Pros
- Support from fellow BHMs, experiencing the same challenges. - Free lunch 1x per week - Decent pay
Cons
Burnout: - I applied to this job because of the advertised focus on “work-life balance & putting people first”. I have been in the field for several years & have worked in many fast-paced environments. I have never felt more burnt out and depleted than I did working for this company. Your day is filled with sessions, meetings during your lunch, double documentation (you have to document in 2 EHRs), and “connecting with your clinic” (required socializing with doctors to get referrals). - You meet with patients monthly in this model, after 1 year of working for the company, I met with over 350 patients. It is extremely hard to keep track of patients and provide meaningful care. - When I spoke out about burnout, I was either shamed for bringing up the topic or told I needed to “care less” about my patients to make this model work. - I wanted to leave this job after 3 weeks but was unable to due to a 1-year sign-on contract, provided to all BHMs. Leadership: - This was the most toxic company I have ever worked for. In my experience, there was a severe lack of professionalism from leadership. Members from HQ attempt to connect with the BHMs through dinners and training events but have no idea how the day-to-day of a BHM feels. Unfortunately, many managers & leadership members are proficient in gaslighting. - Despite what they advertise, this company is numbers & money-focused. You are faced with micromanaging or punitive interactions if you are not meeting your numbers. Managers in the field push for numbers because they receive bonuses based on their BHM's success. Managers at this company do not have any patient-facing interactions & also do not understand the daily stress of a BHM. - The company is constantly changing protocols & expectations. I understand that this is a developing company but these changes were impossible to keep up with, not to mention my manager never had any idea what was going on or how to support us. - More than one manager consistently & openly talks badly about their staff to other staff. Several managers at this company label and name-call their employees. Not to mention, inappropriate comments were made to me about my appearance and gender. Several BHMs, including myself, have made reports of this. Unfortunately, HQ has been aware of these issues and have not made any changes to address this inappropriate behavior. - Leadership promises “free clinical supervision” but does not have an active LCSW supervisor in the state of Colorado.