caregiver

entry level caregiver

residential manager

direct support professional

outreach worker

The Arc Of Washington County

Working as a DSP, going on four years, the shine is wearing off. I was ecstatic to work with individuals with disabilities and I still am but people behind the curtain have left me with a sour taste in my mouth. When I was first hired they tried to place me in a house as residential staff; which they desperately need, but I had to be firm, almost annoying, in letting them know that I was not interested but rather work in a community department. After a three weeks from my hire date I was finally granted an interview with a manager in community. I was explained the job description but we never seemed to follow said description but rather spend a lot of time outside to the dismay of clients. When suggestions for activities or issues arose they were either bushed aside or ignored. "Schedules specially selected to benefit the persons in the group" was a good go to answer when scheduling issues happened: people getting paired up unevenly (older people paired up with younger energetic people or loud exuberant people with people who need quiet), people getting paired with people they don't like (only to be told they need to "get along" or us to "make it work), vans not fitting the group needs (larger persons being crammed into vans to sit with others who are also struggling for room or people with walking assistance devices being asked to climb into tall vans). 

Another issue is persons served being placed in environments that don't correctly fit their needs; being placed in one department when they should be placed in another that caters to their disability or homes that trigger them and others, often resulting in either the client, staff or both  being hurt. Other departments don't care for DSP unless they themselves came from that department then they have some sympathy so when DSP needs to interact with the staff, they are ignored or just shrugged off. 

Pay: If you work in community departments you will not meet 40 hours and will need to pick up residential shifts to make a decent paycheck. Rather than pay employees to stay or offer them staying bonuses, new hires are offered the staying bonuses and incentives. Once a year you get a "free ARC shirt" voucher and a key chain, you might also get a gift that reflects how long you stay but nothing worthwhile.

During the Covid experience things were so derailed that no one seemed to know what was going on. PPE wasn't introduced or enforced until months after the lock down. Essential workers bonuses were red taped and stipulated. If you needed off you were penalized yet they didn't want people coming in feeling unwell or sick. Coming back to work was also a hassle and the requirements to come back were confusing. If you were asked to go on leave you were locked out of anything work related you may need, email, online (only) pay stubs and direct care computer programs. Being short staffed is common and you will be left in compromising positions with little to no help unless you find it yourself. 

Management doesn't frequently interact with the persons served but do have plenty of advice on how to interact with them. Often recommendations or suggestions from staff; or even the person themselves, to benefit the persons served are ignored, even if the recommendations or suggestions would help with the persons health and well being. 

The Arc is good about training you but they are horrible with keeping your training up to date and fail to alert you of any training needed, leaving you to either keep up with it yourself or get penalized with full training classes rather than the shorter retraining class option. The benefits are expensive to buy into and don't help much when you use it due to high deductibles. 

This is a good job to get experience; plenty of hours and options but you will and can get burned out both mentally and physically. 

I currently work at The Arc in an administrative position, so my review of The Arc WC will not be indicative of an across-the-board review.  This should not be a surprise as anyone working for any other company would not realistically be able to provide an honest and fair review of any other department outside of their own, yet here we are continuing to provide reviews! 

First and foremost, The Arc of Washington County is a non-profit organization providing support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This right here should give you an inkling that the job is NOT easy. NO position in a non-profit organization is easy, especially a caregiving one. If it were, there would not be turnover and no organization would ever be hiring. That being said, The Arc WC has an excellent reputation in the community, being known for an inclusive environment that promotes independence. We offer a plethora of services to the adult and youth population, all of which are tailored to each individual. On a broader level, we are viewed as a leader in advocating for and supporting individuals with disabilities.

Could certain aspects of the organization be improved upon, of course! Over the past several years, The Arc WC has taken verifiable and measurable steps to address compensation, benefits, employee engagement, and accreditation. Most recently, we have begun the CARF accreditation process. The CARF seal of approval shows that an organization meets the highest standards of quality and excellence. 

Compensation is an area that most, if not all employees would state could be improved upon. It has gotten better but has a way to go. Pay is not competitive for most positions, falls below (oftentimes way below) the typical market rate, and does not reflect industry standards. Previous experience is NOT taken into consideration for any Direct Support Professional (DSP) role and there is NO differential paid for working evenings, overnights, or weekends. There are a few exceptions to this for working in a specific program, in which you earn an additional 50 cents per hour.

I am very happy in my role and in the department I work for. I've been here for a little more than a year and a half. I get along amazingly with my manager, he does not micromanage and provides support when I need it. My co-workers are manageable, some more than others, but if I really needed assistance, I could count on my co-workers. I know what my job is, I know what I need to do, and get it done as that's what I'm paid to do. I get along with most individuals in all other departments, including senior management. 

