occupational therapist

physical therapist

speech language pathologist

social worker

intervention specialist

Thom Child & Family Services

I want to start off with what I enjoy about the company: The work itself. The children are so adorable, the families are usually kind and grateful for services, and the work is rewarding and not so challenging as to be stressful. I feel like I am making a difference with the children and families who really use the services. The pay is par for the course for this kind of position, healthcare costs are decent, and the benefits are pretty good (though PTO is not presented completely honestly-see below). You can make your own schedule overall and can complete most of your paperwork remotely.

The bad: The office culture is, so far, one of the most toxic I've experienced. I've spoken to some longer-term (10+ year) workers about what I've noticed, especially as a lot of the toxicity seems to be coming from other long-term people, and they've told me that it used to be much better but, because a lot of people got laid off or left during the pandemic, it's changed a lot and people have gotten bitter. I get that, but it feels like they're taking things out on newer people. Newer workers (5 or less years) have been kind and welcoming overall, but people there 10+ years (including 2 of the supervisors) have often been cold, brusque, and dismissive. I was not taught certain things when I started working there and it was assumed I would know them while, at the same time, I have experienced people being dismissive of me and my knowledge/experience outside of this job.  I have been scolded for not doing things I wasn't told I needed to do, accused of mistakes longer-term workers had actually made, and pressured into working with clients that I didn't feel comfortable working with. The turnover has been crazy since I've started working here and this seems to play a big role in it.

The other thing that seems to be playing a big role in the turnover is the intense focus on productivity. I've never started at a job and, within a month, have been expected to already be making productivity. A good chunk of our clients are inconsistent, don't really want services, are being "forced" to have them by DCF, or have a language barrier, which results in their cancelling sessions; however, we're "forced" to keep them open despite this by the DPH. Due to this, it's often a struggle to make productivity, but we're discouraged from drawing firm lines in the sand regarding attendance because legally everyone is entitled to these services. Productivity-based positions are standard in healthcare but having them in a field where we're pretty much mandated to keep on trying to engage families shoots workers in the foot. And the office culture is so focused on making EI a viable business that it feels like the personhood of the workers is forgotten. The office is doing a forced closure for the Christmas holiday week and demanding workers use their PTO to cover this, which is a not a nice thing for people who don't celebrate Christmas. People are told they should be using their vacation time to cover some of their hours if they don't make productivity so they can technically make it. Part of why I took this job was due to the amount of PTO, but this makes it feel like I can't really take it and that I need to save it in case I don't do enough. I get that this is a business, but losing workers left and right because of the culture is way worse financially long term.

It seems like there's a lot of unhappiness here about the changes that have occurred over the past few years but, rather than the workers addressing this with management, they seem to take it out on each other and particularly newer staff. This is because it doesn't feel like you can speak out about things without getting pushback and potentially putting their jobs at risk-people have reported eyerolling, dismissiveness, and naysaying from management (and, obviously, I understand, because I'm writing this here rather than saying something directly)-but it seems to result in new people feeling unwelcome and not sticking around as well as older workers giving up in frustration and quitting. I love the work itself and would love to stick around-and am trying to, because a lot of coworkers have told me "something's gonna give" and I want to believe this-but, if the culture stays this way, the problems and turnover are only going to continue. I am hoping management reads this and that, maybe, things can return to the positive way they were pre-pandemic.

The nature of the work in early intervention is rewarding esp given you can work alongside  some amazing clinicians . EI is truly a unique, challenging setting and should be supported by administration that really listens and looks out for their employees.  Sadly  I felt this aspect was glaringly missing at Anne Sullivan. The leadership was poor, inconsistent and frustrating. Primarily,  I felt an egregious lack of regard for my opinions, and I didn’t feel heard or important. In my opinion nepotism was apparent and I never felt an open door policy to express feedback .
As an EI home visitor I felt I was underpaid.  No question. Still I would  plug away everyday in order to help some very challenging clients. It’s a rewarding but taxing setting with some of the most dedicated clinicians I’ve ever met. The work was always enriching….engaging with coworkers who were creative, caring problem solvers. I felt Everyone tried to helped each other. However, I observed a high turnover of staff at ASC, including the directors,  as well as long term seasoned clinicians. I didn’t observe adequate onboarding, and training for new hires. As a clinician I felt a disconnect with the administration and too many times felt micromanaged and treated with hypocrisy. In my attempts to offer constructive criticism I was met with defensiveness and cookie cutter answers.  I felt the focus of the work became on paperwork, productivity and documentation. The clinical support piece fell way short of what i needed it to be or it used to be. It started to feel like generating revenue and satisfying regulations superseded clinical growth . More and more often I felt this “figure it out yourself” approach and was left  wondering what’s happening or coming next. For me it felt like a  lack of appreciation for my hard work which was hard to complete, just while at work,  always leaving after hours obligations.  “Average”  trainings were offered to learn new client records systems and assessments tools.  It was stressful to learn to use a new record system which appeared to be poorly designed, and half written.  I felt what was supposed to make the job easier to do led me more frustrated and with more work that was not face to face with the clients. 
No doubt early intervention is rewarding work and the clinicians are truly amazing.  But the stress of a job with this program and unmistakably poor upper management came at a heavy cost. 

