Pros
Working, helping and advocating for those with developmental disabilities - making sure a person and/or family have "allies" and have someone to talk to or lean on Learning about the field; how DDA, Medicaid and the "system" works Working with people who truly feel passionate about helping others Flexibility - Going Mobile: working from home, from anywhere in the community, 40 hour work week can be flexed throughout the week, Own laptop and cell phone given Self-directed environment Good entry level job - first real job and am doing well. Learn new things and it's a lot at first, but it's manageable and coworkers and supervisors are always willing to help. Builds skills such as: organization, time management, planning, people skills, communication, networking, administrative, resourcefulness. 1 paid leave and 1 paid sick day accrued per month - but see units con below.
Cons
The agency (and DDA) have been going through the a lot of changes and have yet to work the kinks out. Targeted Case Management - all Service Coordinators must bill for the time spent working on an assignment, causing lots of extra time wasted documenting every task completed in the data base. This time is measured in units. Depending on the category of a person, Service Coordinators can be very limited in the amount of units, causing a year of saving units and not allowing or aiding a person as needed. It's frustrating. Also, Service Coordinators have a minimum of units per day, that can be averaged out to weeks,months, and the whole year. On days off, Service coordinators will usually work or on the weekends to have to make up for units not made while on vacation, on paid holidays or sick days. Lots of Service Coordinator turnover. Some cannot keep up with the work (units), some are bored, some are not cut out for the work. Causes frustration in those who have to reassign to new Service Coordinators, doubles the work because of the self-directed environment. Everyone does everything their own way, causing a very loose set of "protocol" that everyone follows. Supervision is not as monitored as well it should. Training is great- you learn so much and it is worth the four week session but further training on the changes and the updates on procedures are needed. Also, individual training on programs and outside waivers are recommended. The database system is horrible, all information saved for an individual is updated on the Service Coordinator's own accord. the Individual Plan format defeats the purpose of an IP.