direct support professional

residential counselor

program coordinator

habilitation specialist

program specialist

May Institute

What is the best part of working at the company?
I have been with The May Institute for over ten years, beginning my career as a Direct Support Professional and gradually advancing through multiple roles. Throughout this time, The May has consistently provided me with opportunities for professional growth, training, and mentorship, which allowed me to develop my leadership skills and deepen my understanding of staff support, program operations, and organizational expectations. I have had the privilege of working in a variety of positions, each of which strengthened my understanding of the individuals we serve and the importance of teamwork, accountability, and ethical decision-making.  This experience has helped me develop a well-rounded perspective and a strong commitment to quality support and positive workplace culture.  I take pride in my work and feel genuinely connected to the mission of The May Institute. I am very fortunate to say that I have loved every role I have held, and each position has reinforced my dedication to supporting individuals, mentoring staff, and contributing positively to the organization. I value the trust placed in me and remain motivated to continue growing, learning, and giving back to the organization that invested in my professional development.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part of working in this field is balancing the emotional, physical, and mental demands of the role while consistently meeting the needs of the individuals we support. Ensuring safety, providing quality care, and responding to unexpected behaviors or situations can be challenging, especially while maintaining professionalism and emotional regulation.


What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The  culture at the May is supportive and respectful, with a strong emphasis on teamwork and mutual understanding. I feel valued and encouraged, and there is a shared commitment to creating a positive environment for both employees and the individuals we support.

A typical day at work at the Chicopee May begins with making sure our materials and plans are ready for students.  There are meetings regularly, once per week with the clinical staff, and meetings with the classroom staff as needed.  The day consists of a block schedule where we regularly switch off working with different students, with group work activities and community access programs on varying levels for each student.  
I have learned so much over my decade at the May, through three different schools as our branch has grown, and every one of our students has much to teach us as well.  
One of the strongest benefits that the Chicopee May has to offer is the highest quality leadership.  From classroom leadership to the clinical director to our speech team and OT, we have a close-knit team who is easy to communicate with.  If I have anything to talk to them about at any time, they are super accessible and are constantly looking for ways to improve anything and everything, and they help us to truly feel like a family as a school. We are often doing things for team building among staff, and even on what might be considered a challenging day, which is rare, the strength and support of the team assure that everyone is fully supported.  
The workplace culture is ideal, there is a great deal of integrity among staff, and we function well to help each other grow within the company and learn. There is so much room for growth within the organization. The whole place is just full of great people who all work so well together.  I love the communication and teamwork we keep with each other as well as the parents of the students we work with, and I love that not only do I always feel great coming to work every morning, but every single thing we do in a day has a direct measurable benefit to not only our students but their families as well.  The saddest part but happiest for me is seeing a student age out or move on to other things. Seeing the progress of our students over the years is so rewarding. Honestly, there's no place I'd rather be. 

The residence had a mix of employees, some very dedicated, some incredibly lazy, who were irritated whenever asked to do more than the absolute minimum. Most employees that worked in the residence were severely lacking in training and unaccustomed to having any oversight whatsoever. All but one employee loaned out from the Dayhab program were arrogant and refused to follow directions.

Management was the main part of the problem. My direct supervisor, while likeable and experienced within the company, was by far the most unprofessional manager I have ever worked under. This person did not respect scheduled days off, contacted employees at ridiculous hours, routinely swore, made promises to employees that were not kept, and did not follow company-dictated Covid procedures. They also proved to be very poor at providing any training whatsoever. The next layer of management seemed to only care about appearances. There was also a very strong anti-union sentiment in the company.

That being said, the medical, behavioral, and administrative staff that I worked with were all excellent. 

The house had a poorly thought out mix of clients, including one dangerous individual who injured the staff almost daily. Concerns about this were routinely met by questioning the staff's actions, instead of recognizing that this individual needed care beyond that which could be provided in a group setting. 

The clients were provided with very little resembling quality of life. Almost no effort was made to provide life skills training. Clients were left mostly to watch the tv programs the staff wanted to watch. Concerns about this to management were met with disregard.

I would not recommend this company to anyone seeking to work in this field. I also would never entrust a loved one to their care.

