residential aide

addiction counselor

operations coordinator

mental health therapist

front desk receptionist

Project Chesapeake

A typical day at work involved entering into the office, checking my email and checking with the office manager to learn of any important or urgent issues that need be resolved prior to the start of my day. My day consisted of managing a mental health caseload including mental health individual sessions and mental health assessments. My day also consisted of running outpatient substance abuse groups at multiple hours throughout the day. My day consisted of doing substance abuse assessments and determining the appropriate level of care recommendations. As needed, my day required my to complete inpatient referral requests for clients urgently needing inpatient substance abuse treatment. My schedule is managed by the office manager so frequent communication is necessary. My role as Program Coordinator is dependent on having a great office manager. The office manager handled all of the insurance verifications, creating my schedule,  and assisting the clients in completing self screening assessments and intake information. This information was uploaded into the client's chart prior to meeting with a client for the first time. When doing an initial assessment, all I needed to do was review the information uploaded electronically and begin the assessment. As Program Coordinator, I was part of a treatment team. I regularly reviewed and signed treatment plans, client requested letters and urinalysis authorizations. This was done when I had down time. 

The company has great use of technology which allowed me to view the results of clients urinalyses, treatment plan due dates, estimated completion of substance abuse treatment, the clients rate of substance abuse group attendance and substance abuse treatment plan updates with ease from one screen. ASAM Notes, TX Plan Updates and Assessments are all completed electronically in an easy to use interface that requires minimal typing. These updates are completed using drop down box selections and typing in text boxes. Very easy to use and time efficient. 

I worked in a small office so the cohesion of all office members is important. Every role in the office (Program Coordinator, Mental Health Therapists(s), Addictions Counselor(s), Office Manager and Operations Specialist) is integral to the operation of the program. I had the luxury of working with very competent and easy going staff members. This made management extremely easy. The workplace culture is what you make it. The company is comprised of a corporate office and 8 outpatient substance abuse and mental health clinics. In turn, the workplace culture is dependent on the cohesion of all members of each particular office. In my office, we decorated according to holidays, took turns treating for lunch, brought "thank you" coffees, gave birthday gifts, etc. Our clients felt a part of our office family and regularly come to appointments hours early and remained in the lobby long after their appointments are complete. The corporate office manages data collected remotely and regularly send lists of essentials tasks that need to be completed (insurance reauthorizations, treatment plan updates and corrections needed to be made to clients electronic charts). I work well with reminders. In fact, I did not track or monitor this data and allowed corporate to manage these tasks. This gave me room to place my effort in other places. 

The most difficult part of the job is time management. As with behavioral health, documentation is an important part of providing services to clients in that this is how we evidence we are providing the services we say we are. Managing my time and learning how to efficiently document was the most difficult part of the job for me. After I learned how to do this, the fast paced environment was no longer a challenge, you get used to it. 

The most enjoyable part of the job was facilitating outpatient substance abuse groups. There is a great curriculum broken down with 6 months worth of relapse prevention oriented data. The groups are part traditional, round robin counseling groups and part didactic learning. Facilitating group was my favorite part in that you are allowed to create your own rules and apply your own counseling style to the group. 

What I Learned.... Professionally, I have grown to be a strong therapist, counselor and manager through working with the company. In nearly two years, my role within the company changed upwardly 3 times. I will be remiss if I do not mention the position is difficult. Having or cultivating a team to assist in running the office is imperative. I had a well working, intelligent and hardworking team that picked up the pieces where I fell short. I learned how to make difficult decisions, organize meetings, think proactively through working in this position. I learned how to partner with community agencies and learned how to foster these relationships to assist in the viability of the company. I learned this as corporate was willing to support me but the office employees and myself are responsible for carrying out the tasks (as corporate is in a different location). I received regular phone calls, emails and the occasional visit when/if I was in need of assistance. I have spoken to the corporate office well after business hours on many occasions. I have spoken to partners long after 11p.m. to bounce off frustrations, ideas and requests for support. I learned how to be a social worker with managing capacity at Project Chesapeake.

Project Chesapeake started off with strong intentions—clear structure for documentation and opportunities to connect with clients in a meaningful way. However, it quickly turned into a case of doing too much with too little support. I was expected to juggle telehealth groups, cover two separate offices, and take on anger management and domestic violence clients as needed, often with session sizes exceeding 30 clients.