Working with the persons served is incredibly fulfilling and fun. That’s about the only positive thing.
Oh, the pay and benefits are adequate and in line with other agencies in the area.
This place is all about covering their behinds and putting bodies in houses to meet state requirements and pays no mind to quality of care.
Training is minimal and mostly useless.
They’re constantly understaffed so you’re bombarded 24/7 with messages to come to work and management won’t take no for an answer. It’s not unusual to work 16+ hour days in the houses. (There’s plenty of overtime if that’s your thing!) Holidays and weekends are mandatory. Basically, if you have a family or a life outside of work, you’re going to be miserable.
On top of being overworked, you’re not listened to and your needs aren’t met. Emails aren’t responded to and phone calls aren’t returned. There’s an “open door” policy at the office but no one is ever there. Burnout and turnover are super high! 
A lot of staff are unreliable and sometimes you’re just stuck in a house with no relief.
Some of the staff really do care but they’re the ones who are treated the worst.
There is a lot of immaturity and backstabbing even within the houses. There are definitely certain cliques.
If a staff is observed abusing a client, that staff just gets moved to another house. The same thing happens with staff who are drug users, no real punishment. 
Loyal, devoted staff of 20+ years are fired for simply going on medical leave or other frivolous things. It’s totally backwards. Seniority and good standing mean absolutely nothing. 
Management and office folks have no idea what happens in the houses and they have no rapport with either staff or persons served. 
I believe they do not have the clients’ best interests at heart.

Having worked here for over 4 years I've seen many things, mostly bad. Management is an absolute joke. If you ever tell them no, you get disrespect and low-key threats to your hours. The residential staff essentially have to fend for themselves as most upper management will lie or distort the truth to force them into unpleasant and sometimes unsafe situations (very small statured/elderly staff placed with extreme behavioral clients). It's always understaffed due to the good employees leaving after being pushed past their breaking points. The pay is absolutely not worth the abuse. The clients are the only reason most stick around because you quickly realize the office staff care nothing about them and see them as dollar signs. The Coronavirus epidemic has definitely shown the "lower" staff how unorganized and often times underhanded management can be. There's always some kind of drama going on and it's rarely ever resolved because that means there's a chance they'd lose another employee, so it's usually just ignored until it gets too far out of hand. The only good thing about this place is the people you care for. And if you like money, there's ALWAYS endless overtime available.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part of working for the Arc is the people we support. I’ve been here for almost 3 years and I have never enjoyed a job as much as this one. As long as you come into the field with a goal specific mind you will do great! 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part about working for The Arc is making sure that other staff do what they need to do to ensure the people we support live a healthy, and happy life. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The company as a whole is amazing! Be polite, respectful and ultimately do the job that you are trained and assigned for and you’ll do great!

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I work for Employment at the Arc, I am an advocate for both the company that they work for and also the people I support. I also work for a residential person who I make sure he continues his goals.

The Arc of Washington County is a great place to work. They have endless scheduling options. There is endless overtime and you make time and a half for that. The pace of your day is dependept upon the house you are working in. Some are slow paced with a lot of downtime, while others are more demanding. Your pay is also dependent upon the needs of the house you’re working in. The individuals served are what makes this job special. Prepare to have your heart stolen by the individuals served. It is hard to find endless overtime and paid sleep positions (with a private room) but this place has it all. Typical shifts are 8a-10p, 8a-3p, 3p-10p, or you can even work an evening and an overnight together (3p-8a) or an overnight into the afternoon (10p-3a) (18 hr shifts).  Generous PTO, sometimes hard to use due to short staffing. Altogether LOVE this place.

I love my job, until i get calls/texts from “the office people” or the higher ups. They will stress you out with forcing you to work at houses that you physically may not be able to work in, regardless if you warn them or not. They don’t make sure you have knowledge of the people supported prior to emergencies if they are not in your normal house. It doesn’t matter if you work harder than your coworkers, then they just take advantage of you. They like to ignore you but expect you to pick up on the first ring. Supervisors will lie about employees. Managers have favorites with people supported in the same house. Coworkers are unreliable unless you get lucky. You get told to forget everything from training. I love working with my person, she’s the ONLY reason I’m still showing up. 

Working as a DSP at the ARC was both rewarding and frustrating. The clients made the job worthwhile, but the compensation does not reflect the level of responsibility or challenges DSPs face daily. You’re expected to handle medical emergencies, behavioral crises, and intense workloads, all while being underpaid.
Management will tell you they treat you like family, but in reality, that only lasts until it’s inconvenient for them. Favoritism runs deep, and hard work often goes unrecognized unless you’re in the right crowd. If you’re passionate about helping people, this job will give you a meaningful experience- but at a cost to your mental and financial well being. 
Would I recommend it- only if you’re willing to give far more than what you get in return. 


The job itself was not the issue - I enjoyed my position. 

There is an EXTREME lack of communication. You are told different things from different for one subject. Management is never available, they are to be there for you but will not answer their phone or call back. Medical records are in constant error. the turn over is so great that you never know if you will have a position or who your next co-worker is going to be. They do not follow up on incident reports.Do not follow procedure. It just lacks so much in every aspect of the company. Unless you are a favorite, good luck.

Cared for people in the home with disabilities and learned how to deal with different types of people in their personal settings.  The management was great and helpful.  The training process was two weeks long but very informative and better prepared me for what I would be doing on a day to day basis.  I enjoyed spending time with the people I worked with because I know that I was helping make a difference in their lives but when things do not go as planned it could sometimes cause problems within the home between the clients living their.  So trying to get things back in order so the day could flow smooth could be difficult at sometime.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Caregiver 1 salary reported	$18.35 per hour
Entry level caregiver 6 salaries reported	$16.54 per hour
Residential manager 4 salaries reported	$51,250 per year
Direct support professional 10 salaries reported	$19.07 per hour
Outreach worker 12 salaries reported	$15.00 per hour

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