direct support professional

clinician

custodian

teacher's aide

social worker

Whitney Academy Inc.

I'll start off by saying I didn't really know what to expect when I first started working here. The orientation made it seem like it was pretty dangerous and you have to really be cautious of the students, but truthfully I only had maybe 1-2 times from beginning to end where I felt there might be some danger. Most of the times, if you are able to redirect and keep that therapeutic approach, the students will deescalate. In other words, from my personal experience, it's not that dangerous at all. 

You're here to help others, so if your main concern is your own personal well-being, you probably don't want to be in this job. There is a certain level of anxiety and stress that can be attributed to working here, since the turnover is infact high. This will mean you are forced to work overtime 1 to 2 times per week(usually just once), but they offer double pay to those who are being forced. Overall though, I would say as a starting job in the human services field, this is a great opportunity and gives you experience working with those who really do need it. 

Don't take this job if you are just looking for a pay check.. that will undoubtedly be a failure. You have to actually care and be willing to work those extra hours to be successful at Whitney Academy. I'd recommend this job to anyone who is in a similar situation as I was when I started.. just keep in mind that you will have to work overtime frequently and you may have to use a therapeutic hold to stop a client from becoming unsafe to themselves or others. 

Those are the negatives, but there are lots of positives. They have great benefits, such as paid sick time and holidays/vacation time. Also health/dental insurance and 401k as an option. The staff are generally pretty supportive and accepting there, too.

These guys have had lots of abandonment in their past, and don't need another person to come in just to leave several days/weeks later. Carefully weigh it out before signing on, because your presence there will be felt and the guys will be emotionally invested in you (unless they truly don't like you, but that is extremely rare). Best of luck to anyone reading this that takes the job! I hope you can help these guys reform their lives.

I have had the pleasure of my tenure at Whitney Academy.  Be aware that all jobs have ups and downs, pros and cons.  That is to be expected, as work is not fun.  This job was fulfilling and a great nod to learning and growing my case management and clinical lens.  I highly recommend this job for those Social Workers who have a knack for case management.  I did not.  Which is why I ended my time.  I learned so much on how to work within the School, support staff, encourage the families of the students I worked with to better their family functioning.  

This is a fast paced and highly involved job.  It is one that you will gain a lot of in the field experience from and grow immensely as a result.  I did, and I am grateful for it.  As this is a fast paced and involved job, the demand for work is their and expected for the MSW licenced level.  Be keen to know that you will develop your own clinical voice in this job, if you haven't already.

The collaborative aspect of the job is great.  I was able to work with the interdisciplinary team on all aspects of my case management.

If you love to run groups, you are in luck for you will get to have small and large groups weekly that are ongoing.  You will get to co-create curriculum with your clinical team to target behaviors, enhance skills, and deepen group dynamics.

Family Therapy is a core aspect of this work and one that you will get to be part off.  Whether by skype, phone, or in-person (though the latter is rare as the students often come from far distances to the school).  If you love family therapy, come to this job.  It will enhance our skills to navigate the family therapy process, as phone and skype present ways to get your clinical voice up moreso.

Overall, I loved this job for the single reason:  All employees at all level truly have deep compassion and like the students.  This is a rarity in residential treatment.  Whitney Academy attracts staff who actually like children.  I loved that part of the job.  Even the administration staff would be concerned when students were struggling and joyed when they succeeded.

I'm a current employee who has worked there for several years. When I started I loved to work here. Picking up OT was tough, everyone wanted it. Over the last 2 years it has really gone down hill. The students are extremely violent and this place enables them to be that way. There are no real consequences for them. The things that caused them to go to jail, go in front of a judge and to be placed in a program is now being consequenced with loss of privileges, these types of students do not care about. I dread going into work but iv'e been there so long I feel stuck without a higher education to fall back on. Management seems to either be oblivious or in denial. All I hear is it's been worse.... Well that doesn't make it right nor true. As far as pay it's low due to what the job demands. They do make up for it some with great benefits and double OT pay but it's still not good enough. A once great environment to work at needs some major changes, management is just too blind to understand or do not care enough to do so which is caused by being out of touch with their residences. Most management don't step a foot in those houses and it has been years since they worked as line staff. Turnover is terrible. It once took years to claim seniority at your residence and now you can potentially do that in months. Iv'e seen it. I've also seen staff become supervisors in less than 3 months and house managers inside a year and it's based on necessity not excellence. It makes me sad to say that I would not recommend someone working here even though it will help with our numbers. People deserve better. They really need to reassess how they approach the students they take in or how to deal with them to make it a safer working environment.

Work / Life Balance - One Star
No ability for work life balance here unless you call out sick. Time off constantly denied because we are understaffed (due to lack of pay, burn out, call outs). Consequences for staff calling out or taking time off. Constant guilt trip. Unless you’re a director. You can take off all the time you want with no repercussions or come to work to get paid to do next nothing. Must be nice.

Compensation / Benefits - One Star
If you’re a single healthy person, the insurance is great. Otherwise, if you have a family, one entire (biweekly) paycheck will HARDLY cover the insurance monthly premium. Pay is “livable” due to a bonus that will soon go away. Good luck keeping staff once that’s gone. Otherwise not comparable to other similar companies. You can make a livable wage if you work yourself to the bone.

Job Security / Advancement - One Star
Nothing secure about this place. Very dangerous, no protective factors. Your job is safe if you rub elbows with the right people. The problem with that is the “right people” are not good people to the core. Advancement? Kiss enough behind and you’re almost guaranteed a promotion. Just leave your morals at the door.

Management - Zero Stars
Total garbage. No brain. No care. No support. Regardless of the department.

Job Culture - Zero Stars
Toxic and exhausting at best

Let me be real. This job isn’t for everyone. If you’re looking for something low stress or super predictable, this probably won’t be a good fit. The students here  have issues s and their behaviors can be intense. Some days are really tough and you leave feeling completely wiped out. You absolutely need patience, strong boundaries, and the ability to stay grounded when things get chaotic.

That said, it’s also been one of the most meaningful jobs I’ve ever had. When a student starts making progress, whether it’s showing trust, using coping skills, or just getting through a hard day, it’s a powerful reminder of why the work matters.

What’s helped me the most is the support from the other people in my house. Everyone checks in with each other, steps up when things get rough, and makes sure no one’s left to handle difficult situations alone. It’s a solid group of people who actually care and that makes a big diffrence. Sometimes you get pulled to another house to cover and those shifts can feel totally different. Some are more stressful or have a whole different energy which can be hard when you're still figuring things out. Most of the supervisors are approachable and will listen.  Just know you’ll work hard. But if you care about helping kids and you’re open to learning, this is a good place to be.

I love my job. With that being said, I am really disappointed in this company and some of the people in it. For the most part, staff who work directly with the students are great. They love their jobs, love the students, and genuinely care. What really brings it down is that the people in charge of making change don’t make the necessary changes. They’re stuck in the Stone Age. Everything is hard paper, nothing electronic. In addition, they’re stuck back in the 1940s with their gender role mentality, inflexibility and ignorance to sx identity and orientation, and have limited insight and understanding of the population served. Decisions are made based on administrations personal opinion rather than science and facts. Clinical leadership is too afraid to speak up and advocate for necessary change out of fear of program leadership. It’s evident that program director has it out for certain departments. Hard to run a therapeutic school without a therapeutic background or a therapeutic bone in your body. Finally, the kids aren’t allowed to be kids. We used to bring them on really fun outings which stopped due to Covid. Now that COVID’s over, what’s the excuse???? So sad and boring. Kids would stay out of trouble if they had more structure and things to look forward to.

This company is very disorganized and there is no communication. Management is unsupportive and lacking in all areas. Supervisor is unprofessional and disrespectful to subordinates, often making them question their professional capabilities. The workload is insane and things are constantly changing without people being informed. The CEO is great but the majority of administration underneath him are lazy and pawn work off on everyone else. There is a lot of high school drama among the staff, which is worse than that of the students. The program is also still functioning like it did when it started in the 1980s...everything is in a paper file with not electronic record. There was a recent pay increase which does not make up for all the dysfunction of this place. There are some nice people that work here but the bad far outweighs the good. It is unfortunate that the boys have to suffer for the lack of professionalism that causes people to leave. 

I’ve only been at Whitney for about a month, and I came in with zero experience in this kind of setting. Honestly, I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect. The work here is intense. Ssome of the students have serious needs, and the behaviors can be really overwhelming at times. It’s a lot to take in when you're new, both emotionally and physically.

What’s helped me stick with it is the support I’ve gotten from the team. Everyone from my direct coworkers to supervisors and even staff from other houses, has been helpful and patient. People step in when they see you're struggling, offer tips, and make sure you never feel alone. That kind of support means everything when you're new and trying to figure things out.

I’m giving it 5 stars because while it’s not perfect and there are some tough days, its been a great learning experience so far, even if  there’s still stuff that could be better. More staff would definitely help take some pressure off, and sometimes info from upper management could be clearer. But overall, I’m glad I took a chance on this job. It’s tough, but if you’re willing to learn and want to be part of a team that actually cares, this is a good place to start.

Management here does not value and or appreciate their hard working employees. They may at times say they do but, they do little to show appreciation to their staff. Management here does not even properly compensate their employees. Honestly, how do they expect their residential staff to live on 13-14 an hour in one of the most expensive states in the country? They don’t care though. They have no clue how hard their staff work because they never step foot in the residences or have to do any of the responsibilities that residential staff have. There is definitely money to pay staff more considering the astronomically high tuition cost for the students here. Yet most of the money from tuition goes to management and not the students. The residences the students live in are outdated and even their bedding is old. Also the food they serve the students is worse than prison food. Residential staff are the backbone of this company yet management does give them the appreciation they deserve.

The only reason to work at Whitney Academy would be to serve "at risk" boys ages 10 to  22.  It is an honor and a privilege to serve them.  That being said, there aren't many other reasons to work there.  The management cares more about the aesthetics of the program grounds than they do about the program itself.  It is a program of smoke and mirrors.  The management DOES NOT care about its employees.  Staff get "forced" extra shifts at least once (usually more) weekly.  Staff are not treated with respect, they are treated as pawns that come and go at an excessive rate.  There are some very dedicated hard working employees at Whitney Academy.  They go above and beyond every day.  Real, good, people.  However, the management sit in offices, watch camera's and do not have their employees best interests in mind.  It is a stressful job that puts your career at risk just being there.  Look elsewhere.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Direct support professional 6 salaries reported	$23.30 per hour
Clinician 3 salaries reported	$72,200 per year
Custodian 2 salaries reported	$19.50 per hour
Teacher's aide 2 salaries reported	$23.90 per hour
Social worker 3 salaries reported	$63,133 per year

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