Bancroft reviews

Management do not care about staff

First, let me be very clear. This career and population is not for everyone. Behaviors are wide ranging in form, function, and intensity. I have been hit, kicked, punched, gotten feces on me, bit, been involved in numerous physical restraints ( sometimes consecutively), cursed at, and chased. I have witnessed someone put their head through a glass van window, and some one else who bite their arm until they were bleeding. The individuals who live on campus are there for many reasons. All of those reasons are serious. If you lack patience, take things personally, are lazy, or cannot put yourself in another's shoes, THIS CAREER IS NOT FOR YOU. And that is okay. Just be honest with yourself. I am being honest, because I only want those who like to challenge themselves to step forward. But if you feel like you might be able to handle it, DO IT. You will not regret it. What I will add though, is even with all of the behaviors above that I have dealt with, I am still in love with Bancroft and the P& A Campus. Sometimes knowing you have support or having someone check in with you makes all the difference. You will need to be decisive. Sometimes the reason why someone is doing something is not clear AT ALL. It is during these times that you need to be consistent and only do things that are approved via the behavior plans. You are working to fix problems, not to encourage them or turn a blind eye to them. You can not hide behind a cubicle or desk. Your work entails working with those with disabilities and deficits in communication., and everything is on video for the clients safety. Your job is to create ways for that person to succeed. That means you cannot be listening to music via earbuds, watching the game on your phone, or catching up with your long lost uncle via facetime on shift. Management has little leeway with these things, as you are essentially not doing your job description. There is a uniform, if that matters. You need to KNOW what to do. You will be trained on function based plans, and will be expected to run behavioral interventions all the time Not every other day, not when you feel like it, not when it is convenient. All the time. Which is why Bancroft is so good at what it does. But leadership, specifically my position of ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) Specialist, checks to make sure interventions are being ran consistently. The behavior plans are like a treatment using medication....it will not work if it is not consistent. In short, you will be held accountable. Weekend shifts- They are long. I know, I worked them. But they also permit multiple days off, so to some of you it might not be a con. Behavior Analytic language. It is very specific, very precise, but it also can sound like mumbo jumbo to the everyday ear. It is only is used due to the clinical aspect of Bancroft's work, but it could be off putting to some in a "are they talking down to me?" sort of way. Ask what someone means if you don't understand, no one will blame you for not knowing Parents. It needs to be said that some of those living on campus ( and likely everywhere else in Bancroft and beyond) exhibit problem behaviors due to parents not understanding cause and effect relationships. Again, I said "some", not all. These relationships are then uncovered at Bancroft, and plans are created to treat them. It can be VERY frustrating to stick to a plan, see success, and then have a parent come visit and essentially mess everything up that day. It can get to you if you let it. Parents do not see ( or necessarily want to see) all of the frustrating sessions and instances of difficulty staff go through when working with their sons or daughters. Parents are parents first, therapists last. Parents sometimes treat with love, and as the phrase goes, love is usually blind. They may also have been victim to very serious aggression or emotional trauma by their own son or daughter, as well as an infinite number of other reasons, so be mindful. Be respectful and empathetic. This is sometimes a point of contention due to the often emotional extremes found in the conversations, which is why I mark it as a "Con". You may as a staff have to have polite, professional discussions that are very uncomfortable. Differ to a member of leadership if you are not confident.