Pros
A real strength of Octave is that they’ve hired some amazing people. It was the meaningful clinical work and the amazing colleagues that kept me there for as long as I stayed.
Cons
I left Octave because I felt I could no longer in good conscience work for this company. My experience there, especially with the leadership team, wore me down in ways I’m still processing. Attrition Sadly, many of my colleagues decided to leave too. The team of clinicians I joined was originally 13. In less than a year, at least eleven of resigned. Many valuable people outside our team left too. In December, the Chief Clinical Officer and the two California Clinic Directors resigned in unison. From there on out, things only got worse. Misguided Leadership From my perspective, a major part of the problem with this company is that the people at the top 1) lack a background in clinical psychology, and 2) seem unwilling and/or unable to genuinely listen and learn from providers who raise concerns. While I was initially excited and encouraged to hear the CEO talk about his vision and values, I felt repeatedly disappointed and deceived. In practice it felt like CEO promoted a toxic culture of paternalism, where power and decision making flowed from the top, even when that wasn’t for the good of the clients, the employees, or the company as a whole. Values Conflict It felt implicitly acceptable to “move fast and break things” even if those “things” were the clients we served. Clients (“customers”) and providers (“the product”) seemed to be regarded as replaceable and expendable. When clinicians, including myself, repeatedly brought up concerns about standards of care or legal and ethical compliance, I felt like we were ignored and stonewalled. Coping Shortly after starting, I drafted some “non-negotiables” — conditions of ongoing employment — as a way to check in with myself about whether it made sense to stay. Here’s what I came up with: There needs to be follow through on pay and basic employee benefits (e.g. insurance, PTO) as agreed upon during hiring or at other points over the course of employment. The company needs to show a commitment to written and verbal agreements, it should not engage in bait-and-switch practices (intentional or otherwise), and it should hold itself accountable when it makes mistakes. If my personal safety, my license and/or my professional reputation are compromised or placed in serious jeopardy, or if other therapists raise these concerns, then those concerns need to be addressed in a timely manner. If clients’ safety, privacy, or general wellbeing become compromised, then these concerns need to be addressed in a timely manner. Leadership and workplace culture need to promote and maintain a basic level of equity, inclusion, and respect for others, both internal and external to the organization (e.g. the company needs to promptly and effectively address complaints of harassment or discrimination). Apart from about a six month period prior to the resignation of the Chief Clinical Officer, these were regularly unmet in a myriad of ways. Advice If you’re thinking of working for this company, or you’re there now, it may be helpful to clarify your own non-negotiables. If you feel like your concerns are being compromised, check in with your colleagues — so you don’t get siloed.