A typical day at the May School consists of giving instruction to students followed by case management where you graph data, create data sheets, train/initiate new programs, create program materials, and attend class/clinical meetings. Administrators are pompous and look down on lower level employees. Their position within the company is a form of social status and they make it clear that you are beneath them. The culture here is very cliquey if you are not willing to be best friends with your coworkers you will be treated poorly, disrespected, gossiped about, and the subject of blame every time something doesn't go according to plan. It is a very competitive environment where many of the employees are competing for professional development and will go out of their way to make others look bad to give themselves a competitive edge to put themselves in a prime position to earn a promotion. Management definitely play favorites and does not maintain fairness amongst all employees. The hardest part of working at the May School is dealing with toxic coworkers who bring in emotional baggage from their personal lives into the workplace and take out their frustrations on other employees. The most enjoyable part of this job is working with the students and being part of the process of them developing new skills. It truly is a heartwarming experience to interact with the students and watch them progress. Unfortunately that's where the positive aspects of working here end. The only employees who decide to stay here long term are those that experience professional development. There is a high turnover rate as most people who come to work here are unsatisfied and ultimately leave.

When you start working at The May School you start off thinking you are beginning something wonderful.  You feel you will be helping children learn skills that will make them live more rewarding and enriched lives with more options for their futures. In a short time you start to understand that with with horrible ratios this is not actually a 1.1  school.  The kids that have the least behavior issues will constantly be doubled or on help staff which will restrict the amount of progress they make exponentially.   The tougher kids will also be doubled occasionally which will result in you getting injured on occasion and you will be at fault for that in some way or another.   The burn out that your co-workers will feel due to this will mean in time they will  start talking down to and belittling the students, who won't be able to tell or respond because they are non verbal. And when you report it to admin, nothing will happen.   Due to this burn out and short staffing there will be a lot of unqualified people in positions.   People getting waivers for teaching positions and no BCBAs in classrooms despite being an ABA school.  Which,  as you can imagine has a huge impact on the integrity of ABA as a whole which is a dis-service to the students.   This is just a brief snap shot of my experience and doesn't even get into all of my experiences but from a professional standpoint.  I do NOT recommend The May School as a place to go if you enjoy working in ABA or actually appreciate what ABA can bring to a child when applied appropriately because it is NOT done so in this environment and student integrity and privacy is also not taken seriously here.  

Hired as a direct therapist for children 5 and under during Covid so I was solely doing in home visits to start. Eventually I was able to have all center-based clients and realized I liked working there a lot better. I think I just lucked out by having all center clients since it's usually a mix of both.
The location I worked at was going through a transitional phase so definitely some disorganization and  lack of communication (understandable though, for the most part). 
Coworkers were friendly and helpful. Definitely a position that you need support in since it's not always easy work.
Typical day involved going to the center for one three hour shift, break, and another three hour shift. Each shift you were assigned one client that you eventually get attached to :) working with kids with autism can be very challenging but if you are understanding, kind, and wanting to make a difference this could be the population for you. On the flip side, it's NOT for everyone and that's okay. Working there helped me realize that it wasn't for me. Having the experience is great though.
Keep in mind that depending on the child's problem behavior, you could get hit, kicked, bit, etc. it can be a lot if it's happening often but you're taught ways to block and redirect the behavior.
Unfortunately, the pay wasn't great. once you become a registered technician, you get a 2 dollar raise but still a low hourly rate. Since a lot of the positions are fee for service, you won't get paid for times your clients no show so your pay checks will be inconsistent.
benefits for full time employees.
Wasn't my favorite place to be but the kids were adorable and scheduling was pretty flexible.
If you love kids and are passionate about ABA, it's a good place to start


Feels great to work with the clients, especially when you help the client become more independent. residences are very nice and mostly well maintained. Amazing feeling feeling when you walk through the door and clients light up to see you. 

However, taking care of their personal hygiene can be an awful lot of uncomfortable work for the low pay. Pay in general is poor with no raises. There are sometimes bonuses maybe twice a year for about $300-500 each if the company is doing well financially. Sometimes the company will change benefits providers without consulting employees.

