Job Responsibilities
Responsible for overall operation of a mental health center
program for homeless people. Duties include management of the
program, supervision of staff, ensuring welfare of clients,
provision of therapy, monitoring client records and complaince
with standards, coordination of services with other providers,
documetation, conducting data analysis.
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Job Requirements
The programis academic in nature only because I take practicum
students from the local University's Counseling program. The
studetns are provided field experience, I provide supervision,
and I exchange information about their performance with the
university program.
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Uppers
The best parts are autonomy, the opportunity to work as a team with staff from
other agencies, challenging work, variety in work tasks, inservice training,
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Downers
The worst parts are low salaries for clinicians,not enough
funding or appreciation for mental health in general or for the
hard work such jobs entail, skeleton staff, cutting corners on
client care, hostile, punitive administration; salaries of
administrators 3 to 4 times the salaries of the clinicians who
are highly educated; adminisration always looking for ways to cut
employee benefits while raising own salaries. Program supervisors
forced to stay with programs 24 hoiurs a day during hurricanes
without compensation or the opportunity to make sure their own
families are safe.
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Lifestyle
I am a salaried employee and consistently work 50 or more hours a week. The
dress code is business casual. The staff and clients are diverse, there is
variety. There is little to no business travel for most employees. There is an
annual Christmas party for staff and awards given out for outstanding service at
tht time.
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Compensation
The base salary fo a Master's prepared clinician is #32,000.
There are no bonuses, no stock options, and raises are very
small, mybe 3 to 4 %. There is a benefit package that includes
personal days and health insurance.
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Advice to Jobseekers
Go into private practice as soon as you get your license.
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