DESC Reviews

Pros

Excellent pay, great benefits and PTO, meaningful work, wonderful coworkers

Cons

Upper management has begun to "crackdown" on minor offenses since wage increases were implemented (as we are viewed as dispensible now) and finds minor discrepancies (often invented) to fire and/or punish employees despite union presence. They punish outspoken employees on a regular basis. Also total lack of transparency in policy creation and upper management operation.

Pros

Pay, peers, helping, pto, benefits

Cons

No cons really if I didn't move I would have stayed

Pros

If you are interested in a career in the mental health field, you will learn more in 6 months as a residential counselor at DESC than you would in 2 years of college. The hourly pay is decent, and the medical and paid time off benefits are amazing.

Cons

There can be frightening situations when a person is under the influence of substances and/or having a mental health crisis, and sometimes there are not enough staff there to feel safe.

Pros

Union, pays decent, helping the community, culture (while not for everyone) inviting and friendly

Cons

Lack of direction from leadership and bizarre decision-making sometimes. Not for the faint of heart, clients will test your patience daily.

Pros

They provide a lot of time off

Cons

They have a tendency to treat employees poorly, and have inexperienced managers

Pros

Great benefits Great Employees and Management

Cons

Not Enough Training for Employees

Pros

You work with amazing individuals - some of the most dedicated and caring people you'll ever meet. You get to work closely with clients providing comprehensive care - no week is the same and you'll constantly be learning. Many direct supervisors across programs are supportive and have your back. Great PTO system - more than most employees ever have a chance to utilize - and fully covered Kaiser PPO with a very low deductible and max annual cost for individual. Self-professed Housing First and Harm Reduction philosophy that align with the best practices of public health. Represented by SEIU 1199NW and some of our most passionate frontline workers.

Cons

Management regularly makes unpopular top-down decisions that harm employee retention, workload, and client care, and is stubbornly unresponsive to feedback. Organization is growing faster than it can staff and/or train, regularly taking on new contracts with the county and city that open new positions poaching from deeply understaffed existing programs. While more permanent supportive housing and crisis response services is desperately needed in Seattle, DESC's senior leadership is unable to effectively create these new programs without taking away from existing services. Roughly 30% of positions are empty at any given time. The most well respected and client-centered senior leaders have resigned citing this kind of concern. Management perennially creates more and more $80k+ middle management positions to promote itself into, creating more and more layers between the front line and executive director that are filled by external hires who don't have any understanding of the work or clients. The system is crumbling and it's failing clients in every area of care. This isn't the fault of DESC management, but it's painful to be witness and part of. Pay is unlivable - management has stalled on promised negotiations for over a year. Many make just $19/hr doing the hardest, most client crisis-centered jobs at the agency. Case managers are at $46k, while other agencies in Pioneer Square have starting wages of $72k despite being funded with the same public contracts. KCRHA has made a point of how poorly we're paid. As a result, very high turnover. It seems like 2/3rds of new hires last less than 6 months.

Pros

Your fellow Frontline staff will be the kindest, most amazing people you'll ever meet.

Cons

Dangerous work environment, abusive management, unliveable wages, very little opportunity for growth. Avoid at all costs for your physical and mental safety. You are better off working at a bakery or some sort of pizza place. Do not work here if you care about your own sanity and well-being.

Pros

Great values, good people, plenty of training and support. Some of the best benefits I've ever had. Highly recommend this organization.

Cons

Hiring process is thorough and lengthy..

Pros

DESC is doing incredible work for the homeless community in Seattle!

Cons

There are serious issues with what DESC expects of employees but the union is pretty strong.