Job context: I am a case manager so my job duties are to create lessons for children with autism learn (e.g. if they need to learn to wash hands I figure out what the problem is and create a plan to teach it and make kids practice the skill based on what they are struggling with); and manage,train, and provide support for therapists who will basically act as tutors for the lessons I create.
So I work for a small clinic that provides multiple therapies for children with autism. I used to work for large companies that solely provided ABA therapy and they were very difficult as bureaucracy would get in the way of allocating resources so none of my clients or people working under me ever got amount of support they needed.
What is great about my new company is that have a lot more opportunity to access and support all of my clients and workers under me to support them and if it turns out that aba therapy is not a good fit for them I can recommend another service for them or at the very least consult with another professional to try to incorporate something from those therapies into my programs to help them. I was told not to trust HR but I’ve been here a little less than a year and am still learning the politics of the company so I never saw anything too horrible until just recently.
I found out that Friday two of our clinical directors were abruptly fired Thursday night. In addition to doing what I do the clinical directors do things to make sure the clinic itself is running smoothly by making sure it is stocked with materials and doing initial trainings for therapist so they know the basics of being a therapist and such. They were both very beloved but according to the rumor mill (I was not present the time they were fired) they were both fired for “creating a toxic work environment and insubordination.”
The best I can tell this is code for “pissing off HR” because they would do a lot of aggressive advocacy for the workers and clients such as making sure all staff break rooms had fridges and not just the ones near the administrative side of the building so people didn’t need to waste break time running to the other side of the building and advocating for more specialized client toys/materials at the center.
This is all in the heels of a rough rough transition of kids switching to school schedules and a highly beloved case managers leaving for a new job with a few therapists leaving in response.
I’m checking on my coworkers and friends and I’m relatively ok for now but I can’t believe that such a short sighted decision was made as morale is in the toilet and we are likely going to have a mass exodus of workers at one of our most difficult work periods.