[Too much to summarize]
The turnover rate for behavior therapists should be considered a warning for the difficult nature of this position and the amount of support and value that the company considers for your role. Despite being the primary agents in delivering therapeutic programming to the children, behavior therapists are not valued enough for the company to make necessary changes and accommodations to retain valuable employees. In my opinion, the quality of therapy depends primarily on the behavior therapists. Partners in excellence does not prioritize the quality of therapists which impacts the clients they claim to serve. I am not implying that the therapy is not extremely valuable to the clients. I am suggesting that it would be better for the clients if the turnover rate of behavior therapists wasn't so high.
I had the unique experience of working at 2 locations (Minnetonka and Burnsville). The work environment is extremely dependent on the supervisor you are assigned to. My experience in Minnetonka was much more positive than in Burnsville. In Burnsville I was able to see the flaws in corporate / the company itself. I will not disclose any personal information about my superiors but I will give an overview of why my supervisor in Burnsville was the reason I could not remain at the company.
I worked here for almost 2 years (which is considerably a long time given the turnover rate). I was a valuable therapist considering my experience and knowledge of the role. I received outstanding yearly performance reviews. I am humble but I was a good person for this type of work and I went above and beyond. I took on more responsibility than I was compensated for. I reached a point where the extra tasks given to me was more than I could handle. I would go home and have to plan for the next day. My work life balance suffered and not only caused me stress but also my fiancé.
I made several requests for help and a more even distribution of responsibilities for my coworkers in the same role that I was in so that it was more fair and less overwhelming for me. No changes were made to help. In fact, generally the opposite of my requests were granted. It is worth mentioning that I had disclosed disabilities and mental health issues with medical documents to corporate and to my supervisor in these meetings leading up to my resignation several times with no accommodations.
I was not alone in viewing my supervisor as inadequately performing her responsibilities. Almost everyone would recognize that she was hardly ever present to observe the environment which she was supervising. When she would be present, she would observe clients who were less challenging while looking at her phone the entire time.
Being the primary reason I decided to leave, I mentioned this explicitly in my exit interview. Rather than listening to my constructive and brutally honest criticism, I was gaslit by the building supervisor as well as the HR manager. Everything was my fault. It was my fault that I couldn't handle the extra responsibilities given to me disproportionately compared to my coworkers. It was my fault I didn't tell my supervisor how to do her job and fix the things she said she would change (which was a daily occurrence). The exit interview itself caused me a panic attack.
I didn't want to leave. But there was not enough support in Burnsville for me to handle the difficult role of behavior therapist. Keep in mind that this population of clients regularly engage in challenging behavior including biting, scratching, throwing large items, and attempting to run away from the building, etc...
It wasn't an easy job, but it was rewarding and I absolutely loved the kids I served. I would have stayed if the reasonable things I requested were honored.
It is worth mentioning that you will get sick often and there are no sick days and if you do not have enough accumulated PTO you will be forced to either take unpaid time off or come into work sick. Unfortunately many people come in sick to ensure a regular paycheck as well as to avoid scrutiny for work performance for taking unpaid time off (even if you are genuinely sick).
Be warned that they will try to discredit these statements. Be mindful that many of the short positive reviews have been posted due to the incentive given by corporate that writing a positive review will give you the chance to win a $25 gift card. The negative reviews are the most honest.
If you are the right person for this type of work, you will inevitably love the children and your coworkers. I can only hope that the valuable employees are treated as such and receive the support they need to handle the difficult job.
