Pros
Valuable experience working with a multitude of mental health disorders. Ability to learn quickly due to being thrown into everything right away. I honestly do enjoy the people I work with, and they’re the only reason (aside from caring about patients) that I haven’t left yet.
Cons
Staff in every department are immensely overworked. Patients are herded like cattle through an assembly line with little effort made to actually help them. There are entirely too many patients to be cared for. Therapist caseloads are astronomical and prevent us from providing patient care. Nursing is grossly understaffed, to the point that staff to patient ratios are in violation with CMS standards. Staff don’t receive much support from upper management, and administration is all too quick to throw direct care staff under the bus. Certain physicians contracted through Lakeside are completely unethical in their practice, and commit insurance fraud daily. It’s very frustrating when your voice isn’t heard and you don’t feel valued as a treatment team member. There isn’t much room to advance in your career unless you’re friends with the CEO. Then you’ll be fine.