peer counselor

licensed practical nurse

adult education teacher

technician

registered nurse

Metropolitan-Development-Council

I was in middle management and experienced some positive aspects, such as the strong support I received from my directors. They were consistently helpful and encouraging throughout my time there.

However, the organization had challenges, particularly with the siloed nature of departments, though efforts were being made to address this. I managed four programs, which left me feeling underpaid and understaffed, leading to high turnover and the constant need to onboard new staff.

One of the biggest challenges I faced was related to HR, especially when addressing urgent issues with staff members. The response time was slow, which was frustrating. Additionally, there were some concerns with the labor relations department that negatively impacted my experience. These issues were never fully resolved, and it was disappointing not to receive acknowledgment or an apology for the situation.

While I appreciated the support from my immediate supervisors, the HR practices and departmental silos were significant drawbacks.

I really enjoyed working as a TRIO education and employment advisor. In this role, I recruited potential first-generation, low- income, and people with disabilities in the Education Opportunity Center program. A typical day for me consisted of enrolling participants in the program through walk-in or appointment.  After completing the application and a needs assessment, we determined next steps (school, GED, housing, employment, etc.) hen schedule next appointment. The hardest part of the job was recruitment and working with (some) clients that are unmotivated.  Each advisor was asked to enroll at least 200 new clients per grant year.  The most enjoyable part of this job was assisting vulnerable population and helping them change the trajectory of their lives so they may have a better life. 

First off, I was hired into a position that had been open for several months.  The other HR person was burnt out and the "HR Director" was a joke.  No one respected him and he did not do much to earn respect. 

 The CEO was finally fired but not until we lost so many good people.  The old CEO and the leadership allowed them to force out a great E&T Director and the Supervisor of the Veterans program.  They kept the brown nosers and we just heard they finally replaced the worst housing director ever.  

I left because I could not deal with all the drama and how they would just follow the CEO ideas, not matter how idiotic or worthless they were.  

Do not get me wrong, the mission of MDC was what brought me there but after starting there the other HR Generalist left and they did not replace him for a year and I was thrown under the bus way too many times by the old HR Director who should of been fired but they just (the old CEO) made up some bogus over paid position to move him too.  


A lot of great people work here and deserve to have better leadership and support.  I left because It was not happening.

There is little to no guidance...on ANYTHING. Rules, procedures change daily. Combative arrogant nursing manager power trips on anything and everything. Patients get through detox like an assembly line, no quality care. I learned that it's all smoke & mirrors here. Management and the "secretary" are gossiping, drama fueled individuals that have clearly nothing better to do but talk about everyone, make up stories, triangulate everyone. The workplace culture is, you may get a good employee, you also may get someone (nurse) that comes in reeking of THC products. No one cares. The hardest part of the job is seeing the look on patients faces when you know they are not getting the best care. Items show up missing, meds are forgotten, I could go on forever. The patients themselves are the most enjoyable part of the job. If you have ethics and morals, this is not the place for you. 

MDC does not know how to provide treatment to demographics with disabilities, ailments, and mental illness, and from working within this company I see how many say that the treatment for mental health and resources for homelessness can be harmful, not helpful. The structure employees are given is not secure enough for the difficulty of this work; the pay is too low, the training is scarce and the values of the company lack integrity. This not only creates suffering workers, but a suffering community as a result. 
Employees will create power-plays, for no given reason. Training for residential services is “treat them like prisoners”. Leads fired for fraudulent use of Pierce County’s funds. And unwelcome personal comments from supervisors that was never addressed by HR. 

Management was awful and would not answer simple questions. They have no idea how to manage the budget and grants which means they throw people wherever they think should be getting hours, instead of actually being supportive and recognizing good employees. No interest in listening to anything employees say or suggestions to make things better. They'd prefer to throw you under the bus unless you are interested in brown nosing to their liking. Management acts like they care but they do not. Pay attention to those paychecks, they couldn't even get those right. Helpings clients was the only part of the job and that was good. Limited to what they want without any sort of actual growth and improvement. Don't bother suggesting new ideas. If you want to go to work and get treated with respect, don't work there.

I worked there for 5 years. Management is always changing. There is a do your job and shut your mouth attitude. I watched them fire a woman who had spent 30 years helping this company grow. They poured more and more responsibility on her with no support. And fired her when she couldn't accomplish the goal. They only care about the next government grant they can receive. Most of the employees qualify for the programs they offer. As for me they let 2 people go who were my trainers. And then expecting me with no real experience to take on all the energy efficiency audits. I was denied vacation after vacation. While my manager took a week off a month. They don't care about you or the people that they serve. Please don't work for these people. You can lose your soul and who you are as a person.

What is the best part of working at the company?
People were supportive and great to work with each day!! 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The clients were some times uncooperative and violent but we worked together to keep the peace. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Pleasant and family oriented .. we celebrated birthdays.. made sure the food was prepared to the clients satisfaction and the medical personnel were excellent with other staff. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
8 am start time intake, daily meetings and shift briefs on each client. Medical requirements needed and psych recommendations were reviewed.

My day was spent assisting clients who needed weatherization measures done to their homes. I assisted them with gathering necessary documents, preparing for in home audits and what to expect during these audits, and answered questions they may have had during the process.
I also spent time communicating with contractors verifying that the people performing services for clients were 100 percent compliant with state and federal guidelines and that all employees had passed background checks prior to any contact with our clients.

A day at work includes scheduling client meetings and making sure clients are achieving there goals daily. I recently have learned more about data entry and monthly budgets. I have enjoyed working with many different manager and coworkers as part of an intricate team while working at MDC. The hardest part of my job is helping people when then are struggling to help themselves. The most enjoyable part is when people over come there struggles and succeed in there goals.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Peer counselor 8 salaries reported	$21.12 per hour
Licensed practical nurse 3 salaries reported	$44.07 per hour
Adult education teacher 3 salaries reported	$25.36 per hour
Technician 5 salaries reported	$20.11 per hour
Registered nurse 2 salaries reported	$49.50 per hour

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