Vantaggi
I work in Mental Health. The salary is one of the best in the social services, behavioral health industry. Benefits are good and our jobs are protected by SEIU-UHW West union membership, which isn't too common in mental health. Kaiser employees have strong job security, the average employee at Kaiser stays for more than 20 years. In my field we are also supported by Kaiser and the union to continue our education through paid education days and free classes sponsored by the union and Kaiser, which helps for those who are licensed. Vacation benefits start out at 24 days a year, our entire family is covered by Kaiser medical insurance at no cost to the employee, we have a good 401K that Kaiser contributes to after two years of employment - 1.25% of our annual compensation, as well as a retirement pension. Part-time employees also receive benefits and they are flexible with work hours in mental health - 4/10 work weeks or other configurations. If you want to work in mental health, learn more, grow as a professional, Kaiser presents a great opportunity for this.
Svantaggi
The work load at Kaiser can be overwhelming at times, their desire is that every hour of the day be filled with a patient, which can be very draining in mental health. Communication between departments isn't efficient and frequently, although we can be interdependent, we don't really know what the other department does specifically, or how they function, and vice versa. Also, much of the job satisfaction for staff in behavioral health is connected to the style of management in their clinic, which varies from caring and supportive to indifferent and neglectful. This is a problem across the board within Kaiser. My experience of Kaiser management, senior and line, is that they are generally polite and respectful. Nevertheless, it is easy to get typed at Kaiser which will determine future opportunities or lack thereof.