direct service provider

case planner

registered nurse - pediatrics

social worker

therapist

New Alternatives for Children, Inc.

Visit families in their apartment in different parts of NY City to provide respite services or Family Caregiver Supports Services for the Care Provider. Respite Services: worker spends time with child to assist them to work on their goals also, research and find  appropriate social events for child to participate while allowing the Caregiver time to get a break. Worker spends time with Caregiver to assist with working on goals such as budgeting, filling out paperwork, job applications ect. Worker gained experience in working with families and children, assessing their needs and identifying appropriate techniques to assist family to be more independent. Get along well with Supervisor and communicate regularly with all workers involved. It is difficult sometimes having to travel to other boroughs to make field visits. The most enjoyable part is working with the families and their children and knowing the organization is making a difference and meeting the needs of the family and children with special needs.

-Home visits 55% of the work
-Documentation 40% of the work
-Supervision: 2 hours minimum (Best supervision a social worker can get in nyc in my opinion.), great management, although they are not always direct so you won't get ticked off. If you are a more straightforward person, ask for a supervisor that will do that, and you'll get one.
-I learned very much about the child welfare system in nyc and how to be patient when working with other people (i.e. clients).
-Office culture is relaxed and friendly. Your mornings (and time spent at the office) will always be nice.
-The hardest part of the job is time management. Do your homework and learn to manage your time before applying here.
-The most enjoyable part of the job is to witness humanity at multiple levels (e.g. social, economic, political, psychological (cognitive and temperamental mostly), medical, etc. etc.)

I worked at NAC for 6 months May-Nov 2021. When interviewing, I was told that the job was hard, I never imagined that it would be what it was. To start off, for the amount of work done, the compensation is POOR. There’s no overtime, they replaced that with “comp days” which were NEVER USED because of the extremely poor work life balance. I would start my work days at 9 am and on average work up until 8 at night. There were many nights that I worked until 2 am and always during weekends (my days off). The supervisor and director were not supportive. The overall experience was horrible. Being that this was my first social work job, it left a sour taste in my mouth and even made me regret my career choice. This job is ok if you’re using it for experience ONLY , until you get your license. 

NAC offers excellent training opportunities to its interns  (MSW and psychology), including weekly group and individual supervision. Learning how to navigate the database and electronic records was initially challenging, but supervisors and colleagues were very supportive and patient, and within a month or two it became much easier. My MSW internship was in the mental health clinic, and I learned a lot from my clients and colleagues and gained comfort in the role of therapist. As a therapist, I worked closely with other therapists and NPs at the clinic, as well as with different NAC departments (education, prevention, foster care, etc.). Very collegial, collaborative, supportive environment. As an intern, I felt very respected and appreciated by staff I worked with.

Worked in the kitchen. I have an impressive resume. My co-workers were the best ive ever had! However, kitchen manager wanted a monkey not an experienced cook. She had no trust in any of us, was mean, was rude, was hateful, and micro managed us to death. Mind you we all over the age of 45. Dont need to have a babysitter. She would put you down, pick on you,  mock you, and write you up for stupid stuff, even when i wasnt on shift. Shes forgetful and disrespectful to the kitchen. However, she would laugh and joke with anyone outside kitchen. She didnt like when we spoke amongst ourselves nor socialized with any other members. Loved to be there for the kids but this person made the environment very stressed and made for a bad work space.

Great position for recent college graduates. I learned a lot about the child welfare system and heavily collaborated with case planning agencies, collateral providers from schools, doctor's offices and other community based organizations. You learn how to effectively manage your time as it pertains to scheduling field visits and appropriately documenting necessary information. Workplace culture was pretty relaxed, and chill. Had a great group of colleagues and fair management team. After awhile the job became a little monotonous, but I really enjoyed working with the children and families!

I work with children in foster care and I would say its the most enjoyable I have had so far. I have learned so much from my families which have fined tuned my skills and made me the social worker I am today.  I look forward to providing services and achieving goals with my families by working through a strength base approach. New Alternative for Children staff is supportive but at times lack the ability to enhance on my abilities or forward my career. The hardest part of my job I would have to say would be closing cases because I build long lasting professional relationships with my families which at times they have a hard time letting go.

Much better than many social work companies. May depend which department you're in. For Prevention department, very organized and thoughtful and supportive leadership. The work itself can be tough, thankless (from clients) and slow progress, but that is social work. The company is OK. They are making attempts in DEI but most leadership is white. Salaries could be better but are not the worst for social work. Not much of a "fun" work culture... no bonuses (except yearly raises for some staff-- no transparency to know who) or staff appreciation or team building efforts. 

Firstly, NAC is a huge agency with multiple departments. It’s easy to get confused and not know where to find the help you need. One of the biggest reasons I left the agency was because the pay was horrible and it didn’t reflect the workload that was given. The supervisor was not present enough to teach agency me the needed tasks to get me started. Most of my learning was from the peers in my same department. Once I found a better paying position outside of the agency, management began treating me differently and saying things like “this is why I’m hesitant to hire recent MSW grads”. I don’t recommend this agency. 

At NAC, I have been able to use and develop variety of skills while presenting on social issues, working directly with clients, developing new program initiatives, leading trainings, and working collaboratively with staff from other child welfare agencies. I have been promoted several times during my time at NAC. My continued social work education has been supported by the agency leadership. I have learned a lot about the needs of children with complex health care needs and the supports available to them. I have felt that the managerial staff at NAC have been invested in my well being and professional development. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Direct service provider 5 salaries reported	$32.40 per hour
Case planner 8 salaries reported	$64,250 per year
Registered nurse - pediatrics 7 salaries reported	$68,194 per year
Social worker 7 salaries reported	$63,214 per year
Therapist 12 salaries reported	$60.00 per hour

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