senior clinician

security officer

clinical liaison

resident assistant

youth specialist

Los Angeles LGBT Center

This is a great starter job to get your feet wet at a large organization doing vital work for the LGBT community. However, it is not the best place to work long-term unless you are a director or above or don't have any options or fear working outside the LGBT world. 

There is unnecessary bureaucracy and politics at the Center. Expect it to increase as the organization continues to grow with more facilities opening up. Leadership is old school and micromanages their employees. Change and innovation are slow to implement. 

There are arbitrary rules, repetitive processes, a lack of trust and recognition by some leaders, scrutizing and complaining of necessary work expenses in an effort to decrease costs. Hopefully some of these things would change with new leadership as the current CEO is expected to retire in 2022.

There are many managers at the Center who should have no business managing anyone yet they got the position because they were friends with someone at the top. Many lack basic soft skills, leadership skills and executive presence. 

It depends on what department you work in but for the most part, you are extremely overworked yet underpaid. Everyone works in silos which hinders collaboration and shared outcomes. Promotions aren't based on merit but rather who you know at the top and if you are well-liked. 

The LGBT community is a vulnerable population with their own set of disadvantages, trauma and personal issues. This includes staff who are members of the same community we serve. But what I've noticed during my time there is that they would bring those problems to work which often caused an unprofessional and even toxic work environment. Frankly, this is something I didn't experience at other non-LGBT charities. 

The organization could do a much better job at recruiting and promoting more women and people of color which includes the board of directors. I didn't see any real changes in diversity during my time there. Unfortunately, many of these factors contribute to the Center's significantly high turnover compared to other charities in Los Angeles.

I worked as a high-level fundraiser for a grand total of 11 months before I resigned. I was hired because of my success in the political world and was assured that I would be assigned to the Center's largest donors. When I arrived for orientation, I was shocked to learn that this place considers people who give $125/month "major donors." I was equally disturbed by the Center's carelessness. As a political fundraiser, I am legally required to closely monitor changes in federal election law and swiftly implement any compliance changes. I take it very seriously, but my former colleagues would regularly ask me to backdate documents (a violation of criminal law in California), add pledges that we had not yet received to our monthly raise totals, among other borderline illegal activities. I simply refused, going so far as to record colleagues repeat into my phone what the CDO had asked me to do on a given day. Without those tapes, I would be completely defenseless if prosecuted. Morale was subterranean. Fundraising tactics were antiquated and ineffective. And, worst of all, superior ideas (from myself and others) were routinely dismissed by the Old Guard. Those eleven months were awful enough that I submitted my (scathing and prosecutorial) letter of resignation. I learned several weeks later that I had become a source of inspiration for dozens of employees who had also been subjected to enough mismanagement and low morale. I consider my departure to be my greatest achievement. I returned to DC and quickly began consulting for major political figures, including two presidential candidates, who encouraged creativity, welcomed unvarnished feedback, and valued my strategic prowess. Never again will I work at a nonprofit. I'm a fundraiser, not a meter maid. Just today I raised $13k for several clients. At the Center, raising $13k would take several months and be labeled "too aggressive." I'm also not afraid to speak my mind. To anyone. If you enjoy being silenced or ignored - despite your experience and superior deliverables - this is the place for you! But me? I'm happy working for myself and serving leaders whose work affects positive change on a far larger scale. Not to mention that I make twice as much today than I did at the Center. Awful place. Avoid, avoid, avoid at all costs.

Real upper management is all male (90% white) with the exception of the female CEO who acts as a figurehead. She is never involved directly with real staff concerns with the exception of the one time union staff were very close to striking and news coverage got wind of it. 

It is lovely place to work if you are if you are LGBT as you can be authentic and don't feel the need to hide your real self. People who are not LGBT are welcomed in the workforce as allies. 

The center is only interested in expanding causes beyond gay white men when there are dollars specifically given to them to do so such as grants. If there are no dollars specifically allocated they expect these marginalized populations to seek them out in Hollywood. 

Transwomen have a full scope of services however Transmen are greatly ignored both as clients and as staff. For the longest time service were not available to transpeople the way they were for gay white men. 

If you are Black the racism will be subtle but it will definitely be there in the form of lack of advancement. I have seen this throughout departments regardless of merit or education level achieved. Promotions are often overlooked for workers who have been there long periods of time and have proven their merit. Programs meant to be directed at gay Black men are handed over to non-Black people to manage even though there are qualified Black staff on board. 

Same with trans programming. Trans related programming is only allowed to be directed by trans staff to a point. 

The open door policy is a joke and you will be reprimanded if you attempt to use it. 

There is still great work being done at the center but unfortunately the workers most dedicated to serving the actual interest of the public are most often silenced.

My lord, I hated this job. The department in which I worked was filled with racists, snobs, and misogynists. How people can claim to work for an entire community while dissing trans people and lesbians and even debating whether or not bisexuals are real or just confused is beyond me.

If you work here, you'll wind up having people throw you under the bus when they miss THEIR deadlines. Deadlines that you have nothing to do with. How they do it is the come to you with flattery, ask you for help. Then when they miss their deadlines, they tell your boss that you offered to help them and that you dropped the ball. Then their boss complains to your boss and you get chewed out. Even though your job description has NOTHING to  do with their job and even when said conversation with them NEVER happened.