There was no consistent management on site, and even seasoned counselors—like a colleague of five years—were denied raises unless they “proved” their extra workload, despite it being common knowledge. Communication was disjointed, flexibility was minimal, and leadership often lacked empathy. One partner in particular came off as abrasive and dismissive, creating unnecessary tension in an already stressful environment.

I did love the client work and learned a lot through self-direction, since no formal counselor training was provided. The peer relationships were the most supportive part of the job.

In all honesty, Project Chesapeake is a decent starter job for anyone entering telehealth counseling—but it will ultimately hold you back if you’re seeking real growth and clinical development.

This is easily the best job i've ever had. My schedule is flexible, corporate is VERY understanding, my coworkers are great and the job is extremely rewarding.

The company portrays an image of helping communities and individuals struggling with Mental Health or Substance Use issues, and they have always done exactly that.

Employees are never given more than they can handle. The company is open to suggestions and employees are compensated well.

When a new employee is hired the training manager is sent out to train them. The training manager is patient, willing to help and always available when needed.

Since the clientele is mostly made up of those who are under the supervision of parole and probation, employees will provide them with regular check in phone calls to ensure they meet their program requirements and aide them in a successful completion of the program.

They go above and beyond for their clients. They provide transportation to those who are struggling and offer one on one counseling.

Schedules are managed by the frost desk staff in each office and requests to leave early or take days off are always granted by upper management.

Requests to take time to finish daily tasks in between a normal caseload such as completing group notes and client treatment plans are also always granted.

Employees who do their job well are recognized and if you need help there is always someone there to lend a hand. If you come to work and do your best to complete your tasks you will have absolutely no issues here.

Project Chesapeake has been a great experience and an amazing company to work for. Project Chesapeake values their employees and recognizing their employees efforts and hard work through generous raises, bonuses, and promotions. Communication with management is encouraged and it is easy to access them with any questions you have or guidance you might need. This organization has a very inclusive and friendly culture and work environment. Management does very well in ensuring that their employees are provided with the tools and resources to be successful in their every day work life. One of my favorite things about Project Chesapeake is that they are willing to hire employees of all levels and give them the opportunity to use what they learned through their education to grow and learn within the field. This organization makes you feel apart of the success and gives you a sense of pride knowing that you contributing to the mission of serving members of the community that is suffering with mental health and substance abuse issues. Regardless of your experience level, Project Chesapeake is an amazing organization to work for and I would recommend this organization to anyone who wants to work for an honest company and contribute to the healing of our communities all throughout Maryland!

I have been an employee with Project Chesapeake for a little over three years. I started with the company as an admin and am currently in my 3rd promotion. I am a part of the company’s success as a whole and upper management reiterates this to me on a daily basis. I value my work ethic and strongly believe that it says a lot about a persons character. My work ethic never goes unrewarded. 

At Project Chesapeake, we deal with clientele who are not too happy about being in treatment. Most of our population comes to our agency because we are their last chance before incarceration. But when you see the haze disappear from their eyes and the light start to shine, that’s what makes every moment worth it. 

It’s not hard to succeed in this company. Upper management likes to promote from within and has even created positions for certain employee’s. 

The workload is no different than the workload would be at any other place of employment. 

My supervisors are flexible when it comes to needing time off and are always understanding. 

We have 9 locations that operate on the same level of functioning. We have multiple success stories and our clients always want to include us in said success. 

I couldn’t ask for better employers and couldn’t work for a better company. My heart is full everyday knowing that we are making a difference in the lives of people who once thought they didn’t have a chance.

I worked for them almost three months and that was the worst time ever in my life… the only pro… you’ll get benefits from day one… the cons…. Lazy people for co workers, management don’t care until a problem comes, they got cams every where but don’t watch them till something happens, they pay you two dollars more than the minimum wage which is 15 an hour… they expect you to work all day.. 16 hour shifts and I did a 24 hour shift as well as they don’t give over night difference as far as the pay… everyone gets paid the same… the only way you’ll get a decent pay check is to get overtime but how when everyone comes in for there shift?  You’ll be make between 14-1600 bucks normally and with overtime you’ll get something nice but you have to be there all day as if your a client for treatment there… they don’t care about anything but the money that’s coming in… that’s right it’s a for profit company that is getting paid through the state and insurance companies but can’t pay you a decent amount of money, take forever to get anything fixed… you see where I’m going with this?

