student mentor

behavior technician

clinical therapist

registered nurse

therapist

Provo Canyon School

I taught both middle school and high school students in a live-in, lock down center. Students were troubled and had a wide range of issues, including behavioral and psychological. Often they were very sweet, but when they became upset, they could become very violent. This happened everywhere on campus. 

I absolutely loved the other teachers I worked with as well as my immediately supervisors. They kept me sane. this is a very high-stress environment, as there are constantly kids coming and going, so there is not a lot of continuity. I also have a lot of respect for most other staff who worked directly with students.

Those who did not work directly with the students, however, were woefully out of touch. They were all about making money and didn't seem to care about the reality of the work. We were understaffed because they did not pay enough for the work they expected, yet we were popping at the seams with students. They literally were breaking the law in putting too many students in a class, despite the principals pointing this out and asking for more staff or fewer students -- apparently only the money mattered. There was also nepotism going on at the higher levels, where the wife of a supervisor was put over all of education despite having no experience working with that age group and not having the degrees or certification all others in education had to get. 

It was nice to feel like I was helping the kids -- everyone who worked there was a sort of parent-figure, since the kids lived there and often came from very dysfunctional homes. But it was hard to see a kid who had come so far go back to that same home and same situation -- sometimes the kids ended up returning to us. 

There are few holidays. For those in education, there are eight scheduled holidays a year (for which you use the holiday hours you accrue). Other than that, you work with the kids every day. If you take any time off, you have to have sub plans, since there are so few vacations. Also, since report cards come out every two weeks, it's difficult to take more than a few days at a time, since you have to be around to do grading.

When I was there, I had it suggested that I beat the snot out of one of the students, off-camera, so that the others wouldn't mess with me. 

That encapsulates the culture. Despite the fact that it's supposed to be a "place of healing," it felt like jail. It was "us vs them," the staff against the students. My title was "line staff," as in the front "lines" of a battle. 
I was one of the only staff that cared at all what happened to these kids. 

I was left, by myself, to supervise 35 of them, without so much as a radio to call for help, despite the fact that we regularly confiscated shivs from the kids. If any of them stabbed me, nobody would know until the morning staff came. Nobody cared. 

I wasn't really there for protection of the kids. I was there simply to take liability off the company, because they could check the box that there was staff there 24/7. There's no way I'd have the support needed if anything went wrong.

I was told there was vacation staff to call, if I needed time off. In 2 years, calling for vacation time 5 times, none of the 18 vacation staff ever agreed to cover for me. Once, I started calling 8 months ahead of time, explaining to my supervisor that I really needed this time off, (one shift.) Despite never having had a vacation day (after over a year of working there, and trying several times to get vacation, and never taking a sick day,) I was told that I'd be fired if I didn't show up for the shift that I'd started requesting off 8 months before. It wasn't until my supervisor saw that I was willing to walk away from the job for it that they forced another employee to cover for me. 

You shouldn't have to threaten to quit to get a day off. You shouldn't have to fear for your life on your job, and be told to "handle it," when you mention the very real threat to your life (I ended up being jumped on that shift, and nearly strangled.) And you shouldn't be given the suggestion to beat up a kid at a place where many are there to heal from abuse.

I left as a whistleblower. I think everybody I worked with was fired.

I worked at the Springville campus for three years. I quickly got promoted to a supervisor position simply because I was the most responsible person on my shift at the time. I worked night watch and had zero support from other shifts/departments. The scary thing about PCS, is that when you're short-staffed it becomes a threat to your safety. When I was there, we were short-staffed just about every day. 

There is no consequence for employees that don't show up to their shift, or if they show up hours late. They get written up, but write-ups don't mean anything. This creates a culture of employees who call-in or just don't show up to their shifts all the time. It's a huge problem.

My shift ended at 9am but we cannot go home until a staff replaces us to maintain ratio. Majority of the time there was no morning stafff to replace the night watch staff and we'd end up staying several hours past our shift. This happened just about every Saturday and Sunday morning.

Believe the horror stories you hear about this place. Abuse between patients isn't uncommon and unfortunately some staff members have groomed the girls as well. Riots happen, staff and girls get physically injured while in restraints from time to time. Girls assault staff, steal keys and run away from time to time. 

If you work here you'll see kids self-harm, some pretty bad. You'll hear things you don't want to hear and you'll see things you don't want to see. If you want to work here to help the kids, you'll need all the patience in the world.

Staff are asked to work overtime often. Although it isn't a requirement, it's nice if you want extra cash. Some staff work so much overtime, they get burned out quickly, which is evident in how they treat others.

The good, you get one free meal a shift. Most of the people that work at PCS are awesome. Benefits are good, you earn 7+ hours of PTO per paycheck if you are full-time.

PCS has the potential to help a lot of kids with severe mental health needs, but due to lack of funding, under-staffing, burned out middle management, and a superficial approach to treatment on the part of upper management (they are more interested in how the facility looks to outsiders than how well staff meet the needs of the patients), the program struggles to function on a day-to-day basis and the it's the kids who ultimately suffer for it. They pack too many kids in a small area (16 teenage girls on a single unit with only 2 staff). Parts of the facility are under utilized, such as fields and grassy areas, because management doesn't want to put up a fence in order to avoid looking like a prison. They removed the sound-dampening carpet in the Acute Care Unit because wood-colored linoleum looks better for tours. When a middle management position opens up, and the most qualified staff don't apply for the job because it is over worked and under paid, they put inexperienced and under qualified staff in the position, resulting in months of chaos, burned out staff, and low staff retention. In an effort to move the program towards a more Relationship based program, they refused to add more staff and removed several safety nets which resulted in an unsafe environment for the patients and staff for several months. I left PCS a couple years ago and all I hear from my former coworkers is that things have only gotten worse as the program has expanded. There is still a shortage of experienced staff, management is overworked and under compensated, and the patients don't have the structure necessary to feel safe and progress through their treatment.

Most student life staff are great. They provide meals, the boys campus in Provo has great food, but the Springville girls campus.. Well my dog eats better. They have a 5 student to 1 staff.. But in reality its 2 staff per 16 students in the days and afternoon shifts. Night watch is 1 staff and 15+ students. 
Some staff bad mouth the students which is not OK, but it doesn't matter. 
The pay, well its awful and you only get one raise per year but have to be here one year to get it so if you start in July of 2015 you won't get a raise until January 2017. If starting pay goes up, yours doesn't. Meaning if you start at $10 and a few months later it starts at $11, you still make $10. 
Management is awful and dictates everything even though they aren't working with the students. They do not communicate and people feel like their job is in jeopardy as they want less staff than they already have. 
They are all about profit and not the kids that come here. The kids are dollar bills in their eyes and nothing more. Staff is over worked and severely under paid. You do not get weekends off unless you get it approved. If you plan a big trip months in advance and have your airline tickets or what not you are not guaranteed the time off. If they deny some or all of your request and you cannot find coverage, you either don't go and eat the money spent or lose your job. 
More than half the night shift sleep and don't do their checks like they are supposed too. If you say something, it will either be ignored or backfire. 
I love working with the students, but the management is horrible and staff is all replaceable.

Like any company, there are good and bad things. The good: awesome benefits, seriously some of the best medical benefits in the state, and very generous PTO. A variety of people work here so you can find your niche, the coworkers really make work bearable, free meals while on shift, fun working with kids, middle management is very supportive.

The bad: upper management is so toxic. They literally are hiring their buddies into high paying positions and they do not actually listen to suggestions from lower levels. Gender wage gap is very real here, and it is very much a "boys' club." A lot of shady stuff gets swept under the rug to protect certain people but then others are completely vilified. If you do a good job, you just get taken for granted and run ragged, and if you do a bad job, they just ignore it and give the good employees all the slack. If you complain, you're not a "team player." 

This place could be such an awesome place to work if they would just hold everyone accountable to the same standard. The kids are the least stressful part of this job and that's pretty sad. Getting assaulted by an upset kid is less stressful than dealing with the toxic work politics. And when your staff are angry and powerless, it leads to poor patient care. It used to be a really fun, supportive place to work but has really tanked in the last 5 years.

I am an educational assistant that has worked for UHS in WA state  for over a year. I recently moved to Utah and transferred my position to the Provo Canyon School. After moving a thousand miles away to work for this facility they offered me much less compensation than originally planned. I had recently gotten a small raise prior to my transfer and after transferring here, they offered me a pay that was more than two dollars an hour less than I was making. Usually when you transfer, your pay follows you but they were not willing to negotiate. They also have an annual raise but you must be an employee for a total of 12 months to obtain it, so me starting in February would mean that I wouldn't even be eligible for a raise until December of 2020!!! Very upsetting after uprooting my whole life just to be taken advantage of and told that I am not qualified enough to earn my previous wage. I have found a much better position with better hours and they're willing to compensate me fairly. 

WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TO ANYONE!!!! THERE ARE COMPANIES WHO VALUE YOU AND ARE WILLING TO COMPENSATE YOU FAIRLY!!!!

Working at this place is awful.  I worked there 2 years ago. I worked 50+ hours. I had to work doubles all the time because there was always a lack of staff. And when state would come they would make sure that staff and in or stayed for part of the shift til the state left. 
 The staff treated the patients poorly and like they were criminals. Yes some have a record, but you shouldn’t be talking down to them or calling the patients stupid.  The management only look out for themselves and the money.  
A lot of the staff, yes some of them still work there to this day, have control issues and of you don’t agree with them then you’d pay the consequences. 
 The management don’t provide what is needed for the cottages, my co-worker and I probably spent around $2,000 of our own money for items that were needed for the cottage I worked on throughout my employment. 
It’s high stress and a constant battle.

I provided structure and coping skills to troubled teens in a lock down facility. I also kept detailed logs of about 10-12 girls for the next staff who came on shift, supervisors, therapists, teachers, doctors and parents. This communication was key in each individuals progress for transitioning. I was certified in CPR and first aide at the time and often took on extra shifts when staff was short handed. I learned that my life wasn't so bad after all. It was a job that was hard not to take personally, I just don't think I have it in me. I have kids of my own and it was hard not to relate or get attached to what some of these girls were going through emotionally. I liked the job, but lacked the emotional detachment that it took. I also spent a lot time a way from my own children and needed a change in schedule, so I took a different job.

I work as a PRN Student Life Mentor, which means I just work as needed. The job is exactly what you'd expect - troubled youth with severe mental health challenges who have been taken to this facility to overcome issues that danger their health and safety as well as other's. The management is not very dependable. I was beat up by one of the youth without any help from other staff, the situation was brushed under the rug which really bothered and worried me about continuing to work there. It would be a great place to work if the management was better! It's hard enough to work with severely mentally ill youth let alone having to deal with management that keeps a blind eye to their employees (which normally doesn't bother me except in the case where my physical safety was severely involved).

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Student mentor 53 salaries reported	$16.69 per hour
Behavior technician 13 salaries reported	$18.50 per hour
Clinical therapist 3 salaries reported	$72,500 per year
Registered nurse 2 salaries reported	$34.00 per hour
Therapist 11 salaries reported	$70,773 per year

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