Consider other options - Mental Health Therapist Families Employee Review

I was hired on at Families, Inc. shortly after I finished graduate school. On fire for helping others and eager to “save the world”. No one enters this profession without a lit fire that they hope to shed in the dark lives of others. I knew my “save the world” mentality would eventually fade, but I wasn’t ready for my passion to burn out as quickly as it did. That tragedy was not at the hands of my clients or even myself. In my 2.5 years at Families, Inc., I had 5 supervisors. On average, who I answered to, staffed cases, and reported to, changed every 6 months. As soon as I was adjusting to the leadership style of one person, they were gone, or moved on to other roles within the company. This agency seems to have employee performance as their top priority, even over client care. Performance evaluation standards are unrealistic. Despite the difficult standards, in a little over 12 months of working there, I achieved level 5 within the company. At that time, I was told this was the top 15% of the company, across all locations, and something some never achieve — even those practicing for 10+ years. Aside from a simple “good job” and the very small pay raise, my accomplishment was never mentioned again. I was however asked to speak on panels and at recruiting events, neither of which I was compensated or for. Being good at my job attracted more work, while under performers were paid a very similar salary. This bred resentment. The administrative staff is very disconnected from the direct service providers. Micromanaging was the direct tactic chosen by higher level staff, and my clinical judgement seemed to never be trusted, despite it proving to be sufficient time and time again. I was scolded for staffing cases with seasoned colleagues, the sole purpose of supervision. I was belittled for experiencing anxiety during crisis with clients and when I would advocate for myself, my concerns were always minimized. Tact and soft skills were not something administration was familiar with using. My clients trusted me, and I was well liked among them. I saw great progress in their cases. To my knowledge, neither a client nor parent of a client ever complained about the services I provided, yet I was told in a one-on-one meeting that I was “unapproachable” and not personable. I had never been told this in my life. I was beaten, spit on, hit, and kicked by a young client, all witnessed by an admin who said, “I think the child is a fit for treatment.” The same with client’s experiencing on-going and life-threatening psychosis, rather than referring them to a higher level of care. Each client is money to be made and every employee is a number. I passed my LCSW examination and I was told the company would immediatnely begin credentiallying me with private insuracnes. I asked for updates on this process often, and I was shrugged off each time I asked. Finally, after this occurring too many times, resulting in me feeling unsetled, I did some of my own research. The comapny had never begun my credentailing process. If you decide to leave the company, prepare for them to take your advancement or career change personally, and lash out as a result. My notice provided was not honored, and I was told this was best for my clients. Following that, my clients would reach out to me saying they had yet to be assigned a new therapist. Med staff automatically assumes most clients are malingering for disability and/or benzodiazepines, rather than hearing their stories. There were very few times that this felt like an emotionally safe place to work.