Don’t waste ya time unless you stay in a sober living home or stay with ya parents that’s the ONLY way you’ll be stress free here… don’t waste ya time and save yourself the head ache

Dont get lured in by the money, your better off where you are! This company is about profits NOT recovery. Very sad to see greed in this life and death struggle. I stood up for the clients and what was best for their recovery, and the abruptly fired me and refused to pay me my PTO. If you are a person who is in this line of work for the money, this company MIGHT be for, might.. But if you care about people, recovery, or are in recovery yourself, like I am, stay away. If you have a CONSCIENCE, stay away!! 

Additionally, if you have concerns about burn out, being over worked, stressed, with little to no managerial support or clinical supervision.... this is NOT the place for you. There is no clinical director. Noone in ownership has experience with substance abuse. The only guidance you may get, albeit wrong, is from a young and inexperienced lawyer who is friends with the owner and is now the "compliance director". No one there has a clue. Its about hurry up and open as many of these treatment centers as we can and capitalize on the devastation our communites are experiencing through the opiate crisis. 

Trust me as a person in long term recovery and four years of experience in the substance abuse field, DO NOT GO TO WORK HERE.

I have been employed with Project Chesapeake for over a year now. Getting up in the morning and coming into work doesn't feel like a chore. Being in recovery myself, I feel like this company goes above and beyond to try to make a difference in the lives of those who are affected by addiction and/or mental health disorders. The agency as a whole has become a family to me. My work environment is not stressful and is full of supportive team members who are always working together to provide the best treatment possible for our clients. I could not ask for better employers, they are compassionate, understanding and supportive. I feel appreciated when I come to work everyday and feel as though I am helping to make a difference in the community. I was given clear and concise directions as to what my daily tasks entail. I have also gained a lot  of knowledge, which has allowed me to advance in my career. The counselors understand that being on the road to recovery is not a 9-5 job. The disease of addiction is non-stop, there are no days off. I am impressed with the counselors that work here, who feel that it is their responsibility to make an impact on our clients lives.

I have been employed by this company for nearly three years and initially completed an internship with them before graduating, which subsequently resulted in a job offer. As a counselor, I have gained valuable knowledge and experienced significant personal growth. I am grateful for the continuous support and encouragement provided by my supervisor, which has played a crucial role in my professional development. However, I do have some concerns about the compensation and the requirement to utilize paid time off for sick leave and medical appointments. Nonetheless, I understand that these challenges may be prevalent in today's job market. While the salary offered is decent, it may not provide a sufficient living wage, especially for single parents. The benefits package, although relatively expensive, does offer comprehensive coverage. Requesting time off or planning vacations has not posed any difficulties, as long as it is coordinated through the use of paid time off. Regard these concerns, I genuinely enjoy fulfilling my role and making a positive impact within our community by providing much-needed support.

This was probably one of the best companies I have ever worked for! The only reason I was let go is because of something that I did. They did not want me to go and said that once I handle that situation I can absolutely come back.  Now obviously they could not hold the position I was in but when I go back I may end up with a better position.  The owners were so nice and helpful! I started out at a new inpatient facility and since it was their first one (all the facilities they have had up to that point were all outpatient) I had to walk through the learning process for everyone. The bumpy road of opening a new facility.  The owners were very hands on and always willing to help if you opened your mouth and let them know that you needed help. The company is like a big family and they include new employees right away. At least they did for me. I loved working there.  They were so flexible and understanding of the needs of their employees when it comes to scheduling and really everything.  At Christmas time I walked into work at the Annapolis outpatient office that I had recently transferred to and their was a Nintendo switch sitting on my desk from "Santa " for my son. I cried. The day I had to leave we all cried. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Residential aide 28 salaries reported	$17.00 per hour
Addiction counselor 14 salaries reported	$58,500 per year
Operations coordinator 6 salaries reported	$17.00 per hour
Mental health therapist 6 salaries reported	$67,167 per year
Front desk receptionist 3 salaries reported	$17.00 per hour

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