support worker

program manager

specialist

home care worker

maintenance technician

Shalom House, Inc.

I have worked at Shalom House for almost 11 years and I can not recommend it enough as I have witnessed the agency as a whole provide high quality and compassionate care to our clients year after year. I have worked in several different roles here from a relief staff residential support worker, living skills specialist and onto management and I have never felt as happy and fulfilled as I do while working here. I disagree with the comments around the culture being negative or that there is a disconnect from HR to the many group homes and apartments as I have always felt supported and informed even when I was working as a relief staff residential support worker.  I think it is important to highlight that communication is a two way street. HR communicates in person, through email, through management, at meetings and/or trainings and have even provided ways for staff to anonymously communicate complaints or issues. Shalom House provides staff with many different trainings which are paid to better educate and support staff members with the goal to provide better quality care to our clients. The mental health field is a difficult field and I have watched many staff members burn out through out the years which can result in negative experiences. But my supervisors have always educated me on the importance of self care and making sure that I prioritize it. I have never experienced any issues with needing time off and being able to take it. We have client surveys each year where our clients express their gratefulness towards staff and the care that they receive so I think this speaks for itself. If you want to work at an agency where you truly make a difference than Shalom House is the place!

At first glace Shalom House Inc. looks like a great company, and management seems pleasant.  The health benefits are great for a single person, they cover 90% of your costs.  If you need coverage for your family, you will go broke; the out of pocket costs don't leave much left with the pay rate being just barely over minimum wage.  

Now working with mental illnesses is never easy, dealing with the residents is difficult at times, but rewarding.  I would honestly deal with the residents, than the management most days.  Most of the management are awful.  If they have their name on the door or have a title of any kind, you mean nothing to them.  You will feel like nothing you do is good enough. It should have been done better, or a different way.  They will nit-pick and complain about the most inconsequential things, while ignoring the serious concerns.  My direct supervisor is atrocious.  He has no interpersonal skills whatsoever.  He treats his staff and the residents like garbage.  He will threaten your position for disagreeing with his methods; some of which are unsafe and .  Favoritism is also a major problem.  If management doesn't like you, be prepared to dread coming into work everyday.  However, get on someone's good side, and be praised for doing lackluster work while someone else gets to fix your mistakes and clean up after the mess you made.

Listen, the work they do is important, I fully believe that.  The residents need them, their well being and survivability depends on it.  However, there are better ways to go about handling it.  From my perspective Shalom House Inc. is more concerned with the all mighty dollar than actually providing the quality care their residents desperately need.

I wish my review was nicer, because I really stand behind the companies views and ideals.  However, they seem to have lost their way.

I started out as a relief worker and though the job was tough at moments, I felt respected and appreciated. This company has changed dramatically in the last two years and not for the better.
I have been working full time now for over a year and have seen favoritism from management, both towards staff and clients. Substance abuse is a huge problem in the Greater Portland Area, and Shalom House does not know how to manage or deal with it appropriately or professionally. Most of the time it seems to be brushed under the rug.
Relief staff are barely trained and it feels as though they'll hire just about anybody.
All in all, their mission and their intentions are good, but they need better house management and corporate management. It'd be great to see more support towards the staff (i.e. communicating the importance of seeing a therapist in this field, discussing self care (not just once a year at one training), having managers and supervisors actually check in with staff, allowing staff to talk to upper management about their supervisors without feeling like they'd get fired over it, etc.).

They biggest and only thing I enjoyed about this job was the clients. I greatly enjoy working with this population and find it very fulfilling. I was looking forward to an opportunity to make an impact, grow within this company, and learn so much but unfortunately parts of this organization are extremely toxic. Management and HR are extremely petty, and good luck if you're not a favorite of someone with a title. The mangement I got to experience expect you to not have any perspective of your own, and quite often created an environment of distrust and/or hostility during supervisions. I was shown no support during my time at Shalom House and was never given a chance to even speak my side of things. 

If given a chance to work under another person's management or at a different program, I would try again purely for the people that they support and the work that is done at this program. Overall not a bad company; just don't get a bad manager. 

I advanced quickly in this company. I loved my clients, the workload was managable and I was given a lot of autonomy. But the upper management dynamic was incredibly political. I watched numerous wonderful and talented individuals be driven out as soon as they disagreed with upper management. It became a toxic environment. My manager was unpredictable in her behavior, and often created a hostile work environment , upper management told me to show fidelity to her regardless or leave. After reporting her I received backlash from the uppers and was accused of and disciplined for actions I never engaged in.  I learned a lot, my first manager (not the one mentioned) there was a fantastic mentor and I still take her teachings with me in a different company. I attribute my skills and abilities to her and the autonomy I was given to learn on my own. Not to Shalom as a company.

There is a reason this organization pays considerably more than comparable organizations, and it isn't because they care about staff. The pay increase was a result of stomping out unionization efforts and to try to attract new staff.
  There is a serious disconnect between the main office and the staff. While the pay is nice, it is only nice enough to work the job without investing yourself in it. 
  There is an old adage from Japan, the nail that sticks out gets the hammer, and it is quite fitting. If you care, if you invest yourself into the position with hopes of serving a vulnerable population and  improving a fractured mental health system, you will eventually speak up. And if you speak up, if you point out how this organization can improve and where it is failing, you will be fired. 

My usual day at work is always busy.  The time goes by so fast and it never gets dull. When I started at Shalom House I had no idea what services were out there for one of the most vulnerable populations. Shalom House alone can provide casemanagement, housing, and rental subsidies. We have a great mission statement that we work hard to uphold each day. 

One of the best things about Shalom House is the great people that work here. We are passionate about our mission and want the best for the population we serve. 

The hardest part of the job is when a client is not doing well and you have to allow natural consequences to happen. The most enjoyable is talking with or seeing the clients and knowing we are providing safe and secure housing for them.

work overnights
I have done many trainings and work with Mental Health clients of 40-60 years of age who have physical illness as well.
My co-workers are wonderful to work with, we are a good team.
The hardest part is knowing most of the clients won't leave the facility.
Most enjoyable part is I like what I do and enjoy the clients and co-workers so much!

I loved the work I did with the clients and felt good about my job. However, management and the home office are not supportive in any way, shape or form. They let serious issues slide and nitpick over stupid things - disagree with them and you're labeled subordinate. Supervision never happened and it was nearly impossible to even talk to them about concerns. When you try to address issues, they are quick to dismiss them and offer no support whatsoever. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
There are some very friendly employees.  They are dog friendly

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The office backbiting is the worst I have ever seen. No strategic planning and very loose managment.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The day to day employees are mostly pleasant.  The ED is a crazy monster.  The entity has the worst turnover I have ever seen. Very unprofessional. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Try to avoid the problem people and make it thru another day.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Support worker 17 salaries reported	$23.53 per hour
Program manager 5 salaries reported	$29.35 per hour
Specialist 6 salaries reported	$25.50 per hour
Home care worker 9 salaries reported	$18.46 per hour
Maintenance technician 1 salary reported	$25.10 per hour

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