I have worked at Thom for years and have been through many changes with the program. Unfortunately, the change in management in Spring 2021 has resulted in negative changes that have caused many employees to be unhappy and over 30 have left within the last year. Many remaining staff are unhappy and looking to make a change. The agency is understaffed, as are many places of employment right now, but the negatives go beyond this. Program management does not have a background in the field and has shown little desire to learn about and understand the work clinicians do. The focus seems to have shifted from the clinicians as people and how we can best serve the families in our program, to checking administrative boxes, billing and the program budget. Management has not taken any time to get to know staff or to have staff get to know them. The occasional blanket "I appreciate you," here's a taco for lunch feels very inauthentic. The program used to feel more connected to the community, having other agencies come to speak with us and the director connecting with other community agencies. The program wants to or has promoted staff into leadership positions with no raise, which is ridiculous. I love the work I do there with child and families. It is important, fulfilling and meaningful work and is the only reason I am still here. I, along with many other staff, are sticking around in hopes that things will improve but it seems concerns are falling on deaf ears.

First the good... I loved loved my team!   I worked with a great group of supportive, educated, and caring woman!   As a team they made the job tolerable.   The flexiblity of the job allowed me to stay away from the office and limited my interactions with the director which was great.    My team leader was very receptive and helpful and also rarely went to the office for the same reason... avoid the director.   

The Bad...  With the exception of my team leader, I felt like I had little support.   The director was always running around never accomplishing things until the last minute.   She treated everyone like they were incapable and provides little clinical support.   My team leader could not make any decisions for fear of the wrath of the director.   On top of everything else, the director always acted like there was never any money but would go out and buy ridiculous things that people did not want or need.   Unfortunately, upper management ( the director's supervisor and above) do not help at all.   They are unresponsive and really do not care as long as the program is profitable.    It is very sad since this use to be a great place to work.

Working at The Thom Anne Sullivan Center is very rewarding.   The day to day interaction with families and the ability to really make a difference is very rewarding.   I have learned a great deal working with great clinicians and families.  Unfortunately, the management is very difficult to work with and the staff input and is not valued.   The director is very controlling and no decision can be made without her approval.   Opinions are not valued...  and often just ignored or provided with lip service.   I think the staff feel undervalued and manipulated and as a result avoid going into the office any having anything to do with the director or office management.   The hardest part of the job is the lack of respect and fairness in the workplace.  Too many secrets and little staff respect and support.    The most enjoyable part of the job is working with great colleagues and making a difference for families in the community.   

The clinical work and co-workers are great but the leadership both within the agency and above is dismissive, manipulative and dishonest.   They promise great things but do not deliver.   There is no transparency or trust and clinicians are not valued.  Some of the team leaders who have been there a long time are supportive but others are just clones of the director, who is the heart of the problem.  I was hoping to ride out the storm since I love the actual work but I have been kicked to the ground too many times by my team leader and director.  It is very sad to see upper management get paid so much money and those actually doing the work in some cases with more education and experience having to get 2nd jobs to survive.  It would be one thing if everyone was in it together but there is a clear divide.   Find a different Early Intervention program to work in where you will valued and be treated with respect and dignity.  

ASC used to be an amazing place to work. There were and still are many employees that have been there for a long time. When Covid hit, the director and Thom did not handle it well. There was never any consideration given to the employees that had been there for many years. Instead of a plan based on seniority it was a free for all with every person for themselves. Many long-term employees were laid off then or had their hours drastically reduced. However, some of the people that were very new continued to work. It was no way to treat dedicated employees. When Thom was in a position to add employee’s almost all of the previous long-term employees declined returning. The director at THOM ASC does not value employees especially ones that have been there for many years. The current director was given this position. The director position was also not posted so other employees could apply. There were other candidates that were much more qualified. 

The clinical work is good but the lack of support from leadership is terrible.   The director paints a very pretty picture at the interview but it is worded such that it is easily misinterpreted.  PTO is expected to be used for productivity and you have to pay for a lot of things yourself.  The director is never available and does not let anyone else do anything.  My immediate supervisor cannot do anything for fear of reprimand from the director.   The corporate office ignores  complaints and just lets things get worse.   People are leaving on average 2 to 3 a month.    Staff feel defeated.   The people who do the real work are underpaid, overworked and treated with little respect.   The management is paid very well.   It also seems that the CEO is not involved and only working remotely.   Very sad since this use to be a good place to work. 

I loved working in early intervention and the families and children I got to help, but unfortunately I needed to leave. It's not the best paying job but the flexibility of schedule, benefits  and job culture made it worth while, until, a director with absolutely no EI experience is hired. She has no idea what we do, or the challenges we face. Her Only focus is budget which is great for the company which is why they keep her despite employee's multiple and persistent cries for help to corporate which fall on deaf ears. Positions of leadership are unable to be filled because no one will work under her, other positions that report to her can not keep people in the position and employee turn over rates are through the roof and office morale is lower than low. 

I have been an OT at Thom for almost 2 years. I love the work and enjoy helping families. I enjoy collaborating with my coworkers. I love the flexibility of this job, its very unique. '

However the cons have been very apparent over the years. The obvious - low pay. With no real hope of a raise each year, I honestly don't know if I can stay forever. I hate hate hate how we have to use OUR PTO to cover for a visit if a FAMILY CANCELS on us LAST MINUTE. We are expected to bend over backwards for families, with minimal help from management.  With staff shortages, it has been difficult to balance it all. Scheduling in general is also a headache with families that have multiple availabilities. 

Overall, I enjoy the EI work. But the standards make it hard to enjoy it fully. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Occupational therapist 172 salaries reported	$65,870 per year
Physical therapist 159 salaries reported	$70,052 per year
Speech language pathologist 110 salaries reported	$68,186 per year
Social worker 86 salaries reported	$64,192 per year
Intervention specialist 76 salaries reported	$54,439 per year

Working at Thom Child & Family Services: Company Overview and Reviews

Thom Child & Family Services

Thom Child & Family Services Ratings

Popular jobs at Thom Child & Family Services

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected