mental health technician

clinician

mentor

youth counselor

para educator

Mount Prospect Academy

The culture at the Hampton, NH program is beautifully wholesome. While there are some differences between shifts, everyone in the program- from the Executive Director to our maintenance personnel- has a positive attitude and is there for a common goal: to care for the wellbeing of the kids who otherwise do not have safe, reliable adults in their lives. In regards to working the floor as a Youth Counselor I won't sugarcoat it, this is a tough job. Some days are seamless and fun- you as a staff member collaborate with your team to create fun programming that teaches the kids social, emotional, and independent living skills. The kids are having a great day and you get through it without too many hiccups. Many days though, you are fielding and redirecting the high, tense emotions of between 3 and 10 AFAB adolescents. This job requires patience and emotion regulation skills, and the compassion to put yourself in the residents' shoes while critically identifying what is in their best interest and setting limits. That being said, I can't reiterate enough how supportive the work environment is. We are a team of strong personalities who know how to communicate, and know how to give grace to each other knowing what we go through together to achieve our mission. The company pays for team wellness activities every month that offer new experiences, self care opportunities, and time to care for each other too. MPA Hampton is its own community of great people doing great work. 


Let me start by saying, the kids are not the issue. This is a placement facility for high risk kids. It comes with triggers, hard topics, and physical managements.  

The hardest part of the job is trying to deal with the management team. There’s no sense of ‘leading by example’ and then blame the youth counselors for why the program is not running smoothly. They set a standard, which most of the time, they are the ones who end up breaking the rules set. Local law enforcement almost laugh at the frequency of how much they’re call them in. Admin seems to pull the wool over new hires eyes as they have them shadow an hour or two during dinner, which doesn’t paint an accurate picture of the day to day. Absolutely no support from the admin team. They will use and abuse you and treat you like a place holder. They care about the money and will accept clients back who have a history of staff assault. Admin counts in ratio, but not once did I see them cover residential when we were short. They preach about self care, but will help you burn out by over scheduling you for any and every shift possible. 

Overall, I was happy to work at MPA, the residential team was great and very support and the kids are kids. Unfortunately, the administrative team made it easy for me to find another job and leave MPA. 

Mt. Prospect Academy, simply put,is an excellent place to be employed.  The overall mission of the agency deals with the often difficult task of providing alternatives to young people who for a variety of reasons may not be at home, may not have a home or have encountered the juvenile justice system.

These young people,often fearful or resentful as teenagers can be, are often with the programs developed by Mt. Prospect Academy able to redirect their abundant energy and develop life skills and an education that puts them right back into the mainstream.  The process can be slow, but it enormously rewarding.

Many companies tout training, but Mr. Prospect enables every member of the staff to be successful and the commitment to training is top to bottom with all expected to have a solid set of skills.

Opportunities for advancement are plentiful and much more frequent than other employers and a low supervisor to staff ratio yields regular feedback and a steady effort at recruiting, retaining and developing a solid group of professionals.

I have been with the company for nearly six years and along the way have enjoyed several promotions, increased pay and increased responsibility.  Best of all, it is an active work environment, not a desk job.  This job is perfect for a wide cross cut of prior training or experience.

During my time with the company I was able to meet some very wonderful co-workers (fellow Youth Counselors and Community Leaders) as well as the amazing young ladies residing in the house.  That was, unfortunately, my only positive of working in this facility.   Management does not understand the work that goes into actually being ON the floor with these young ladies, yet still are comfortable making insensitive and unproductive comments to their employees about how they handle day to day situations. They should NOT refer to themselves as a treatment center, because not much treatment/therapy happens at all.  If you are experienced in group-homes and how chaotic they can be, this 100% could be a place for you to do well.   Students fresh out of college with no experience are NOT what these girls need or deserve (but are the ones being hired right away), especially when management is taking on girls that are in need of a much higher level of care than they can provide and that are way beyond the staff's abilities/job description.  This facility is in need of a complete 180; with that, I believe that they could do wonderful things and create real change.  Please consider your experience and abilities before deciding to work here.

