I feel triggered and exhausted by my employer. I'm an addiction therapist for an inpatient 30 day program. This facility is under a year old. I'm the short amount of time I've worked here I've seen many reg flags that heeds warning this will be another stereotypical addiction facility in Louisiana. Being acquaintances with the owner doesn't help either.
I was hired under the guise that this is a “positive and community driven facility.” I explained to them I have hard work/life boundaries and that family comes first. I explained to them I will leave work by no later than 4:15pm daily. I get to work at 7am daily. This was agreed upon between all parties. However, I didn't get thus in writing. Since then the expectation is and has been set by other therapists with no boundaries to stay late daily, to be available on teams 24/7, and now on call weekends without and change in pay. Daily, I am triggered due to new rules/protocols are changed then things are later changed back to the old ways, the chain of command has changed twice since I started in March, and the icing on the cake therapists are now getting blamed when patients leave treatment against medical advice. I had three people leave over the weekend. All of which came in on Friday. I was expected to have full sessions with all three who were detoxing and feeling horrible. Also I was expected also to do multiple other individual sessions, assessments, and run groups. I had a new intern working under me as well Friday. I reach out to my patients. I can only do so much. I received an email at 9pm last night saying did I know that three patients left and how was I engaging with them on Friday. Did I do X, Y, Z with them? Which I did.
I've been pondering leaving for a couple weeks since I came back from having covid. I was expected to be up at 110% when I came back. Still coughing, being extremely fatigued, and with horrible brain fog. They did not care. They wanted everything to be completed.
So, screw this place. They wonder why therapists burn out so quickly.
I'm tired, I'm anxious, and I'm not messing up my mental and physical health again for work.
There are other major red flags with this place that I will not name.
Moral of the story when they keep piling on more work, no pay increase, and treating staff like they are the issue…thats your red flags!