therapist

behavioral specialist

water treatment specialist

creative consultant

case manager

OhioGuidestone

My first six months was the worst I wanted to quit but they convinced me to stay it’s all about productivity but so cheap don’t really want to pay you I cried, kicked and yelled before I finally got paid for my productivity. I do always speak up or else they will walk over you like a doormat. They can give a two cents bout your self care so I didn’t either. That’s why I stayed as long as I did but that’s no longer the case I do care about my health even if they won’t.  Management is very condescending and not supportive at all I had one good supervisor very experienced and paid attention to detail even that don’t outweigh the rest of the bad apples I’m only there to help clients until something better I don’t care the pay my health is more important along with my sanity. I put in blood sweat and tears, went over above and beyond the call of all my duties spending time with families, activities, crisis, intervention, safety planning and dining, etc and still they’d find something to complain about. 99.99% your traveling to see clients at home, School and the community so you work from dusk until dawn especially if you don’t see children during the day.  You are never appreciated even though I didn’t look for it all I got was shock if I knew what I was talking about or doing.  Management take things very personal, I’m not a babysitter and not out to hold anyone’s hand I work hard and think before I speak but enough is enough I’m tired of these jobs abusing their positions to beat up in front line workers and management been out of the field for years and think same rules apply and it’s forever changing just makes me sick.  They act like they don’t believe a word you say like you don’t impact lives in a positive way and my credentials speak for themselves. They think they are better than you and it shows and they talk a good talk but can never back it up but ruins relationships over bs. Phone, computers are outdated and works horribly. They offer paid time off but don’t have a health issue they won’t reassign cases while you are out so no one sees clients for you at all but look for a problem with you and your work performance.  When you voice concerns they never listen to employees and write you up in a second and have an answer for everything. I really thought the flexibity of making your own schedule and meeting new people of various backgrounds was great and living and working in the same community but it backfired. I really hope this that happened to me won’t happen to anybody else. I’m always playing catch-up although they tell you they won’t count being off against you they really do.  I was told I was being trained on new changes in policies and programming only to be receiving minimal pay it isn’t worth your self worth and respect to be treated horribly especially when they pay you pennies on the dollar to basically save people lives and literally walk them off the ledges I can’t make any of this up. Steer clear of this agency if you don’t want to end up with anxiety and feeling like you have to walk around on eggshells for fear you will lose your job because you just can’t seem to get anything right because management hold personal vendetta’s and grudges instead of remaining objective and nonjudgmental and professional kick you while your down instead of offering you support. It’s like they don’t care about clients but their bottom line and that’s real talk. I know I’m going to be blessed with a much better opportunity because what’s for me will be. The clients that were helped it shows and the ones that want you to do things for them is a whole other story it’s like the agency designed to just give stuff to clients when they should be explaining services and how they can impact their lives. I’ve never did what’s just in my job description they take that other job duties to a whole other level you do it all you have to come into the office to fax or copy or scan and their business office lose documents and won’t apologize or take any responsibility for wrongdoing. Your car is your office and you end up doing notes and documentation late nights and get easily behind it’s so unrealistic to do concurrent notes and they make you pay for it.  Don’t request funds for a family in need too much red tape I just helped out from my own heart and pockets I know I’ll be blessed for it so it’s not a problem. If and when I do leave this agency I’ll miss the relationships built and the people that really benefited from the support I’ve offered them clients and staff wherever they may end up in life.  This too shall pass.