Colorism is rampant here: Job environment where biracial and light-skinned people are seen as more "user-friendly."And you overhear managers and coworkers saying those things when they think no one else is listening. HR can't be bothered to investigate these claims because of alliances with the same people up to no good in the first place. 

Coworkers who steal ideas, without double-checking to see if said ideas are already in use or have been implemented by the person they're stealing from.

Just the weirdest place I've ever worked. The money was decent, but I wouldn't wish this place on my worst enemy. I just don't know how these people sleep at night acting the way they do in the workplace.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The co-workers in most departments are great, there is a real sense of owning the work that we do to service marginalized communities many of which employees are a part of. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Management. This being a non-profit it is easy to check some of the financials of the organization, while employees are applying for and relying on government services, the organization cannot pay a living wage.

There is lots of back patting, empty thank you's, and anything but a pay raise or promotion to improve quality of life. We do so much for the patients, yet when the workday is over many struggle to make ends meet. 

I do believe the center is important in the work that it does for the community, but it will weaponize employees empathy to stay in underpaid and overworked positions. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It can be strange and very disconnected. There is a "People and Culture" team that attempts to bring people together, but struggles to do the base function of that. While employees get laid off, upper management gets expanded, there is always the thought of being the next one on the chopping block. 

There are many times where it feels pandering the way upper management treats employees. Weekly videos from the CEO going over financial numbers with a big smile when employees are more worried about making rent because of the low wage is insane.

Nobody is held accountable at the top for the mismanagement of this clinic. Although it is really cool to work with LGBT patients and all sorts of people as an FQHC, it is maddening to deal with certain members of management who make excuses and gaslight staff instead of fixing routine problems. The clinic lacks standard operating procedures, lacks clear communication, lacks physical space for the services and staff. Most of all, it lacks accountability by upper management for mistakes. So when errors happen, nothing is done about it and it has been this way for a long time. Some recent middle management leadership changes in 2020/2021 were definitely a step in the right direction though. It is soul-sucking though to see patients and staff hurt because management are not held accountable. 
They hired an outside consultant to suggest improvements, and then ignored the recommendations. They often refuse lateral internal transfers, and their promotion system in some departments bafflingly rewards the worst people.
The clinic is not affiliated with any hospital, so referrals, records and imaging are unreliable and slow.

Working as a youth advocate is incredibly rewarding when it comes to the relationships you build with not only your coworkers, but the youth themselves. They absolutely make your day. That being said, the upper management leaves quite a bit to be desired. While there's your general new hire training, there isn't much training for direct staff when you start. You're thrown into the middle of everything, and expected to keep up with little direction. There's a lot of miscommunication between the supervisors and program managers, which makes it difficult for YAs to do their jobs properly and so things fall through the cracks easily. The YAs are then held accountable for these mistakes instead of the supervisors, etc which can lead to an unfair power imbalance and a large turnover rate for employees. I heard that it was less like this in other departments, but youth services definitely needs some sort of overhaul with their managerial staff. As for a work/life balance, it's nearly impossible to find coverage for shifts so keep that in mind when it comes to vacation, sick days, etc.

The employees at the Center, especially those in entry-level positions really made the place shine. 
There are few, however, that are hired to do the job of many.  A typical day included being bombarded with work for the too-many clients that The Center tried to maintain. Management was unsupportive, and added more work onto the few who worked there. Productivity took priority over everything. 
There were lots of people there who were working for the cause, and really care about the patients. Those are the people who have been overworked and underpaid, unfortunately. There are true gems at The Center.
The sense of camaraderie the Center is incredible, and it's clear a lot of the employees really care about each other and about people. It's the lack of support from management and the short staff that really make it the least enjoyable.
Otherwise, the work done at the Center is tremendous and it is truly a resource for the community.

The Center has an entrenched group of senior managers, many of whom have been in their positions for decades, which leads them to resist new ideas or innovation of any kind. Moreover, the cult of personality surrounding the CEO is deeply disturbing. I have never worked for an organization where people both love and deeply fear their leader; it's an odd dynamic, to say the least, and it has the effect of keeping her in the dark about the mismanagement that plagues many of the Center's departments, particularly Development, where the turnover rate is stunning and office morale is subterranean. I have heard similar stories about the Marketing department. My advice would be to find an organization that actually advances the cause of LGBT equality through direct advocacy at a national and international level, such as HRC/Lambda Legal/etc. Stay away from the Center.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part about working at the LA LGBT center for me was having like minded coworkers.  The center understood the importance of balance in the staff's life. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part was the threats made by people who felt everyone should believe the same.  If we didn't then LGBTQIA+ individuals didn't deserve the same rights as other citizens.  Which is utter nonsense, our individuality is what makes us unique.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Relaxed, encouraging, and inviting.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
As a hybrid employee my start time varied. Generally I started work by 9am, and was steady not overly busy. I didn't feel guilty for taking breaks or lunch.  The center encourages staff to step away from their terminal and take a break.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Senior clinician 31 salaries reported	$38.90 per hour
Security officer 18 salaries reported	$22.52 per hour
Clinical liaison 13 salaries reported	$21.96 per hour
Resident assistant 11 salaries reported	$21.46 per hour
Youth specialist 8 salaries reported	$27.32 per hour

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