibilities, and limited accountability beyond the basics, LifeStream might be a fit. It's a place where clocking in and out on time is valued more than strategic thinking or passionate advocacy. Advancement can be inconsistent and often feels disconnected from merit or contribution. For many, it becomes a space to "do the job" rather than grow in a career.

The work can be emotionally taxing, and the support structures for staff burnout are minimal. Communication from leadership is sporadic, and decisions often feel top-down with little input from frontline employees.

Bottom line:

Don't apply if you’re purpose-driven, looking to innovate, or want to make systemic change in behavioral health.

Do apply if you need job security, can function in a bureaucratic environment, and are content doing what’s asked without asking why.

I worked as  an Emergency Evaluator in their Access Center and I think an excellent indication  of what it was like to work there is the fact that after having worked there for five months, I was the second most senior Evaluator there, out of about six people. This likely had a lot to do with the Supervisor at the time. 

I actually liked some aspects of the position quite a bit but the supervisor was firing people and people were quitting like mad. This may have changed since I was there. 
Management was disorganized and I questioned the integrity of SOME. Pay was fairly typical for community mental health positions. 

We were typically busy with periods of extreme boredom. And the funny thing is that this was the least clinical job I'd had until this point. Some of my co-workers cared deeply about the patients and some didn't care at ALL. Yet, as is so common in this field, there was a genera attitude of self-sacrifice for the job.

 But I DID get the opportunity to learn how calm I am in a crisis. 


 It's no better then a  1900's asylum.  The worse agency I have ever worked for. There is no leadership and training. There is such a gap in wages among staff which most of the staff has no idea about but rest a sure those who are in Upper management sure make they get theirs though. Every word from Upper management is a lie or they don't know but should since they are suppose lead. Upper management only cares about themselves and will throw anyone under then bus.   There is no team work through the whole agency most staff have no idea what their jobs even are. It becomes a hostile working environment due to staff not being educated and trained as well as a gossip ring where it's only ok for some and not others to communicate. Good employees get to do 4 people's jobs with a half a person salary while other staff members get to refuse to do their jobs because people can actively not do their job and keep their job. It's stressful to see clients not getting help at a place that's suppose to bring hope to life. Everything is wrong with this agency and in fact this place is where hope dies. Literally.  

When you first are hired they put on a big show about mission and values but once you have been there 1 week you realize it was just a show. Severely understaffed and under paid (Walmart pays way more for much less responsibility) are normal. You must use your own pto time to be paid for all holidays and once you give notice of leaving you forfeit any remaining pto. Buildings and equipment are old and poorly maintained, it is not uncommon for air conditioning or computers to randomly stop working in the middle of a shift. Immediate supervisors put on a good front of caring but they are basically in the same situation as the people they supervise with upper management being so out of touch with day to day operations it is laughable. Scheduled pto randomly gets cancelled due to staffing issues. Be prepared to barely get time to use the bathroom per shift much less get a full lunch hour or 15 minute break but they sure will take that lunch time out of your check. Raises are pitiful 20 cents per hour if you get them at all.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Behavior technician 42 salaries reported	$15.16 per hour
Warehouse clerk 21 salaries reported	$19.00 per hour
Therapist 21 salaries reported	$23.84 per hour
Licensed practical nurse 16 salaries reported	$27.06 per hour
Nursing supervisor 15 salaries reported	$37.92 per hour

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