Strongest community mental health agency in Seattle
Pros
I've worked for several community mental health agencies in the Seattle area and feel strongly that Navos is the industry leader. At past agencies I've seen management wait until the last mintue to adjust to county mandates, which puts great strain on the clinical staff and usually ends up with a mediocer solution to what could have been a positive change for clients. Navos seems to take a much greater proactive approach to change. Yes, at times that means we're the ones out front testing new territory but it's also us who sets the standard for the rest of the area. I'd rather lead than follow personally. I feel my work is adequately compensated within the industry I'm in and as a member of community mental health I under no illusion that I'm going to get rich. Go into tech if that's your goal. Though I am not anti-union I was very excited to leave a unionized position at a different agency to come to a non-union equivalent at Navos. There is communication between clinical staff and upper management where as before all communications ended at supervisors. Some job sites at Navos are unionized.
Cons
ZERO maternity/paternity benefits! (FMLA is not a company provided "benefit," it's a federal mandate) To be fair this has universally been my experience in all of community mental health. Maybe there is a reason people leave the industry to start families or don't start families at all. Very sad indeed, especially when you see the nation as a whole start to recognize families in their employee benefits.