Good stepping stone, not the place to build your career.
Pros
Providing mental health services to those who may not otherwise receive or be eligible for such services was very appealing to me. Also, being able to give back and contribute to your community is very rewarding, (albeit not financially). Colleagues are knowledgeable, passionate about their work and genuinely invested in the well being of their clients.
Cons
The morale of those working on the DMH side is laughable at best. Most therapists feel resentful of management, angry with the ridiculous demands of the job and discouraged with the mental health field. Not to mention, the pay is in no way "competitive" unless you speak Spanish. I think we all understand that working for a non profit agency does not equal rolling in the money, but what they pay us as therapists in no way reflects the amount of work that we do. The Help Group treats their employees like crap and does virtually nothing to improve the declining morale of the office. The "clinical supervisors" provide little (if any at all) clinical guidance, and unfortunately, do not advocate for their staff. The focus of clinical supervision is soley on paperwork (I understand that DMH paperwork is an important part of the job, but it IS NOT the only part). Management is seemingly interested in helping you succeed, but they talk to you about "where you're struggling" only out of formality and are not genuinely receptive to feedback. In addition, the weekly staff meetings only serve as a way to remind employees that they are doing a terrible job. The director of outpatient services needs a refresher on how to motivate employees. Not a lot of opportunity for growth and raises are limited. Benefits are pretty expensive and the free health insurance option is pretty terrible. HR is not very helpful as they don't understand the clinical work therapists do. Culture of office is punitive.
