registered nurse

food service manager

emergency medical technician

trainer

senior quality assurance inspector

Pioneer Human Services

Entrenched in nepotism, with insecure directors and managers who cover up and make excuses for problems, unprofessional, and unethical behavior, protecting counselors with blurred boundaries while penalizing those who question such behavior. The downtown Tacoma Clinic was disturbing on many levels. Expectations were unrealistic and people were expected to work "off the clock" to complete tasks in an oppressive environment where employees were encouraged to spy and report on each other. Asking questions or voicing any opposing views to insecure, bullying management was rewarded with punitive actions and baseless accusations and threats. 

Employees who were obvious buddies of the clinic director were rewarded with pay increases, light duties, and excellent evaluations despite bad behavior, poor work ethics, many complaints, and few qualifications. Qualified people were hired short-term to solve problems and pass audits, and expected to "keep quiet and do what you are told if you want to keep your job." This clinic had one of the most "fascist" environments I had ever encountered with a hand-full of ethical, hardworking people doing most of the quality work while the director and her cronies seemed to be having a good time chatting it up and going on long lunches. 

The facility was cramped, had vermin, and  smelled badly; with employees expected to share desks, computers, tiny office spaces, and a  shortage of therapy and group rooms.

For the patients, this environment results in extremely high turnover and uneven quality of service with many disruptions. During my short tenure I also encountered multiple unethical, and unprofessional practices, including hiring and billing practices that will likely result in fraud investigations by Medicaid at some point in the future. Not a good agency!

The most enjoyable part of the job was when I could put this all aside and focus on helping the individual patient in assessment and/or therapy. I also enjoyed facilitating educational and therapeutic groups. I learned to do my research and pay attention to my instincts. Now a doctoral student, can say that my 4+ month stint at Pioneer Human Services was far too long!

Pros: Work history, great ethics, great mission, must have a passion to help, overtime hours, great resume builder, if possible work as an on call then you can make your own hours and get a feel of each unit to see what best suits you!!

Cons: no set schedule, lack of work/life balance, pay, opportunity for advancement, aloofness and untrustworthy of management, not a career, parking

The PHS company overall and their mission is great and well needed but I will say the unit that I worked for and management was horrible!!! 

Management (Director) mostly aloof of her facility and team but quick to find something to complain about when it suited her to her advantage!! One particular individual have way too unstable and micromanages too much (I'm surprised they haven't fired him yet) and co-workers eager to step over you to get to the top-- not my idea of teamwork or effective productivity! 

DOC and PHS have absolutely 0% communication skills but when they did communicate it was negatively which is very odd and concerning given the fact of the type of job we did!! My life seemed to focus on the job rather than having a life outside of the unit because people failed to show up causing so much negative effects of everyone's life!!! I was fired simply because I complained about the issues I've seen!! 

Resident Monitors are in the front lines of everything but are given no respect for what they put up with day to day from PHS management, DOC officials and offenders!!! 

When I tried to transfer to another unit this particular unit management would find ways to keep me at bay by using negative comments on my reviews. So word of advice, if you decide to work for this company any unit you are placed in please do the following: NOTE EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS, REPORT REPORT REPORT (EVEN IF ITS ABOUT MANAGEMENT OR CO-WORKERS), DON'T ALLOW MANAGEMENT TO DICTATE YOUR FUTURE ONLY YOU CAN!!!!!

The initial presentation put forth by Pioneer makes everything appear to be good. Management will tell you continuously that Administration I totally there for the employee. That is not at all the truth.

A typical day at work is spent documenting client behaviors and interactions, and can be quite fulfilling, however the staff are very chaotic, and there is an overwhelming amount of drama and deception among the employees there.

I learned very quickly that upper level management at Spokane Regional Stabilization is not to be trusted. I could be cordial but had witnessed on several occasions Administration treat multiple employees very unfairly.