1) When you apply for employment they do not mandate you go to a Benefits Training. When you are in the first week they inform you that their Medical Mutual package covers everything. What they do not tell you is that you have a high deductible. You are responsible to pay out of pocket for 3,000 $ and in 2019-2020 it may go up to 4,000. You are automatically enrolled even if you are a single with no dependents. 
2) They say they will give you two week vacations after your probationary period. That is a lie. You get one week the first year. The second year you get two. The kicker is that if you do not meet the minimum for productivity they will not let you take a vacation. You have to fight for any pre payed vacations. There is nothing in the handbook stating they can withhold your time but management can do whatever they want if you are not part of their click. 
3) Productivity, Productivity, Productivity- The name of the game. 52 % is a must and every program requires this at all time. If you are sick and get a note; they do not care. If you have a family member who passes and you provide a note; they do not care. It is all about over-billing and being sneaking on paper. If you are not willing to risk your license or go to jail this is not a job for you. They say you need 4 hrs a day and that is a lie. It is less about clinical care and more about time spent. 
4) If they do not see you working there in the future, you are out of luck. It is clicky. They do not care if you are experienced, skilled, or great with the clients. If you have a undergraduate degree that is not enough for them. 
5) THEY WILL NOT PAY YOU FOR OVERTIME, EVER. They say Monday-Friday with no weekends. I was working 6 days a week (so were others) and they do not pay you unless you meet the 52%. If you want a stable schedule- do not work here. 
6) You will not make much money. Yes, I know all non-profits are chintzy. However, when you have experience and license you should get more money. 4 year degree and a license should get you 16-20 and a graduate degree should get you 18-20+, just saying. People have to beg for more money. They claim because you can make bonus that this is doable. The people who are making bonus 90% of the time lying on paper. 
7) YOU WILL GO IN THE COMMUNITY. IF YOU ARE SCHOOL BASED YOU WILL NOT GET TO DESIDE EAST SIDE OR WEST. THEY SAY THAT IN THE INTERVIEW IT IS A LIE. YOU WILL HAVE MORE THAN 2 SCHOOLS. YOU WILL SPEND MORE THAN 50 % DRIVING, EVEN AS A THERAPIST. SCHOOL IS 6.5 HRS A DAY. FIGURE OUT THE MATH, YOU ARE DOING EVERYTHING. 
8) They will fire you on productivity. Unless, you are a favorite. I know CPST workers who did not do anything and got monthly rewards. If you outshine people you are out of luck. I.E. Do not be good at your job. When they fire you they make you feel like a awful person and do not want to have a conversation with you. 
9)  Kicker: if you are on a ten month contract; it does not get renewed in August. It is renewed in Jun (appx 6/14). Therefore, the know before hand if you will get fired. You can get 4 write ups for productivity. A guiding moment does not count as one. You can get fired whenever they feel like it. Some people get written up 4 times and are OK. Some get written up twice and get screwed. 
10) YOU WILL LOVE THE CLIENTS AND THE FAMILIES WHICH MAKES IT HARD WHEN YOU LEAVE. THEY EXPECT IT BUT IT IS HARD WHEN THEY DO NOT LET YOU SAY GOOD BYE.

I would have given a 1 star. I wish they had reviews before I started. I learned nothing, gave it 120% with no OT, and was treated awful. I left my other job for nothing. I started off making 10 friends and lets just say 8 quit /were laid off by the time I left OGS. 

If you are loved you will be fine. They seem nice during the first 3 months. 

Read all the reviews online. Best of luck, ya all.

Overall, this agency has helped me begin my career in the counseling environment. However, in the past few years, I have started seeing the "business model" approach they are currently using and how they prioritize. Numerous changes have recently taken place, which change in general at this agency is always occurring.

For counselors looking for their niche in the field, this would be a place to start, because you would be able to determine what area/field you DON'T want to work. Understanding that productivity is important for this field, it appears to be the sole factor when requesting your earned time-off. It appears the non-billable case management time is not taken into consideration, simply the productivity hours. At times I have felt more like a pencil pusher crunching numbers than a mental health therapist, simply because of this agency's nature on pressing for productivity. There have also been moments where I have considered seeing clients just for the hours despite the fact that they are progressing well, just to make sure I "get the productivity in."

The benefits started out pretty fair: great insurance package, but the starting pay is simply low. I have had jobs that required a bachelor's degree that paid more than this place! If you are one that would use the insurance benefits frequently, then I suppose that will help balance the low pay rate.

If you are looking for a supervisor who can be a mentor, then this is NOT the place for you. Just about 2 years, I have gone through at least 5 supervisors, some have even gone through 10! You can start with a supervisor that suits your needs or area of interest/expertise, but that can change in a heartbeat.

Although they offer numerous positions,don't be surprised if you take on in-home clients. It appears to be their first solution for therapists with productivity issues: give you more cases! In many cases, it could lead to driving to various counties, yet, they don't see that as another challenge to meeting the productivity requirements.

