Pros
Pay: The pay is actually very good but can be confusing at times. Basics of pay are: - When billing Medicaid (anything when with a client), you earn $18/hr - When not billing Medicaid (driving between clients, completing paperwork, attending meetings w/o clients present, attending required trainings and supervisions, basically any work tasks that do not involve clients), you earn $12/hr - Travel reimbursement is 30¢/mi. Keep in mind that you will only get this reimbursement for traveling from one client to the next and NOT for traveling from home to client and client to home. However, if you drive from your home to a client who lives more than 40 miles away, you will get reimbursed for your travel. Workplace environment: This purely depends on where you are placed. I worked at an elementary school where one of the staff members used to be a TDT clinician and understood what my job entails. Many teachers and staff were more than willing to work with the students and myself to help the student better themselves. These factors really did create a very united, understanding, and nurturing environment that helped many of the students improve with few issues. Office Politics: Over all, my experience was positive with most of my supervisors and higher-ups. Most were very helpful and supportive in terms of expanding knowledge and improving work performance. Working with Clients: This is probably the best and most rewarding part of the job. Many of the children you work with are products of their previous environments and lack certain skills that help most get through daily life. Most of the children I worked with had some form of ADHD and needed a little extra help with managing impulses and hyperactivity. That said, most of the clients also had some form of trauma that made it hard for them to properly communicate to others or even properly manage their own emotions. Being able to help these children build up their coping skills and communication skills is a frustrating and thankless process that I can only imagine is how a physical therapist feels when witnessing their paralyzed client actually takes their first steps without assistance.
Cons
Work hours: If you are hoping for a stable job that gives you a full 40 hour work week and a stable income, this is not the best place for you. During the school year, you are scheduled to work during school hours (7 billable hours per day, 5 days a week) with the exception of Teacher Workdays, Holidays, School Breaks, and School canceled days. Because you are an hourly employee and not salary, you don't get paid for those exceptions. You are given the choice to take vacation/sick days or not get paid. - Also note that I said 7 BILLABLE hours per day. That means you get paid $18/hr for 35 hours per week. Very rarely will you go over that. As for the other 5 hours, that is your paperwork time (Non-billable, meaning $12/hr), split for one hour per day. Even if your paperwork takes longer than 1 hour to complete, they will only allow you to claim 1 hour per day with few exceptions. This is mostly to avoid paying you for Overtime. Travel time: Although I was informed that it is policy to be reimbursed for traveling more than 40 miles to a client, this may not be the case. For 6 days, I traveled over 40 miles to pick up and drop off clients, submitted my mileage, and did not get reimbursed for the initial drive out and last drive back. That is over 80 miles or more than 4 gallons of gas a day not compensated for. With gas prices the way they are, I was barely able to afford these trips and even had to borrow money from family to finish out the week. So not getting that extra in reimbursement really hurt the finances and shows how little they support their employees. Summer work: Due to the strain COVID brought with it, the summer program is shorter and with less billable hours and more traveling. It is a terrible downside to be employed but not getting hours due to no work being available for almost two months. Definitely not ideal for those who have bills to pay. Overtime: Don't even think about trying for overtime. This company will try anything to not pay overtime. Especially for Non-billable hours. This is largely to do with not being able to charge Medicaid for those hours and the unfortunate financial impact COVID caused on most mental health organizations. I mentioned above that you get to bill 35 hours/wk for services with 5 hours/wk for paperwork. If, for any reason, you end up in a situation with a client that extends your billable time to the full 8 hours and try to bill them for an hour of paperwork, they will try to gaslight you into removing that hour of paperwork. What is not openly discussed is that the company doesn't have to let you bill them for your paperwork due to the policy stating that paperwork should be completed during your time with the client. This means that your paperwork should be completed and submitted when the school day ends. Workplace Environment: Many of the teachers and parents do not truthfully understand what a TDT clinician is supposed to do. I have been berated by teachers who believe my job is to sit with one client all day and keep them from misbehaving. I have been told by parents that I am bad at my job because they expect instant results in their kid's behaviors. It sucks and takes someone who can take this negative criticism without letting it get to them. This is not the company's fault. It's mostly due to misconceptions and ignorance and can usually be fixed with a conversation better explaining what your job is. Personally, I explained that, much like the horse that is led to water, I cannot force clients to use the skills I introduce to them. Office Politics: On the surface, it is wonderful. Below the surface... It isn't that bad. A lot of miscommunication and misinformation with some preconceived notions do hinder relationships but most can be cleared up with a phone call. That said, it is best to understand that the administrative staff people do not always have your interest at heart. Although they are a business in the field of mental health, that doesn't mean they care too much about your mental health. Working with Clients: It really is a thankless job. The paperwork can get insane at times. The clients can be unwilling to engage at times and outright ignore your existence at times. If you are someone who carries work home and doesn't handle stress very well, this is not the job for you.
