claims examiner

human resources business partner

database administrator

attorney

solutions engineer

State of Montana

This was the most chill and easy going CNA job with a fair pt load majority of the time. However the trade off is that you are working with inmates with little security intervention. When you ask for training on security you are met with severe backlash which should not happen as your role is the security of the prison. I found a plethora of things that concerned me in common areas and when I gave it to security staff instead of ADON there was talk about proper chain of command even though they admitted their jobs did not involve security. Near the end of my time here there was a lot of staff vs staff with one officer striking a sergeant in the unit. I am all for letting emotions out and handling things however it was the fact that it happened in a unit in front of inmates. Not to mention nothing was done to resolve the issue. Not to mention infirmary staff did not play well with others. Even though the count office showed and asked us to do both count and ADRs correctly infirmary staff refused and continued to do it their way making count offices job harder and causing some unneeded animosity.  These were the major complaints however most of my time here was very positive.

Some of what they did right was all of them were willing to pitch in to help me go to school, sadly I did not pass the physical and I will never be a nurse so it felt like I wasted their time. The DON gave me so much flexibility so I can attend class. All the nurses pitched in on helping me study. All the nurses were patient when I was learning pt. care, as my training was that of an EMT which meant I did not know a lot of the CNA roles.  Not to mention they have so much training opportunities! For the most part this job was like my home. If I did not mess it up and let my emotions get the best of me I would still be working there.  If I could go back as a CHST I would. I would recommend this job to people who are emotionally ground and mature. 

Nice people to work with. However, ...
In some areas there is an ingrained culture of who you know not what you know for career advancement. In addition, there is a culture of fear that others know more than you do and feel threatened by you. The talent pool is limited, ergo people are given roles they are not capable of doing. There is no progressive on boarding to ensure understanding of the organization and assist them on improving their skills throughout their career, particularly for key employees such as managers. There is no free-flowing communication structure to allow senior people to understand where there may be opportunities to improve and to give feedback. The performance system is valueless and time wasting for management. The training program is flimsy, not enterprise wide and there is little mandatory training. An area which is underutilized, under supported, and which is key to improving culture, creating consistency, efficiency and reducing waste. Refer back to key people (Managers), How about a management training program? 
Directives are given to state agencies without ensuring the skills, resources and tools are in place to ensure success. 
If you want to have a sense of achievement, feel supported and encouraged to achieve then it will depend on your role, what agency and your managers talent as a manager. 

- Typical day at work consists of managing all Contract Vendors for the Agency fielding requests, information, and general PR for the Agency.
- I learned that after being in the private sector for 27 years working for a State Agency is a totally different mind-set.
- Management is at times non-existent.  It can be considered a fear-based style of management.  The Agency is in the infancy stages of its existence in Montana and there are a lot of individuals who do not like to follow policies and/or procedures and do not realize we are accountable to the citizens of Montana.
- Co-workers are all very dedicated but do not have any trust or respect for Management, thus creating a secret based style of co-existing.
- The hardest part of the job is dealing with our indigent clients who are scared, angry, and upset over their current circumstances and are not all that truthful with their family, which causes more negative feelings towards the Agency.
- The most enjoyable part of the job is helping those who have made bad choices but are appreciative of those Attorneys and Support Staff who help them through the legal process and thank us for our work.

If you are a part of administration, working for MSH is the best place you can be. This facility is all about administration and their advancement. They do not care that we are understaffed because they don't have to fill those spots. They do not care when staff are hurt, because it's not them dealing with it. They deny advancement of career opportunities, they deny qualified staff advancement. But if you are a part of their "club" you have it all, special work hours, certain days off, conference attendance, paid travel time, and free housing. But the staff that get down and dirty in the trenches all day, do not see that. They are denied time off because of being understaffed, they are denied special hours to gain more experience through schooling, or they're denied a special schedule to accommodate children drop offs and pick ups from school.
MSH is slowly going downhill. This is an awful facility to work out due to retaliation, hostile work environment and a hospital administrator that thinks he is god. You don't have any one on your side, the supervisors are in his pocket, HR is in his pocket, no one is safe. 
I will not put my certification on the line at this place any longer.

