mental health technician

registered nurse

dietary aide

dietitian

recreation therapist

River Park Hospital

I truly enjoyed working at River Park Hospital. A typical day started at 5:30 a.m. We started the patients breakfast, prepped for employee breakfast, made tea for the day. We also checked printer for any discharges, new admissions, new diets and any diet changes. We would make lunch for patients and employees. Also, prepped foods, desserts for the next day. We would make dinner for patients. I learned many new recipes, also learned about specific diets that some patients needed to have. The management could have been better. Employees were shown no appreciation by any management. The workplace culture was great. The dietician made sure each patient was put on the correct diet. The Dr's helped in coaching the patients on why they needed said diet. The hospital in whole was based on religious practices to cater to each employee and patient as to what religion they were, and counseled each one if needed. Employees would have 'washing of the hands' by a priest if we wanted to participate to guide and bless our hands in the care of patients. The hardest part of the job was the life/work balance. Two examples would be when my grandmother passed away, I was not given the day off for her funeral. The sencond would be when my daughter attempted suicide, I was expected to stay at work while my daughter lay in the emergency room. The most enjoyable part of the job was taking care of the patients, making sure they had everything they needed with their meals, speaking with the patients and praying with them if they asked.

Awesome place to work.  I’ve been a CNA for 5 1/2 years now and at the time I worked at RPH as an MHT I used a lot of those skills but also had to learn some new ones.  Pay was great, at the time I’d been a CNA for nearly 3 years & that few years alone increased my hourly starting pay by over $2.  Management was easy to get along with and healed you out with anything you needed.  I’ve seen a lot of bad reviews about River Park and if you’re contemplating applying here don’t let bad reviews deter you.  Working in the CNA/MHT/Direct Care field for the time I have I’ve come to realize that this job is not cut out for everyone.  A lot of people who bad mouth their former experience in this type of job are usually the type to say “omg this is nothing like my cashier job at wherever.”  Well yeah, of course it’s not.  You have to enjoy helping people on a personal level, sometimes 1 on 1.  Those of us who’ve stuck around this field love it, but I’ve also seen a lot come and go.  The direct care aspect of the medical field again just isn’t for everyone and some people learn that the hard way & theure isually the ones with really negative reviews.  Don’t let that decide for you, it’s an awesome field to work in & River Park is a great place to work.  I’d go back in a heartbeat given the opportunity.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Good pay for clinical staff. Techs are underpaid though.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Understaffed, and safety of myself, other staff, and patients. They have no loyalty to their workers. They believe patients over you, which would be good, except even if you have witnesses to back you up, doesn't matter. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
AT FIRST, it seems great, welcoming, team focused, but it's just the facade. The techs get thrown under the bus immediately if the hospital thinks there's any chance of a lawsuit, they won't train you properly on some things, they expect 200% from you all the time, your best will never be good enough. Your coworkers will be great for the most part though, and I do miss several of the people I worked with. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
My position was brand new and a little unique. The whole time I was there I never even got all the basic supplies I needed to do my job. So I can't say my experience was reflective of any "typical" day. 
Personally though, I'd use one word to sum it up in general: chaos

The unit I worked was not the most favored unit. I did learn a lot of the manipulative, deviant, and inappropriate behaviors that those kids knew. Unfortunately, they were usually a product of their previous environment. The hardest part was you had to be cautious. You never worked alone. Usually, two male mental health techs worked with you. Management was uncaring and many times only cared if there was a warm body there, regardless of experience. I think a perfect example was that I was terminated because I buried my Father and returned the next night and dozed off but not leaving the unit unmonitored. Working midnights, I did not know the CEO well but this came from the unit supervisor. Pay was better than most places locally.

Can work as much overtime as you want but if you are also a lazy person and like to let other people do your job and pick up the slack for you, you can get by with that really easy also.  You rarely have to answer the management because they don't know what they are doing either when it comes to knowing about the patients in the hospital or how to do the work on the floors.  They do know how to complete their check off sheets and how to walk around and tell you what all you need to still do that they are not able to cross off their sheet.  Make sure you don't ask them how to do it though because they will refer you to a checklist for another person in the hospital that might or might not be there.

Excellent place to work. People are very friendly. I typically come into work and start the xray's  on ER and Inpatients. We do also get out patients. Then I clean equipment and stock the rooms.
My co-workers and I work as a team which makes things run very smooth. Plus we help each other with the heavy lifting (BIG PATIENTS).  The hardest part of my job is sliding heavy patients from the back board to the exam tables.
I have learned that patient's safety comes first.
The most enjoyable part of my job is getting to work with friendly people who I consider family. We cut up when it's slow and have fun.

I left this company after 2 weeks.  I was offered a schedule with every other weekend off at hire. Without, even telling me in person I was given a schedule to work every Fri Sat and Sunday.
I worked at this facility from 1982-2000.  I was so excited to return.   
Unfortunately,  they do not follow their own mission statement, as there is no integrity whatsoever.
I was thrown across the gym floor during TCI training by a former Marine.  I sustained injuries and advised by management not to report it, because it would make them look bad at Corporate office which is United Healthcare

I have been here for about 4 months. It’s an extremely rewarding job with the best nursing management support I have had in my career. I’m new to psychiatric nursing and I a feel my questions are always answered. I work mostly nights, and never has an administrator been available to me after hours to ask questions to or respond to an email. 
The pay is top for the area and the shift differential is comparable to others in the area. 
I finally found a job that I can call home base. I think if others would focus on the patients and stop complaining they would find happiness. 

A typical day includes, group, individual, and family therapy sessions, or an education group for parents. It also includes interfacing with direct care staff, behavioral interventions, and crisis intervention and preventions. It includes working directly with the facility social worker, physicians and other departments and MDT members such as JPO's Courts, Lawyers and Parents to manage care of the student. The best part of my Job is doing therapy and working with the staff. The hardest part of the job is managing the demands of Residential Care Patients. The most enjoyable part of the job is the day you see the turning point in the student you are working with.

Work-life balance
None.  Hours are demanding and whatever you give they want more.  Do NOT support employees.

Pay & benefits
Benefits are ok. Not great but ok

Job security and advancement
They do not value employees.  See them as disposable. Anything that happens they will blame staff instead of taking responsibility for their lack of safety.

Management
Poor and overworked.

Culture
Take take take and no give

Overall
Terrible place to work. RPH does not value staff or their opinions.  Terribly biased. Turnover is horrible. In management and direct care. CEO is all about the almighty dollar. Safety is not a concern or priority.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Mental health technician 10 salaries reported	$16.21 per hour
Registered nurse 13 salaries reported	$42.15 per hour
Dietary aide 7 salaries reported	$15.54 per hour
Dietitian 7 salaries reported	$50.00 per hour
Recreation therapist 5 salaries reported	$20.50 per hour

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