This is a place where I find it difficult to see myself for a long-term career, unless they make significant changes to reduce job stress.

My time at Ohio Guidestone was somewhat mixed. Just like any social service agency, there are pros and cons. You have to figure out what you can deal with and what are deal breakers. My days were spent going from home to home, possibly to a school , child services, or juvenile court. No two days were the same. However, it normally started early (with parents calling me on my agency cell phone before 8:00 am) and ended late (usually my last appointment was over my 8:00 pm). I very much enjoyed my clients. I love mental health services and helping others. However, I felt like I was in this hustle on a daily basis to get enough people to meet with me. At Guidestone, productivity is king....It doesn't matter if you are an amazing therapist, if you don't hit your numbers monthly, you are put on a performance plan or possibly terminated. You have to make up any time missed if you are sick, have agency holidays, or take vacation days (which you have earned and need to take to prevent burn out). This is not the fault of middle management but the "C" level executives that have been out of the field for many years. I felt that it was the expectation that my clients should be a bigger priority in my life than my own children and family. This "con" that was a deal breaker. There were also times in which my personal safety was not seemingly a big priority. Also, pay was low; however, medical benefits are amazing. Flexibility of schedule is great for those without children. I had some amazing supervisors and one that was horrible. However, even good supervisors cannot make up for a bad work/life balance and bad policy. I feel that my dedication to my clients was taken advantage of. You cannot treat your employees poorly and expect them to stick around for the sake of "the cause."

Let's start with the job description....  They have a lot of things the you'll be doing in it but what they don't tell you is what the real job is! You are a housekeeper who is disrespected by clients, your required to do heavy lifting of furniture that possibly infested with bed bugs. You cook, clean and babysit for clients while they watch TV and do drugs.  You also have to drive your personal vehicle with clients in it.  Many who are drug addicts or have severe mental health problems.  No concern for the advocates safety at all. 
Clients can act abusively towards advocates & they can do nothing but take it. 
Management all the way up the board is horrific.  There is no support, they are clueless to what happens daily there.  The shelter never has staff because it's a horrible place to work & they expect the advocates to stay extra shifts with no notice.  An 8 hr day turns into a 16 hour shift and you are fired if you leave.  They also tell you that you shift will be one thing (M-F days for example) then put you on all midnight shifts or vary your shift so you can work days one day, 2nd the next and 3rd shift the next day.  They will say anything to hire anyone in.  When you complain, they bring up the job description that says you work whenever they tell you to. 
Management is never there or available by phone, they refuse to cover shifts and are useless.  They have no education requirements for the position so anyone can get that job and it shows.   
Most advocates last less than a month at the Carrollton shelter, they either quit or they are terminated for made up reasons by management with no prior reprimands.  The stress caused by this position was not worth the pennies they pay you. 
If Ohioguidestone plans on keeping that shelter open they need to clean house starting with the management.

Uncoordinated chaos and confusion would be the best description of my brief experience with this organization. I spent so much time in onboarding activities that were related to pre-employment requirements prior to being hired for a remote position. After being hired, I spent over 40 hours in agency onboarding trainings related to certification and licensing body requirements  as a new employee of the company. 

During that time I thought I was going to get some training for the actual position, but instead I received a hurried clinical session observing someone engaging with a client.  Despite asking the training department and clinical supervisor, I received no clinical training on their EHR. The irony of it all is that as a prn employee they sent me a pricey laptop and iPhone  to use for a per diem role while full time employees shared equipment during orientation. 

All of this time energy, cost and investment was made at front end, but no one followed through with the most important part which was actually training me in the role I was supposed to do.  I was frequently reminded of that I had a “productivity” standard, which was never discussed in the interview. Being a prn employee working less than 15 hours a week, it made no sense, but it showed me the focus of care. 

I made the decision to move on quickly because in this current market my license and skill set are in high demand and if an agency can’t give you the respect to listen to your concerns or make some effort to show you that you are valued as a new hire, they are not likely to treat you much better the longer you are there. 




I love and dearly miss OhioGuidestone; they genuinely believe in and invest in the people they hire. They go above and beyond in the Franklin County office (speaking on what and who I know) to accomodate you when necessary as much as possible if you're a disabled or neurodiverse employee. No fluff.

