specialist

housing navigator

solutions manager

shuttle driver

site lead

Mercy House

You will be expected to go above and beyond to perform your job duties.  For instance, you will be expected to pay out of pocket for cab rides, moving supplies, personal hygiene items for clients and you will not be reimbursed in a timely manner.  Mileage is compensated at a very low rate and, again, it takes a very long time to be reimbursed.  Management is all over the place.  They make rules at will because they have a personal preference not because it is company policy.  Managers will not address issues or concerns that you may have about other employees: especially if that employee is favored by the manager(s) and director(s).  At the beginning of the pandemic they were flexible about allowing people to work from home, but then they began to demand that people go back to the offices.   They don't spend money on supplies for clients in a timely manner so the client is not provided with basic necessities and you are left to purchase them.    You can not expect to be promoted unless you pretend that work is your life: even if you don't know what you are doing half of the time.  They give you about three days worth of  somewhat solid training then they expect you to know everything about how the organization works.  People are not approachable to ask about items that you are unsure of.  The pay is not worth the job unless you are a single person still living at home with your parents.  Or a newlywed with a husband or wife that earns substantially more than you do. Your car will break down with all of the driving and the mileage reimbursement will not even cover what you spend for gas.  The hardest part is wanting to help clients, but they decline the help.  They offer some flexibility for employees with kids, but it depends on the manager.  You will miss lunches.  They advocate for self-care, but the client and the job duties always come first for them.  It is a good stepping stone in that you will be exposed to everything....mental illness, drug use, emergency situations, hoarding, adult abuse, child abuse, psychiatric emergencies, evictions, chronic illnesses, death, suicide attempts, community resources.  You will be introduced to other agencies in the county that provide services to the homeless community.

Mercy House used to be a wonderful place to work in with awesome coworkers, schedule flexibility, and openness with managers.  Beginning in fiscal year 2020, things are changing to a more corporate atmosphere with no reason for change in the first place.  Some programs were already functioning well and they're obviously not taking feedback into any consideration from their own employees.  
My position was as a case manager on a newly funded grant.  Getting thrown in the middle of it without much guidance and expected to immediately catch on was not a fun experience.  Learning curve was basically zero and was told to refer back to things that didn't make any sense to begin with if I had any questions.  VERY poor leadership.
Mobility is questionable with wages being quite low.  If someone has a family or financial obligations where wages are needed to be above poverty level, do not work here.  If someone were fine with being faced with the reality of homelessness themselves, then by all means feel free to see what clients here experience firsthand.

This was by far the worst professional experience I’ve ever had. I worked as a case manager there for about a year. During that time more than ten staff members from our office resigned, and the turnover created constant chaos and instability. The workload and expectations were unrealistic given the staffing and resources available; many of us felt overwhelmed to the point of crying at our desks. Management repeatedly failed to provide adequate training, supervision, or practical supports, which left staff burnt out and unable to do their jobs effectively.
From my perspective, the program’s structure set both staff and clients up to struggle rather than succeed. The daily environment was high-stress, unsustainable, and discouraging. You don’t realize how bad it is until you’re already in it — by then it’s too late. Based on my direct experience, I cannot recommend this organization as an employer.

Although the management is nice and the pay is pretty standard for the industry, there is no career advancement opportunities and the programs are managed with very little  forethought   On how each decision will impact the future of the program.  This company is a great opportunity to young people who want to try to make a difference in the homeless community and are not accustomed to receiving a higher living wage.  This company is not ideal for industry professionals supporting a family. With all non-profits, the pay is too low and  opportunity for advancement is too little and far between.  Medical benefits were completely paid by the company (Kaiser Permanente)  which I think was fantastic.  Human resources is a complete nightmare do not try to get a hold of her she is completely on organized, will not respond to phone or emails and seems overwhelmed with even the simplest requests.

In a typical day I am able to manage outside appointments and have time to complete my other tasks.  We are closely connected and work well with our peers, at our various programs.  We are family oriented and close knit.  The most enjoyable part of the job is our annual staff retreats.  We all travel up north and share a couple houses and gather together daily for staff activities that help us bond with one another.  This is an awesome place to work.  If we had a location near my family I would request to work in that location and remain with Mercy House.

They previously communicated that they would provide dementia and Alzheimer's training but this has not happened.
Workers are not all told the same things or trained the same way.
They did not provide a clear job description or expectations.
It's a small facility and the residents are great. The job is rewarding.
The amount of work is fair and not difficult to accomplish.
Workers can devote the needed time to each resident because the ratio is no more than 1 staff member to 8 residents
The facility is clean, well-kept, and a beautiful home-like environment.

The Emergency Homeless Shelter, is an extremely difficult job that requires compassion. The population of homeless clients is diverse and ever-changing. While the job itself is simple, the challenges and difficulties that arise from everyday interaction are dynamic and different each time you arrive at work. The daily routine is easily negotiated with well-trained and competent coworkers, but learning to adapt to whatever circumstances that present themselves and coordinating an appropriate response is the most difficult part of the job.

Mercy House is doing tremendous work in the Homeless Services/Permanent Housing realm. We are a trusted service provider in shelters all around the SoCal region, and that makes me proud to be an employee! There are some very evident issues with Agency-wide departments and processes, but I know they are working on that. Explosive growth doesn't come without costs, I suppose. Overall, I am glad to work here, but realistic that Non-Profits will be a little more scrappy in general. 

Mercy House has a professional and growth-minded culture that is nurtured by a highly competent and experienced executive leadership team. The work itself can be demanding, regardless of department, but a consensus of staff at all levels are actively inspired by the results of our collective work toward housing stability and economic justice. I've never left work feeling as if what I did was pointless or as if I was just another cog in a machine. Leadership from the CEO to individual managers are great about recognizing and rewarding excellent work.     

Working with the homeless population gave me the opportunity to not only give back to my community, but it gave me a chance to see the world from a view other than my own. It is through working with this population that I was driven to get my MA in Leadership Studies to learn how to be an effective communicator and teacher. I am grateful for my experiences and I will always have a piece of my heart with those less fortunate.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Specialist 97 salaries reported	$20.71 per hour
Housing navigator 51 salaries reported	$22.85 per hour
Solutions manager 55 salaries reported	$23.40 per hour
Shuttle driver 22 salaries reported	$21.50 per hour
Site lead 24 salaries reported	$24.75 per hour

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