The organization does offer great benefits which is one of the tricks they use to get you in the door. What they don't tell you is that they penalize you for those perks. Gift Card Incentives, Sign On Bonus, and other Employee Perks will be taken out of your paychecks, and if you leave Pioneer, they will garnish your final paycheck to reim use them for your Sign On Bonus. They will also do things like give you $50 Gift Cards for Christmas, but then take the $50 out of the following paycheck LOL!

They are a treatment facility, however I have witnessed them with my own eyes terminate amazing employees for trying to get people who need help in to treatment.

Once you leave that place they will go after you viciously. I have watched them do it to more than one Employee.

They are very deceptive, and misleading and our management is not at all the employee friend.

Pioneer Human Services was contracted through the Department of Corrections to aid them in following the residents. Longview Work Release, where I worked, housed 60 residents. These people are those coming out of prison and trying to ease back into society and family and work. We follow the movement of these residents who need constant accounting of their time as they are still considered incarcerated. 
A typical day has them out job searching or going to work. Other activities they are involved in are their required treatment programs and church.  Our main responsibility is to see that they are signed in an out with constant accounted for time.  
As they are hired, we prepare work schedules and plan travel schedules if needed. 
Our house routines require us to do regular checks of all residents, that all are accounted for, security checks, grounds checks, so, not only are the residents are accounted for, but, that the facility is safe as well.
We worked three shifts with each shift completing parts of paperwork that flow in to the next shift, all counting on each other. My co-workers were those I could depend on in any emergency, as, given the group we worked with, there could be serious problems.
The hardest part of the job was keeping distanced from people you wanted to help, but, necessary because of their environment and backgrounds.
The best part of the job was when a resident succeeded at his/her steps that were needed to be ready to start life again.  When they'd get a good job, prove themselves, have family coming to see them, see their kids again......their demeanor and confidence changed.
They felt good about themselves.

With BRS teen boys, you don't know what you're going to get. You watch them, some days they are great, and some they are beating each other or attacking staff. I learned Right Response, got certified for CPR, First Aid, and Bloodbourne Pathogens, and got a food workers card. This job requires patience, self-learning, on-job training, fast responses, and sometimes working out petty problems among the boys. Management is kind and tries to be fair. You will be overworked, as with any other care facility with behavioral teens. The team meetings are geared towards bringing management together with the staff, and getting staff to work together more smoothly. The hardest part of the job is either the long hours that sometimes happen where the boys are in their rooms and there is nothing left to clean or write, or unexpected increase in hours when you previously had plans (unexpected hour changes, late co-worker, crises that management is unable to get there for so you can go home). The most enjoyable part of the job is the boys, usually, they are great boys. You get to play games with them, go to the park, take them to movies, take them to sports events, and you don't have to pay, though, you do have to keep any eye on them, they are sneaky.

The only positive thing I have to say about this job experience is it affirmed my fears.  Having read the reviews, I was reluctantly skeptical, thinking that perhaps only people with poor attitudes had taken the time to write a review.  But that optimism was met with a rude awakening.

I feel terrible for the kids.  Yes, there are some staff who genuinely seem to care, but most seem to throw any psychological training they may have out the window (though it's not entirely their fault, for reasons I'll cover shortly).  The kids are trapped in the center of this bureaucratic mess.

Management is 100% out of touch with the reality of those "on the ground."  Senseless paperwork on top of senseless paperwork.  There are so many trivial tasks that are prioritized.  When do you get time to just "be" with the children and try to model and cultivate healthy behaviors/attitudes when you are constantly tasked with conforming to minutia?  I understand there are legal issues and you have to cover your bases (CPS will come after you otherwise), but someone needs to "wake up" (I know it's a cliche saying and I don't really like using it, but it is definitely applicable here) and realize that the kids should be at the center of every action - not merely a "hassle" that is to be "dealt with" along the way.

I can't say that I recommend this position to anyone, though I have nothing but the utmost respect for an individual who can endure this hellhole WITHOUT giving in to poor perspectives.  I know I couldn't.