Training after being hired is pretty good, but training for promotions is terrible. took the company 6 months to get me fully trained when I was promoted, but during the training I was required to take responsibility for things I was not trained for or knew nothing about due to lack of training.   

What I mean by bad politics is that if you are not liked, you will not be holding the job for long. I don't mean like you for the job, I mean just personally do not like you. 

Example: 3 clients passed away within a month at a residence; with the exception of the one person that that reported many accounts of neglect as the cause of the deaths, all staff were let go. Said employee transferred to the residence I managed. Someone that was in administration and friends with the terminated person that ran the house of the 3 dead clients found a way to terminate the reporting staff without my approval for "gossiping."

Not a very good company to work for overall.

Pick up the individuals from day program, help them prepare snack, help the individuals with their chores and ISP goals, start making dinner, give showers, Give meds and evening snack, get the individuals into bed, fill out the books.
I have learned a number of skills while working for The May Institute: I have learned to be a more patient person, I have learned to be more accepting and understanding of other people and their challenges, I have learned that I am a bossy person and I have worked at improving in that department.
My direct manager was overall amazing did her work, got it in on time, asked for help when she needed it, cared deeply for the individuals that we cared for.... Other management had unrealistic demands.
I enjoyed my co-workers for the most part especially the past year. I feel that over night were allowed to do far less work then they should have been doing and took advantage of the fact that there were no supervisors present.
The hardest part of my job was remaining professional whit parents, other staff, or even supervisors. It is not easy to listen to a supervisor who does not know the individuals that you care for, when they are telling you to do something or try a goal that you have already done and know is not going to work.
The individuals were by far the best part of my job. I cared deeply for all of the individuals that I was working with over the years and their personalities were so different and so amazing.

Five Stars – Meaningful Work That Truly Matters

Working at May Institute has been one of the most meaningful and rewarding experiences of my career. This is not just a workplace — it is a mission-driven organization filled with people who genuinely care about the individuals and families we serve. The work is real, impactful, and often challenging — but it is deeply important.

What stands out most is the commitment to quality and growth. There is a strong focus on doing things the right way, holding high standards, and continuously improving. Leadership is engaged and invested in outcomes, and there is a clear emphasis on accountability, collaboration, and problem-solving. When challenges arise (and in this field, they will), they are met with intention and a desire to learn and get better.

The culture is fast-paced and purpose-driven. You are trusted to lead, innovate, and contribute in meaningful ways. There are opportunities to stretch professionally, build expertise, and take on new responsibilities. If you are someone who wants your work to matter — truly matter — this is the place.

The individuals we support are at the center of everything. The impact we make is visible. Families feel it. Staff feel it. And that makes even the hardest days worthwhile.

May Institute is not for someone looking for easy work — it is for someone looking for meaningful work. If you are passionate, resilient, and motivated by making a difference, you will find purpose and pride here.

As a current employee of the May School for over a year,  I have learned in great detail how to collect date , graph it , follow behavior plans and interact  in a safe manner with a ll students . I find the administration team to be as black and white with their jobs as can be without breaking confidentiality. The administration team strives to bring the employees (who are serious about their jobs) together as a group with team meetings, team building exercises and transparency throughout the year. The admin team has been very vocal about having an open-door policy to speak freely to them as an adult about anything you need personally or issues within the team.
I find that The May School fosters a great learning environment for their employees who want to continue their education. They offer tuition discounts and a well-educated staff who are eager to assist you with all aspects of supervision and training.
The staff members there are there to do a job for the children that are being serviced first and for most. The staff members strive to make the experiences and learning environment for the students as enriching as possible. The overall feeling is welcoming and inviting.
I find it to be more of a family who is willing to provide the best experience for all involved. I would advise you to come for a tour of the facilities so you can feel the vibe for yourself. We look forward to meeting you.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Direct support professional 148 salaries reported	$20.47 per hour
Residential counselor 47 salaries reported	$19.00 per hour
Program coordinator 67 salaries reported	$23.78 per hour
Habilitation specialist 34 salaries reported	$16.00 per hour
Program specialist 1 salary reported	$17.00 per hour

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