registered nurse

recovery specialist

licensed practical nurse

substance abuse counselor

therapist

Recovery Centers of America

I was hired on to do remote assessments. My offer letter came two weeks after I was verbally offered the job so my start date had to be pushed back leaving ambiguity with my case load at my other job in direct care. I was verbally offered a sign on bonus that I didn't get but I wasn't overly upset because the pay was so much higher than what I had been making I didn’t fuss, plus the benefits were really good with a matching 401k. I completed HR onboarding and didn't know the name of my supervisor or whom to contact and I was working remotely. I was told someone would reach out.  They didn't, I tracked them down. I had 4-5 different supervisors in less than a year due to the constant turnover of clinical supervision. Once working there is a constant barrage of useless annual trainings that must be completed, far exceeding the amount that I've had to complete at other similar type jobs / facilities and with the computer-based trainings we weren’t supposed to schedule time to do them, just find the time. My job role changed significantly multiple times without warning including being asked to perform assessments in other states without a license in those states. This of course was due to staffing issues. When concerns were raised there was lots of "you don't understand what we are doing" and "we'd never jeopardize your licenses" from upper management, yet here they were, asking licensed therapist from PA, NJ, and I believe MA to practice out of state in the multiple states RCA had facilities. The process, like many of the not thought thru very well changes at RCA was a disaster and it went away because it wasn’t functional and even after “tweaking” was questionably ethical.  It did cause a few people to quit and lots of undue stress on the team. These few sentences about this unfortunately don’t convey the anger and frustration and confusion this caused with staff across multiple states. RCA recently fired hundreds of people across the company in the inpatient, outpatient, call center, transportation, case managers, etc., and let go some amazing people somehow keeping upper management to keep “managing” their disasters they create. This of course increased workloads and paperwork on those involved in direct care with the staff that was left. When issues were brought up it was the same gaslighting, crocodile tears, and promises that things will get better, and they were working on it while disregarding legitimate complaints. The communication is horrible. At times my direct supervisor who was overseeing the assessor roles didn’t know that our job function was changing. That’s just a small example of the chaos.  I heard so many great things about RCA prior to starting there, and it was a good job for about three months, then the company seemed to run into money issues and the first round of staff changes started. It spiraled quickly after that. I would beg anyone I genuinely cared for to look for employment elsewhere. That’s my perception.

This company claims it's mission is to save lives and teach people to live healthy sober lives. How can they possibly help other people take an honest look at themselves and make positive changes to their lives when the company doesn't do the same? Not only do they not practice what they preach, but if you try to improve patient care, they want nothing to do with it, the company as a whole behaves as if they are a person who struggles with addiction and still in denial, defensive, justifies, makes excuses and refuses to take a good honest look at themselves and make choices and changes that will actually help and be positive!!  HOW CAN THEY HELP PEOPLE TURN THEIR LIVES AROUND WHEN THEY PRACTICE EVERYTHING WE TRY TO TEACH PEOPLE TO CHANGE???!!! They value money over people's lives, despite what they claim, any and all budget cuts come directly out of patient amenities and care, instead of the people making hundreds of thousands, even though it's the people making all the money who are screwing up or mismanaging the budget in the first place! Patients are barely getting fed enough or have extremely limited options, if you need a special diet for medical reasons, too bad, that's not an option anymore. How can they not feed people healthy, well portioned options, yet the people managing the budget are still making way more than any average person?! Again, priority is them padding their pockets, not taking care of the patients!! There is a HUGE amount of staff turnover, mostly due to poor management and staff realizing that the company not only lies about their mission and purpose, but actively encourages staff to do the opposite of what they claim the company stands for.  They will hire people who are still active in their own addiction, which just upsets and triggers patients when the staff is clearly intoxicated, not to mention how WRONG that is for a recovery center! They treat staff as if they are all easily replaceable, and reward staff who are under qualified and under preform because they like them, even if they can't handle their current job responsibilities, instead of the ones who genuinely care and are actually qualified. They penalize staff for advocating for the patients they claim to be trying to help, management is so disconnected and only cares about numbers and money, half the staff don't even know what upper management looks like despite being in the same building. Management complains about upper management but then do the same things or promote people who have the same attitudes and lack of experience, producing more disconnected managers. They used to be one of the best facilities around, but over the past few years, things have gone downhill quick! I haven't heard anything positive from patients going there in a LONG time... Beyond sad!! These are people's lives they claim to be trying to save but then do the opposite with NO concern for patient's recovery. 

