therapist

psychiatric technician

registered nurse

social worker

behavioral specialist

PrairieCare

More training needed for those in management roles to not only lead a team but also lead by example. Internal systems has a history of errors and inconsistencies that can hinder the success of an individual's role - yet somehow, it's on you to take accountability if the work environment doesn't give you the proper tools to do your job. 

Expectations in different departments are not consistent and there is no overarching mission in mind that connects the different departments. It can get a little "cliquey" and toxic which feels like high school all over again.  This is a very hierarchical work culture, what ever management/supervisory says, goes - no input and/or consideration from those who are doing the actual job (that knows more than the actual supervisor). Beware of individuals who undermine other's work - this is a statement PC makes everyone sign but ppl continually get away with belittling and devaluing others work efforts. Beware of those who have personal biases and allows this to affect you to do your job... if someone doesn't like you just because, they will make it very hard for you to do your job (hence, more training for the "supervisors"). 

Bottom line: If you're looking for a 9-5 job, where you don't work beyond what you need to, don't incorporate team work, don't want to contribute in anything other than your specific role and just take marching orders - then this may be the job for you. If you're looking to make a difference and want your voice to be heard (without any repercussions), and want to be hands on, look elsewhere. HR focus is supporting management and to recruit, recruit, recruit - don't expect much out of them. 

PrairieCare is a poorly manged, toxic work environment. It was not always this way, but has been implied that the company ran into a financial crisis a couple years ago. Being an "at will" employer, they have mandated employees from housekeeping to physicians to do work at other locations that they were not hired to do, for an undisclosed amount of time. They furlough employees with no return date to save money, use workplace politics and mandating to force out employees that managers have negative personal feelings about, don't offer raises and have even gave out paycuts with no notice. They do not *require* that you work overtime, but it was necessary in order to provide even decent patient care, which is incredibly important both for social workers and in a healthcare setting. The social work team was cut in half over the course of a year, meanwhile expected to do more work than the previous large group. Doctors, nurses, psych techs, housekeeping, therapists and social workers were sent across the metro to work at multiple sites to make up for the mass exodus of employees who had quit due to these work conditions. Your voice does not matter and you cannot expect any upward movement at PrairieCare unless you are friends with the right people - it's a big little company full of politics, gossip, and questionable decisions. PrairieCare is made up of people in direct care who are genuinely kind, incredibly competent, committed and approachable one-on-one, but due to poor management fueled by crisis, PrairieCare is unable to be trusted as an employer.

A job that was the easiest to come to day in and day out. The kids need you for the simplest things and then yet the hardest things. We started our days passing morning medications at the same time we handed out our medications staff ate breakfast with the patients. Did showers and washed clothes. Went to groups at times or just hung out with the patients. 
 
There were many days where we had to restrain a kid or have them in seclusion for the entire shift. Listening to their hard wrenching stories. Things you would go home and think about all night and into the next day. The bound that we made with the kids. The kids that left and then didn't make it and ended up coming back. 

The playtime outside, baking cookies on the week-end. Making crafts. Being able to take charge of what you want to do with your own patients and planning the week-end. So many gives and takes. 

If management didn't play one employee against another I would still be there. The management was not mature and not healthy in their own selves and positive people to run their units professionally. They asked many people to tattle like children on each other that formed a hostile work environment. I guess that's what happens when you hire a lot of twenty year old's but I am not twenty and couldn't watch things like that happen. They lost a lot of good employees.

To start, I work in our Assessment and Intake Department, specifically in the Patient Intake (PIC) role. I spend most of my days answering calls from people who are interested in starting services at PrairieCare. I have been here for just over a year, and I have really appreciated my job. My team has been very supportive and encouraging. We often will have events and get togethers to build relationship and mostly everyone has been here for a year or more, so we all know each other really well. I have good relationships with my coworkers and management team. I find it easy to ask for help when needed and also feel that I am given the opportunity to comfortably be myself.

There is a lot that goes on in the PIC role. Personally I really enjoy the flexibility and chance to do something new, but if you are someone who needs consistency and the same job every day, I would recommend looking at a different position.

