This isnt so much an issue for me but I have seen other reviews discuss this issue do I thought I would add my 2-cents.. The company is a business and their success is depends on supporting contracts with school districts.
This adds another layer of challenge, as my role can involve some political maneuvering in order to provide care to high needs, sometimes disruptive clients in a non mental health setting with staff who do not have a mental health background.
There is often a need for structural and perceptual change in the school that is out of the control of ESS. A large part of my job is relationship building, negotiation and educating school staff. This can be time consuming and differs from a "typical" model of support. For the most part I have found schools to be receptive, particularly when they can see me as a partner who is there to support the school and the families. This can take some time to build, particularly in areas that are impacted by discrimination, poverty etc. In other words the role is wider than just meeting with a client for an hour and documenting the session. This is a good thing to know going in.
Documentation can be a lot. I find myself frequently working after hours to get everything in. We have switched over to a new system and as expected the transition came with a lot of bugs that are being worked out, It seems like they are trying to address issues, but there are some growing pains.
My biggest actual issue is that the company is East Coast based and growing rapidly. QM sets standards that are applicable to other programs in other areas, Sometimes the guidelines are in conflict with what is required locally and clinicians get in trouble for not meeting those standards. This can start to feel punitive and discouraging. It would help a lot if QM were involved when contracts are created so standards can be set for individual programs. There has been acknowledgment of this issue, but so far no meaningful change that I can see at my level.