Being a nurse is rewarding here. You get to see the positive change in your patients.  My coworkers are amazing and helpful to everyone. Yes there are bad employees but that is everywhere you may go.  Nurses only work 3 days a week so its perfect for those with other obligations.  The company has been providing all staff with free meals since the opening of this campus. The food is amazing too! Management always is trying to find new ways to engage staff and patients and keep the environment fun while focusing on the patients recovery. The down side though is there is no space for staff to decompress while working. We have no break room and share all spaces with patients leaving us with no privacy or place to store any of our items. With any new facility there are some kinks that need to be worked out to become better organized. As a nurse we wear many hats mainly due to the nurses stations location and not having privacy, but they are trying to find a solution to this. Management is encouraging to staff but at times they seem unavailable due to all the numerous meetings that happen daily. Management leans on the nursing and recovery support staff alot which is good and bad. While they trust us to help the patients in our assigned roles mgnt also puts to much responsibility on some staff that are not trained in certain aspects of recovery. They offer on going training to all staff but at times they seem to forget that all staff are not therapists or clinicians that spent years in school learning their profession. The CEO makes himself easily accessible to staff and patients and is always willing to jump in and help when he can. The pay is fair and paid time off is earned through hours worked. Overtime may not be available though.  Getting days off is easy and mgnt will work with you on scheduling. Everyone does try to support each other.  The patients are even nice most of the time. While this is a business and money does need to be made to stay in business, RCA does genuinely care about saving lives and helping those struggling with addiction. This place is growing in the right direction and I believe will be one of Pittsburgh's best places to work especially as the “kinks” are worked out! 

They portray themselves as the place to work and being successful but it is just the opposite. Investors noticed the current epidemic that is sweeping the nation and jumped on the bandwagon and founded this company to make a profit out of it. 

This company has in-house job fairs where they will hire many new staff members but never schedule them to work. Use them for the easy in-house training that takes place on their computers. It is an easy $500 a week for a couple of weeks. Take as long as you need to. There is no time limit to complete the training which is all hourly paid training. 

Once training is completed you may train a couple of shifts on the “floor” but will never get scheduled to work after that. They do not give an explanation or reason.

The company is losing money every month. Corporate, upper management and management act as though they are seasoned executives and managers but in reality it shows this is their first position in those areas. If they had extensive experience the company would be successful which not the case here.

All companies know that a successful business does not make the same mistake again and this company has not learned that primary rule to follow.

They will sooner or later have to shut down the ats units (detox) and/or some facilities to keep operating. This is a “for profit” business and State healthcare will not pay for their members to be a client there. 

Corporate, upper management and management will not take the advice of the general staff which may have greater years of experience than they do. Many nurses have extensive trauma and emergency room training but their supervisors with less experience will not acknowledge them and their complaints.

This company is self-destructing because of corporate and upper management that do not have experience in positions. 

As for the clients. They just go thru the basic/standard 12-step program that all centers/facilities utilize. They are not any different than any other organization. They do not provide a different program or experience. 

So at the bottom of this review they will reply with their generic “call our rapid response hotline” which shows if they do not realize what is wrong and how their staff portrays them, then they need to reevaluate themselves from the beginning and start over. A successful company will never have to post response like that on a job board.

Personally I think it is a shame how poorly this place is ran, it could be a great place to work but is lacking several fundamental building blocks. I do believe most of the employees care about the pt well being but the expectations that are put on the individual departments are outrageous.

Nursing/MA's-There are never enough. At times there will only be one nurse to cover 3-4 units and the same goes for MA's. Some are still in a hospital setting mindset and are unable to switch to this environment. Many do not work everyday so they may not be up to date with any changes or adjustments to policies and procedures.

RSS staff-half the time you cant find a pt or its takes hours for them to show up after calling for them. Again never enough of them either. They are supposed to be monitoring the pt's movements and are expected to be in 2-3 places at once. Most of them are not properly trained and have poor interactions with pt due to it.

Case Management-There are only two case managers to 65-75 pt. They are over worked and though management says they are there if they need them its hard to ask someone for help when they don't even know what that other person does throughout the day(or even how to do 1/4 of it). With recent changes they have been given twice as many pt with just as much work if not more, but then expected not go over 40hrs a week.