The entry-level warehouse positions is easy work at a reasonable pace. Most of the people you work with are likable and the vibe is welcoming overall. However, some of the management, can be unpleasant to deal with and micromanage to the extreme, much of the time. 
The worst part to me was their unrealistic expectations for attendance and errors. This job allows ZERO margin for tardiness ever, whereas all other companies I’ve ever worked for have a 5 minute “grace period” for clocking in late on occasion, you do NOT get that here! If you clock-in only one or two minutes late at Pioneer Distribution Center, you will be written up! Because of this there is a constant turn-around of employees, both temps (through agency staffing like Labor Works) and permanent employees. I’ve seen many good, hardworking people be let go simply because of the ridiculous expectations for attendance and errors. 
This job does offer a great opportunity to help people with criminal records get back into the workforce through their “Second Chances” program, but for anyone else, I would suggest applying elsewhere.

Overwhelming incompetence of management is a daily situation. Short staffed so there is ALWAYS overtime. Forget if you want to have a weekend or holiday off.  The staff who do care are quickly singled out by management and overwhelmed by the staff who do not. This place has this awesome program where if you do a good job at your job you get to pick up the slack of those who don't. My manager was focused on personal issues rather than doing his own job. Letting those in his department do most all of the work. 

It's not all bad though.It's nice to make a difference in someone's life. The most enjoyable part of the job is knowing you've helped someone. 

The hardest part of the job is saying good bye because you can't afford to work without overtime. The compensation is laughable. 

There have been many privacy violations. Information given by staff to parents with out a release of information to name one... Bed bugs that management did nothing about until nearly every dorm was effected and clients bit. And yet nothing seems to change. 

This is a great place to work as a first job or as work experience to get hired at a new place.  The lack of upward mobility or growth in any professional aspect is exceedingly hard, thus making PCE a place for a job rather than a career.

After coming from a career in restaurants and some social work jobs (dual degrees), I was lucky enough to find this job that seems very well suited for my abilities and needs... And alsob the company's needs.
My manager has been very insightful and incredibly helpful to set me on a path of excelling at my job.
Sure, like most jobs, there's stressers, but not as much as most jobs it seems.
Flexibility is pretty good as I'm a single father as well.
All the company wants is for you to do a good job and come to work.
I'm sitting at home now with Covid-19 and they are covering me, without being mean about it, and actually supporting me while I'm off work. I feel really bad about putting my co-workers in this position, and with most jobs I would be getting calls every hour asking me to come in or how to do something; not here. They/We all come together as a team when we're down a person. I don't plan on leaving this job ever... Unless I'm fired for some odd reason lol.

I just resigned from my position as Resident Monitor I at PHS. Within the first two months I became aware that there were sub-cultures similar to high school clicks you could say. I was surprised to see that the people that were supposed to your partners and co-workers were the most disrespectful, un-profesional individuals i have ever encountered. Most people seem to be able to tolerate it but it was definitely not for me. I enjoyed working with the Residents and felt a strong sense of Joy when I was able to help facilitate and or support Residents in getting housing or a job, or a vehicle. Things that were completely new to them. To see the light of hope in their eyes as if life had meaning and that they were valuable was truly rewarding! Unfortunately management didn't seem to have healthy boundaries with enforcing conduct with fellow staff and as a result created a very toxic work environment. If you work lots of hours but the quality of your behavior and work is poor you will be prioritized over those of integrity of character etc. The pay is poor as well.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Registered nurse 2 salaries reported	$43.57 per hour
Food service manager 1 salary reported	$22.19 per hour
Emergency medical technician 2 salaries reported	$21.14 per hour
Trainer 1 salary reported	$18.58 per hour
Senior quality assurance inspector 1 salary reported	$30.13 per hour

Working at Pioneer Human Services: Company Overview and Reviews

Pioneer Human Services

Pioneer Human Services Ratings

Popular jobs at Pioneer Human Services

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected