Good people, poor leadership, very dysfunctional - Anonymous employee Monadnock Developmental Services Employee Review

flexibility and teamwork are fantastic. I really enjoy the work

not the best pay, don't love working weekends

Building relations with those whom you support can be rewarding and when I truly empathize I find a deep inspiration to go beyond what is expected. You can absolutely make a difference in these people's lives with so little effort so find joy and passion in helping them and know that when you leave (them for the day or forever), they will remember you.

To be frank - MDS is not hiring always the best people, both on upper and lower tiers. I was constantly asked to pick up extra shifts, sometimes at the last minute because someone else did not show up. Many of your co-workers may do the bare minimum, watch TV all day, refuse to do daily chores, or support the client in any emotional way. Upper management is not much better, with many overworked with too many clients and will provide very little help. Two instances stand out in my mind where managers (coordinators and even a director) failed. 1) A client was refusing to get into my car to be driven home and was screaming at me in the parking lot. He had cognitive problems so I did not take anything personally and I was new. Called his coordinator who came out the store and she talked him into getting in the car with me. When I went to buckle my seatbelt he punched in front of her but she said a incident report was not required 'because he missed' - I can assure he did not. Another was when I was working over 80 hours a week (including night shifts at clients who needed 24 hours support). A director called me into his office and told me how much he appreciated my work and knew I was taking on a lot - very kind words. Then asked if I would have another client on top of everything else - and the kicker: I would be watching both this client and another at the same time without any additional pay. Set boundaries. Budget out hours you would be willing to work and once you fulfill them do not let your work more than you would like otherwise they will cram more onto you. That being said - I made over $2000 in one week because I was doing 72 hours shifts (over time) on top of a holiday. So squeeze them when you can.