Communication is HORRIBLE if not non-existent. Folks want to send emails all day to ppl who DO NOT sit in front of their computers for 50% of the day. One hand doesn't know what the other is doing which makes EVERYONE'S job extremely difficult. You spend more time trying to get a straight answer out of folks then you do working some days. Sadly its upper management that seems to not understand how lost we as staff feel with the lack of direction and communication. Also it makes ppl look incompetent when 2-3 different ppl are giving different answers not only to the staff but the pt as well. There is little to no consistency, things change so frequently that ppl usually are just getting used to the last change by the time the new one is implemented. Procedures are rolled out based on how they look on paper instead of talking with staff and getting our input on how we can make things better. Not only for the employees but the pts as well.

If I could give a review so horrible I would. RCA is a wonderful job to interact and encounter with the patients. However, management does nothing to back you up when patients lie to leadership. Leadership always believes what the patient says instead of believing their employees. Multiple staff have shared and voiced their concern to the CEO regarding Safety. CEO did nothing about it and bluntly brushed it off.  The facility is beautiful facility. However, it's extremely open for anyone to come in and do whatever they want to do. They don't care about self-care or anything. RCA Waldorf works their employees to the ground. They are always short-staffed, they continue to spike the census and load case management with a 28-30 caseload when you have a census of 110. There are not enough case managers to handle the additional load that is carrying on. Leadership has no morals when patients do something inappropriately. They allow patients to do whatever, and it shows. 
 
I just think overall better management, and better training amongst all departments things would run smoothly. Things have changed from when I was employed when they first started in 2018. 

One thing I loved about the job was the patients. Taking the time to sit and chat with them for a bit is like a relief on how their day is going. Patients love it when you just say one simple thing to them. " Hello, how are you feeling today". In their mind, it shows that you notice them and you pay attention, even if the patient wasn't assigned to you. I would greet every patient and check up on them. 

If leadership took the time to engage with the patients, and instead of always worrying about the numbers, and staff being on the same page, things would be efficient.  You can't micromanage by sitting in your office at all times of the hour. Or not available when there is a crisis going on. 
  
50 percent of the complaints from patients are that the staff doesn't engage a lot, they feel like robots instead of being treated like a human. 

Overall stop overworking good employees to the ground. Stop allowing the patients to dictate how to talk to the staff in any kind of way. Better management and leadership go a long way. It's not always about collecting a check.  Enforce the rules to the T, and stand firm in your decision. 





This was by far the most toxic, unprofessional, and draining work environment I have ever experienced. There is constant gossip, favoritism, and division, and the worst part is that even leadership contributes to it—especially the lead RSS members. Instead of setting an example, they stir up drama, pit staff against each other, and create an uncomfortable, negative atmosphere. Employees are not properly trained and are expected to figure things out through word of mouth instead of hands-on experience. I was personally thrown into the job without the right preparation and later expected to train others, even though I had never been trained correctly myself. Instead of setting employees up for success, they rush training, ignore proper procedures, and then hold staff to unrealistic expectations. The facility is constantly understaffed, making the job overwhelming and downright unsafe. Staff are often left alone on the floor with 20+ patients, which is not only stressful but a serious safety risk. Instead of fixing the issue, management ignores concerns and overworks the few staff members they have left. Rather than addressing major issues like short-staffing, poor leadership, and toxic workplace culture, management spends its time nitpicking over small, insignificant details. Instead of creating solutions, they micromanage, criticize employees over trivial things, and contribute to a stressful, draining environment. This company has no stability. I saw multiple people get fired or laid off with no warning, including supervisors who had only been there a short time. Employees come and go constantly, which creates even more stress and confusion. It’s clear that leadership does not value its staff or care about creating a consistent, supportive workplace. To make matters worse, serious safety issues are ignored. This job was mentally, emotionally, and physically draining. The toxic culture, lack of leadership, and constant instability made it impossible to thrive. If you’re looking for a healthy, stable, and professional workplace, this is NOT the place for you.
 Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere!!!!

The company is constantly petitioning employees to write positive on line reviews to offset negative reviews and increase the overall rating.  High turnover, poor retention.  Low hiring standards.   One glorious day there was a layoff in the morning and a job fair in the afternoon.  Sort of a mixed message.   There is a "hire and purge" trend at RCA.