As the leadership of the Department changes, so does the pendulum of the directives, goals, and priorities. It can go from one end to the other with the Governor changes.  Lots of bureaucrats, and those catering to the big wigs in Helena in order to bolster their own careers, instead of calling out the nonsense when it is seen. Generally speaking, too much heavy-handedness coming from the Helena troops, and not enough allowing the Regions to supervise their employees as they see fit.   How would you handle it if you could work Overtime every single week of your career, but were never approved for any?  Caseloads bursting at the seam, and you don't have enough time to fully catch up with the workload.  Putting out "fires", Paperwork shuffling, and data entry busywork can be taxing.  Benefits are great, especially after 10 years with vacation. The retirement is great, which is why I'm not longer there.  At times, the work environment is toxic as can be, especially with infighting and cliques, and if you are not in with the majority, you may need to watch your back.

Typical day was travel to customer businesses anywhere in the State. Review loss history with management, make recommendations to improve/reduce/abate losses, design custom safety programs, hold employee safety meetings/training, etc. Lots of report writing, account follow ups, meetings, extra training every month was required. Co-workers were either great or not to be trusted at all. Lots of back stabbing, lots of unhealthy pressure on people. Management was never to be trusted was one of the first things I was told on my first day there, and I found out it was true.Management was not fair or friendly to safety and loss control people. Some team leaders were not friendly  or supportive, as I had  two of them. Worked you over 50 hrs a week but refused to pay OT until they were sued and lost. Turnover was 100%, including the president and other top managers were leaving, lots of very unhappy people there. It really wore on you.

Typically, you will spend your day either out in the field - which can mean freezing to death knocking on doors - or at your desk doing paperwork or meeting with clients that view you as the villian in their personal story. I have learned an immense amount about government policy, tribal relations, court proceedings, bureaucracy and psychology. The co-workers are mostly helpful and a good source of relief after a particularly hard day, since no one at home could possibly know how to relate. The hardest part of the job is being the worst part of someone's life, finding out how many kids are unwanted by their parents and relatives and finding out how many parents put themselves first in a dangerous way. The second hardest part is knowing you'll never be caught up on your workload no matter how much overtime you work and don't get paid for...The most enjoyable part of the job is experiencing the resilience of children and knowing that you're saving a lot of them from a harder life than they deserve, even if it makes your life harder.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Great coworkers. Living and working in Montana can't be beat either.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Personnel shortages and high turnover contributes to a heavy workload. Inexperienced leaders provide little support.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It's very difficult to advance one's career here. Leaders are often recruited from outside. Turnover and morale is a problem.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Arrive early and stay late. Most of the time is spent on the computer. Communication tends to be by email rather than in-person. 

Most of my day is spent answering questions and requests for information in support of criminal investigations. We rarely learn what happens with the cases. It's just a daily grind of looking up addresses, license plates, subject's backgrounds, etc.

I was hired as a Crime Analyst, but was not permitted to produce an analytic report. Just a grind of looking up and reporting information,

If you want to learn about mental health, this is the place. You will experience every type of illness you can imagine. Many of the staff are excellent workers and passionate about their jobs. Problems don't get solved/resolved very readily and often this place is understaffed. Can be highly stressful. Everyone is doing their best but sometimes, it isn't enough. Overall, I had an amazing experience working at this facility and learned a lot. I loved the area, I thought it was so beautiful. I felt overwhelmed with understaffed units at times and the Spratt unit, although staffed with passionate, hard-working staff members who work very hard, is a place that needs remedies aplenty and is constantly being scrutinized for its many problems. 

A typical day at work included responding to numerous reports of child abuse across the state and performing initial investigative reports based upon these reports and background checks. 

I learned excellent interviewing skills, child abuse and neglect laws, how to effectively communicate with people in distress and determine the best plan action surrounding their allegation. I learned how to perform a variety of background checks and objectively summarize my findings in detailed reports. 

Management was very supportive, knowledgeable and responsive. 

Most of my co-workers were supportive and friendly. 

The hardest part of my job was the large volume of documentation and working in a windowless unit. 

The most enjoyable part of my job was being part of a supportive team with a common agenda.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Claims examiner 3 salaries reported	$73,625 per year
Human resources business partner 1 salary reported	$87,925 per year
Database administrator 1 salary reported	$106,400 per year
Attorney 2 salaries reported	$110,050 per year
Solutions engineer 2 salaries reported	$102,875 per year

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