The needs assessment dept had the worst training program or absence of a training program I should say. They didn't even have a finished and printed training manual when I started. The training was almost nonexistent and then they let me go after 6 weeks for not being competent at the job yet. What?! I have never worked at a company that was so disorganized. They expect people to just have the skills necessary before even starting the job. Completely unprofessional. Their idea of training was following someone around. There is little to no work/life balance which is fairly typical of a mental health organization. They guilted me for taking scheduled breaks even because they were understaffed and so disorganized. I would not recommend working at this company to anyone. I would not recommend sending your child to PrairieCare either. It was a big moneymaking scheme where they get kids and their parents to come in for what they call "free needs assessment" when it's really just a marketing ploy to get more kids and money in the door. Hard to believe this place is growing at the rate it is.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best thing about working at PrairieCare is having the ability to assist and support patients who are working through their mental health challenges. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The frequent and sudden changes that come from management without any warning. They’ll train you to do one thing but will pull you off that team and place you in a different position without warning. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
They have a very open and diverse community of people. Very professional and business minded. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day for me consists of checking and responding to emails, speaking to and  scheduling patient's, and working with site management to ensure patient’s have a safe space to take care of their mental health needs.

I've transitioned between several positions within my department and can say that with all of the changes within leadership, the organization as a whole, and our department expectations I would still say that this is a decent place to work. I can confidently say that I have a great team that I work with and look forward to coming in to work every day. My direct supervisor is always accommodating and supportive in my needs directly related to my personal life which can be hard to come by in a hospital setting. I can say that there are some politics and blind spots that can be addressed but every organization has those struggles so no immediate surprises there. My onboarding experience was a bit rough and had lack of communication so I will say that HR can and should probably be addressed as I have also trained many other employees in this seemed to be a consistent concern. 

While the day to day floor staff you work with are generally good (every job has its lemons) the management might as well be non-existent. Floor staff generally have eachothers backs so they can give the beat patient care they can, and work as a team to make sure everyone succeeds to the best of their abilities. Communication about both minor and major issues does not happen, and do not expect to get any form of response when asking questions to supervisors. Floor staff are unheard when voicing concerns about patient safety or care, and when the issue becomes big enough for management to become involved, are blamed for not bringing the issues to management. There is clear favoritism towards some Staff over others when it comes to disciplinary actions, and when called out on it supervisors hide behind HR. All in all, I would not reccomend working here.

As a psych tech you spend the most time with the children and basically run the units. I held demonstrations for restraints, implemented reward programs, created schedules and designed groups to run. I got one raise over 4 years. When I applied for the lead technician position I was denied and told I’d be better off finding work elsewhere if I wanted to make more money. Yet before I left they insisted I hand over all my files for groups I had saved and created. The work was thankless and dangerous. I was bit, kicked, punched, and spit on in their Partial Hospital Program. I worked with some amazing caring individuals as a float technician and it’s a shame the work environment wasn’t better. This companies idea of appreciation is a cheap pizza lunch every now and again. Typical healthcare and from what I’ve heard it hasn’t changed since changing ownership. 

I’m grateful for Prairiecare because they are providing so much needed mental health care for kids in Minnesota, but they have some serious organizational issues and they undervalue their low level staff like techs and nurses who keep the place running and CREATE the culture for the kids as they are with them all day. Unhappy techs and nurses -> worse experience for kids. I was shocked when I found out how much more someone could make per hour as a tech at Fairview or Children’s. I’m not sure how they are going to staff their hospital expansion as they struggle to fully staff the current hospital. I hope they can learn the value of retention and treating low level staff better with competitive compensation, respect, and more consistency and flexibility. I left PrairieCare after I got my masters, no one higher up tried to retain me at all. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Therapist 39 salaries reported	$33.42 per hour
Psychiatric technician 37 salaries reported	$21.57 per hour
Registered nurse 42 salaries reported	$45.76 per hour
Social worker 56 salaries reported	$33.38 per hour
Behavioral specialist 58 salaries reported	$21.25 per hour

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