youth worker

youth counselor

behavioral specialist

support worker

school counselor

Arc-Programs

Overall, I had a very positive experience working there. I was fortunate to collaborate with supportive and skilled colleagues, and I had an excellent manager who provided strong guidance and oversight. The role offered considerable autonomy, allowing for creativity, flexibility, and opportunities to explore and implement new modalities in practice.

That said, there were notable challenges at the upper management level. Communication regarding major decisions, office culture, and the long-term direction of the organization was often unclear and inconsistent. As this was a pilot project with an uncertain future, staff were frequently left without a clear understanding of organizational stability or next steps.

Additionally, there appeared to be limited experience within upper management related to business operations and financial management, which at times resulted in questionable financial decisions and instability. Transparency in decision-making was limited, and opportunities for advancement or salary increases did not always feel equitable. There was a perception of favoritism, which impacted morale and confidence in career progression.

Job security was at times uncertain, and communication around staffing decisions could be last-minute. For an organization of this size, having only one HR representative created significant strain, often leading to rushed communication and limited notice regarding important updates.

I have been with ARC for just over two years, and I am seriously considering staying the rest of my career. There is so many opportunities for advancement and movement between programs, it would be impossible to get bored.  If an employee applies for a position in the company and they don't get it, management explains why and encourages you to keep trying, which feels like they respect staff.
The management is really great and supportive, and they show their appreciation for staff regularly, including with Christmas bonuses and yearly bonuses. They are patient, supportive, often encourage work/life balance and active socialization with staff and collateral professionals. They offer yearly staff training days, as well as Christmas parties and other get togethers.
Most of the front line positions at ARC are emotionally and mentally draining. My experience is management will bend over backwards to help staff avoid burnout, and feel good about their jobs. They are easy to talk to, and are happy to help when they can. ARC also has a wellness committee that specifically focuses on staff and client health. They have been very busy during the pandemic, offering resources, support, and activities around wellness.
I could continue on but people won't read it if it's too long so I'll leave it at that.

A lot of people get reeled into Arc by the seemingly good benefits and pay...but it is honestly not worth the stress and toxicity you have to endure at this company. 
You make a trade for the pay and benefits with your mental health.
I worked at Arc in Specialized Care for over a year. The most terrible management I have ever seen in my life. The corruption and toxicity are present at the Program Coordinator level and extend to the higher ups in the company.
There is no job security. Multiple people are fired "without cause", and are asked to sign a non-disclosure form by management, to not let any dirty laundry affect the company's reputation. Management had no conflict resolution skills, favouritism was heavily present, and harmful gossip about coworkers was spread by management, senior workers and health & safety reps. 
Ironic, that the management team in a social work sector display such a lack of care, immature leadership and animosity towards employees.

When I started at ARC, the culture and workplace environment seemed good. The more I got to know leadership (owners) and how they operate, the more I realized how corrupt it is there. They abuse their power, they establish an unhealthy culture where people are scared to bring anything forward. My manager stood up for me and supported me through a crisis situation and ended up getting reprimanded by leadership for something that was very untrue. The employees are way overworked and there is no reprieve. You are expected to pick up overtime all the time and they shift you into positions you may not want. It is an incredibly toxic work environment and very stressful. I would never recommend this place to anyone and I feel for the families they support that suffer due to the toxic culture. 

ARC is an extremely fast-growing agency and a wonderful place to work! The executives truly cares about each individual, welcomes creativity, and leads by example. The culture at ARC Programs is the best I've ever worked for and everyone is authentic and loves what they do. Training processes are great and really help people to feel comfortable in each position. The managers are always willing to help and will take time out of their day to dedicate to helping you if needed. Because ARC Programs is growing so rapidly, there are a lot of changes that happen fairly frequently, which can be stressful for some but nevertheless a great agency to work for. 

This local agency provides services for youth at risk, people with disabilities and other vulnerable demographics within the local community.

    They work hard (with limited provincial government funding) and are a really great team of people. They expect you to sincerely want to make a difference in your work and do it well, but provide quite a bit of support and training. The management seems to be mostly people that have worked their way from the bottom and lots of long-time staff, I'd definitely work for them again

People are continually being injured by their clients. Lots of aggressive or high need individuals that has resulted in many staff injuries. Management did not care about you being injured, and tried to get you to return as soon as possible. Felt as if there was blame around the injuries and it was never the client's responsibility. 

As a residential worker, I was little more than a babysitter to "high risk" youth who weren't expected to do much more than watch TV or game all day (no counselling or expectations to help them transition from Ministry care to adulthood). The work environment is incredibly toxic. Staff do not support one another and talk behind each other's back's. There is no training or mentorship and people are routinely fired without ever having received an evaluation of any kind.

Only positive is that workers get paid for a full 40 hours a week (straight 8-hour shifts) and get an extra day off every two weeks. Shifts are brutally long and boring though.

I have been at ARC Programs for 8 years and do not plan on going any where any time soon. My office is one of the smaller offices and it has a family feel to it. I feel very supported by my manager and co-workers. There is a ton of opportunity to move around in the agency and lots of opportunity for advancement. Pay is fair and management is always trying to advocate for pay increases from funding partners. Staff are shown appreciation in many ways from big things like Christmas parties to little day to day things such as get togethers outside of work and gestures at work. My job is engaging and rewarding and I love the youth and families I get to serve. 

I worked for ARC Programs for +10 years because I enjoyed going to work every day.  
Working with high risk youth is hard, but ARC provides a significant amount of training and support to help staff navigate the complexities of their role. 
The leadership team at ARC value staff wellness, and their professional growth. 
I would recommend working for ARC Programs, and I was surprised to read some of the negative reviews about this employer as this was not my experience at all, nor have i heard similar complaints from other staff. 

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Youth worker 6 salaries reported	$28.60 per hour
Youth counselor 12 salaries reported	$29.29 per hour
Behavioral specialist 5 salaries reported	$27.95 per hour
Support worker 7 salaries reported	$28.02 per hour
School counselor 3 salaries reported	$32.11 per hour

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