behavior technician

licensed practical nurse

therapist

registered nurse

group facilitator

Substance Abuse Center

This program is poorly-managed. Management can get on power trips and treat staff rudely and without care. Clients are allowed to stay after they've broken multiple program rules and some clients have been kicked out due to hearsay without any actual evidence. 

Staff members have been fired due to retaliation from upper management. You can often times find yourself alone with 10-16 clients at a time with no support. If a crisis happens while you're working, sometimes you won't even have support from co-workers. 

Management can be very nit-picky and micromanage when present. There is little to no appreciation from them other than when it's to put another staff member down. 

This specific title at this specific location has a very high turn-over rate. Lack of communication from upper management and direct supervisors is only one of many factors why that is. 

You may need to contact direct supervisors multiple times on multiple different occasions to get answers and sometimes, they won't respond. Although, you must be quick yourself to respond or else you will be scrutinized. 

There is some merit to the work you're doing there but it will only depend on how you operate during the job and what you get out of it. You can change lives for the better, higher management will cause you to lose the passion though.

This is a great company to get your feet wet in the field of substance use disorders.  From detox staff, to peer support workers, case management, assessment counselors and outpatient counselor positions, as well as program facilitator positions within the prisons, you are bound to get a very encompassing view of the field.  Very friendly to hiring those in recovery and supportive of their goals of obtaining degrees in social work and counseling and promoting into those positions.  However, there is no room for professional growth and low pay for counselors with higher education in the field.  The supervisory staff are great and very supportive of their staff.  If you are hired as an outpatient counselor there is little room for flexibility in your schedule or taking time off during your shift as there are not a lot of staff who are willing/able to fill in to cover groups.  So, keep this in mind when applying for an outpatient counselor position.  

I worked at this location for a brief period of four days, and unfortunately, my experience was extremely disappointing due to poor management practices. From the first day, I encountered unprofessional behavior—particularly from Tiffany, who was dismissive and disrespectful. There was no proper training provided, and I was expected to perform tasks without any guidance or understanding of the systems in place.
On the second day, I was reprimanded for not knowing procedures that had never been explained to me. On the fourth day, Terrez raised his voice at me in front of patients, which I found highly inappropriate and unprofessional. When I attempted to address the issue privately in the break room, he continued to speak to me in a demeaning manner, as if I were a child.
This kind of behavior from management is unacceptable in any professional environment. I strongly believe this location would benefit from new leadership that prioritizes respectful communication, proper training, and a more supportive work culture

Management frequently attempts to influence medical decision making based on patient length of stay rather than clinical judgment. Providers are not always properly credentialed, which raises concerns about compliance and oversight. There are also significant training gaps among nursing staff, including instances where medications have been administered without an order and situations where multiple PRN medications are given at once, creating safety risks. In addition, patients are often allowed to leave for various appointments such as the food stamp office, funerals, or dental visits without clear boundaries, which leads to missed therapy and disrupts the treatment process.

Work with clients to assess if they need treatment. Then make referrals and get clients set up with treatment services. I also work as a case manager part time. I work with clients that have substance use history that receive TANF services through SRS. I help support them during their recovery and help gather resources for them. The hardest part of my job is seeing clients struggle due to lack of resources in the community. I enjoy working one on one with clients.

Nursing Managment does their best to run the department. Upper Managment uneducated in nursing don’t allow them to run the department like needed 
The clinical / operations / MHTs have more say around there than nursing and medical. 

Facility director is absent and operations manager is in the position by luck. 

Sadly the whole thing of leaving AMA for the clients we are told is not possible without a full production and with holding our clients belongings. 

The whole program is all about the bottom line 

Helping clients and helping staff , setting up appointments, case management, dealing with others crisis and being supportive , utilizing resources in the community. Majority of management is very dedicated , understanding and compassionate. 

Dealing with staff that do not take care of themselves in order to be beneficial for persons in need. Balance and self- care is very important.
Helping and supporting others, enjoying your job and watching the company grow with success...

What is the best part of working at the company?
Nothing.  If I could, I’d elaborate.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Management has favorites and there are cliques!  

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Unpleasant.  Unprofessional.  

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Stressful.  Lots of work and paperwork.

Typical day was a lot of outreach to other organizations. I did not learn anything, management is unprofessional and unorganized. Hardest part of the job was not knowing what was  on half the time. The most enjoyable part was collaborating with and meeting a lot of new people. 

The job is challenging, in a good way. The staff are great and really work as a team most of the time. Many people here care about helping clients and that can't be said about other similar places I've worked in MA. The facility is new and nice. The pay is decent but the benefits are abysmal. Very little PTO with no separate sick time and the health insurance is super expensive with high deductibles and co-pays. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Behavior technician 301 salaries reported	$18.96 per hour
Licensed practical nurse 255 salaries reported	$37.04 per hour
Therapist 272 salaries reported	$68,111 per year
Registered nurse 47 salaries reported	$42.34 per hour
Group facilitator 89 salaries reported	$52,258 per year

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