Bottom line the company is funded by private equity that only cares about EBITDA growth, nothing more, nothing less.    A lot of capital has been spent to expand and there is extreme pressure to fill beds to capture optimal ROI.!!  Cuts to operational expenses are typically short sited and my sense is it is to appease the insatiable thirst for Q to Q profit by Deerfield Management (the PE firm that funds RCA).  Management is poor.  Culture is dysfunctional and ultimately patient care suffers.   Classic example, there have been 4 Directors of Nursing in a year.   This leads to little to no continuity and endless mixed messages from management.   

Like everything at RCA there is little to no substance.  They spend alot of time and money on promoting their services and fail miserably with delivering quality treatment.  Beautiful buildings and accommodations predominantly staffed with counselors with no significant experience in addiction (but they have the right "paper") coupled with support staff that is constantly changing due to high turnover.

They use patient surveys as a employee performance tool.   Clearly a flawed tool considering the patient population and the stage of recovery they are in.   This ultimately effects employee moral and sets up an environment of negative enabling.

They are big on "psychological pay checks", constantly sending out e mails on how great  the team functions and how grateful they are to be part of the team.  This validates how disconnected they are from reality and how they are not credible leaders to the "team".  The fact is the team is exhausted from being over worked ( mostly from understaffing) and under appreciated.  Their leadership instincts are poor and mostly absent.

...beautiful scenery, everyone who works there is from the community with a few exceptions and unaccepting of anyone different.  

My first day...rounding up clients for group, sent subordinate to get all clients who were missing...the nurse screamed over the walkie talkie at me not to start the group without the other clients...

-my boss said everything starts on time and then minimized how I felt about the nurse hollering at me saying it was harsh how I was seeing it....cultural competence...

-a client brought in a boat load of drugs because a worker did not get permission for an unauthorized visit but this worker would call everytime I worked challenging a decision I made but this time she could have killed people making a clinical decision because she was untrained to identify manipulation in clients with addiction issues Nothing happened in that situation.  The worker who let drugs in got promoted and a pat on the back because her brother is dating one of the leaders...and they share ethnicity.  

-Facility lacks diversity and cultural competency. Should have reported the secretary sitting right outside of CEO office saying the "N" word out loud to the Founder....people heard it and acted as if she never said it.

It is a part of cultural competence to spell a person's name correctly...something the CEO could not do or did not even consider paying attention to such details

-Poor facility leadership. 

-Dependent on who says what it changes, everybody in everyone else's jobs...

-oh...and most workers are married to each other or interrelated through dating each others family members or just because they share a common ethnicity or hang out at the fire hall. 

-Intense gossiping that contributes to ALL of the things they lack

-Great mission and visionary insight of the Founder.  

I approve of the Founder NOT the CEO at the site.

Working at Recovery Centers of America has been an incredible experience. Over the past year and a half, the company has made significant strides in improving its culture, and it's clear that leadership is committed to fostering a positive and supportive work environment. RCA purposefully hires the best leaders, individuals who are passionate about the company’s mission and are focused on guiding the organization towards continued success.

One of the standout aspects of working here is the transparency and open communication. The company has made a clear effort to prioritize employee well-being, and you can feel that commitment in everything they do. There are multiple communication channels, and leadership is always accessible, fostering a culture of honesty and collaboration. Integrity and fairness are core principles that guide the company, and it shows in how employees are treated across the board.

Recovery Centers of America also invests heavily in professional development, offering excellent role-based training and leadership programs. They truly champion customer service training, ensuring that all employees are equipped with the skills to deliver exceptional care to our patients. There’s a strong emphasis on encouraging employees to share their ideas and contribute to improving patient care, which has been incredibly rewarding.

Above all, I am proud to be part of a team that provides outstanding care to our patients. The dedication and compassion of our staff are evident in everything we do, and it's exciting to be part of a company that recognizes and supports this vital work. RCA is truly a great place to work and grow, and I’m excited to see what the future holds!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Registered nurse 116 salaries reported	$42.60 per hour
Recovery specialist 77 salaries reported	$17.82 per hour
Licensed practical nurse 28 salaries reported	$31.22 per hour
Substance abuse counselor 17 salaries reported	$67,868 per year
Therapist 27 salaries reported	$75,963 per year

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