Tons of training and professional development support, the work life balance was amazing.

I worked in the school based behavioral health specialist position/prevention specialist and community based behavioral health specialist position and enjoyed working in both roles I would reccomend people pick based on how much they prefer routine.

I enjoyed the predictability on the school based side -- as you're basically at the same schools every Monday, Tuesday or set day you and the school need.
However, I disliked that once social dynamics in the schools came into play (district and social politics) it made it hard to make repairs work relationships wise. But that's just a human thing.

The community based position was really fun and allowed me to get a feel for what being a community based therapist looks like. OhioGuidestone is an amazing teaching organization and has a huge positive impact on the communities it services. I'd reccomend OGS to anyone looking to formalize their career in mental health. 

I'm currently not with the agency is because I myself need to get my own health in a functional place but if they'd take me back I'd go in a heartbeat!

I never felt more respected and valued on a team, even while feeling like I was fumbling.

If I had to pick between the two roles, 



I was employed as a maternal depression therapist. The position sounds great in theory. You can work flexible hours, making your own schedule. However, you may become more like a traveling salesperson than anything else. That is, a travelling salesperson to public assistance recipients (whose lives change from day to day-that is just simple sociology). Many of the clients have severe and potentially violent mental health disorders, and not just postpartum depression and anxiety. Even once you have established a therapeutic relationship, still, how do you confront a client in her own home?  You don't make money or mandatory productivity unless you can meet face-to-face with clients. Your paycheck  and good standing in the position depends upon you hustling in-home therapy sessions with clients each week.  And clients cancel and simply stop answering your calls VERY OFTEN. The pay is very low, considering all of the work hazards of travelling to all kinds of neighborhoods and being exposed to all kinds of environments (some clients have pests, rodents, and unfriendly dogs).  Other times, there is an abusive boyfriend, controlling mother, or prying big sister or brother in the next room-so you cannot speak at ease with the client.  If you are a good travelling salesperson, you can have success with this job. If not, it can become a nightmare.  Look elsewhere!

 It's ok if you can work very autonomously but gets really lonely. Everyone works individually and you only see your supervisor one hour a week. The pay was not good compared to my level of education. It's hard to get fired  if you hit your minimum productivity and ok with the pay. Making bonus requires real hustle and, honestly, a solid understanding of basic algebra. 

I did love the clients I worked with and their families were wonderful too. The vacation and sick time are relatively generous and always got approved.

I worked school services &  there are challenges to taking advantage of the school placement. It is all up to the worker to secure a space to perform services, buy supplies, build a schedule, find new clients, etc. The only thing I wasn't responsible for was contact an insurance agency. I was split between multiple schools so I didn't feel like I belonged anywhere. It would have been more beneficial for the schools and the clinician to have only one placement. The school staff was generally friendly but often too busy or also lacking in resources. 

When clients need a higher level of care there was no action to find another program or worker. I made numerous pleas for the safety of my client that were essentially ignored. 

There were just way too many cons for me to continue working here. Upper management is absolutely horrendous and do not care about the safety and well-being of their clinical staff. I was being run into the ground with clinical hours and encouraged to see clients in their homes, schools or in the office, whatever it took to get billing hours; this led my schedule to being sporadic between 8am-9pm. They talk about having a good work-life balance but then turn around and slam you for not being available all hours of the day to meet your productivity. And then the pay was not sustainable. Yes, community mental health pay is not great overall, but the pay at OGS did not reflect the amount of work they expect you to put in. They also boast that their low pay is countered by the bonus system but I couldn't rely on paying my bills when the bonus relied on clients who would no-show. Upper management DOES NOT listen to the needs of their staff and then they wonder why they have an agency-wide staff retention problem.

My supervisor was absolutely wonderful and I enjoyed interacting with other clinical staff and my clients. They made the job hard to leave but I just could not stay due to the stress and low pay.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Therapist 1 salary reported	$14.95 per hour
Behavioral specialist 6 salaries reported	$16.25 per hour
Water treatment specialist 1 salary reported	$30,000 per year
Creative consultant 1 salary reported	$18.00 per hour
Case manager 1 salary reported	$20.00 per hour

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