MPA Rumney is a unique place. The staff that work there are friendly and are truly focused on providing treatment to their student population. Some days can be hectic as getting 16 kids engaged in different activities can have periods of high energy. The coolest part of the job is the adults get to choose what they want to do with the kids, even if it cost money, the company will pay for it. If you have the ability to show up to work on time to your shifts, the kids respond to that adult very well. The kids really gravitate towards consistency. Management has an open door policy when it comes to faculty's well being and conversations of support around individual needs. Management is patient but will also offer feedback. Management gives chances for growth if the employees want them but often folks aren't interested in taking on additional responsibility. The hardest part of the job for some people is the long Saturday or Sunday shift, those people that have activities planned ahead of time usually have the smoothest day and time goes quickly. 

On paper they'll present you all of the perfect pieces you want to hear. Opportunity for advancements, promote from within, make your own schedule, OT, good pay etc. Curb all of your expectations from that and understand that the spoon feeding of lies is a constant. If you can take your expectations from a 8 all the way down to a 2 you'll be great. The entire company is run with what I can best describe as calculated mediocrity. Changes? Never going to be implemented. Think you have a good idea? Quiet down junior, you don't. Roles will be promised after a few months to try and relight the spark, again, curb your excitement. Smile, nod, ask for a bit extra money if they offer you a title, and move on. But if you can expect all that going in it's not awful. The kids can be enjoyable to be around with fun programming opportunities, some employees are wonderful people. Just don't get excited, and don't have any faith in management. Don't climb the ladder, just swing on the playground until you decide to get off. 

You're able to take your interests and skills and support the kids in everyday situations. You get to work alongside of other faculty with experience and knowledge that help you out. We have meetings every day to talk about the kids and bigger meetings each week between departments. Residential positions allow you to work at the beginning or end of the week, so you get a more time off. There is always a big residential meeting each week so everyone can get on the same page. 
Residential faculty have a lot of trust within each other-you quickly are able to bond with each other and have a lot of teamwork. Clinical faculty are always around and work side by side with everyone. You go through a lot of training and can move up quickly if you put in the work and are dedicated. A lot of manager and administrators go out of their way to check in and are usually around or come in when a crisis comes up. You never feel alone.  The kids can be tough-but if they weren't then they wouldn't need to be here.

In my work at MPA, I have found it to be both challenging and rewarding. There are good days and bad days, as with any job. Knowing that I make an impact each day and being able to be a positive,caring adult in their world is what keeps me going each day. These girls have been abused and mistreated and this organization provides a safe space for learning, growth, and empowerment. Working with girls with the histories they have is difficult and there are stressful days due to their behaviors, but through seeking guidance from management and making sure I'm consistent in what I'm doing, I have seen them make different choices - and beam with pride for their accomplishments. During this pandemic, the company has continued to be supportive and keep employee's safety in mind - not just the residents.

Loved MPA when I started as a youth counselor. The kids are mostly great and it's amazing to see their progress. After working up the ladder, I was disillusioned by the business side. They care about the kids, but not so much for the employees who are working with the kids. Poor wages, making fun/talking badly of employees, having employees come in sick, undermining employees’ mental health, constantly understaffed, lack of standard on-the-job training. All of these concerns were presented internally, but if you're not speaking their language, it's going to fall on deaf ears. They place high value on employee investment, so take notes on how exactly they're investing in you...
Worth mentioning -- If you post a review, even anonymously, expect to be sought out.

At Mount Prospect Academy, I have found that those who truly care about our clients and supporting the growth of others will thrive in this environment. We are a fairly large company spread out in NH and I uprooted my life to work here. Most of my friends work for MPA and the new self-care incentives that the company began last year have been awesome! We do some really tough work here but the good moments, seeing a client and their family succeed or have a breakthrough, makes this all worth it. Since beginning work at MPA, my skills have continued to grow daily and the leadership opportunities are endless if you're willing to work for it. Self-care is a huge piece of being successful, so be sure and utilize the free gym and wellness activities! If you are a dedicated, responsible worker looking for a rewarding experience in an energetic atmosphere you've found the right company! Come join us!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Mental health technician 10 salaries reported	$61,800 per year
Clinician 28 salaries reported	$59,554 per year
Mentor 23 salaries reported	$21.57 per hour
Youth counselor 18 salaries reported	$19.97 per hour
Para educator 10 salaries reported	$18.40 per hour

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