youth counselor

psychotherapist

therapist

cook

nurse

Pine River Institute

There is not enough support for front line workers. The training for the job was not sufficient. Every team runs things differently so the lack of consistency makes working there confusing and challenging. There are a lot of rules for the youth that are not clearly outlined so it's easy for youth to take advantage of new staff. You can ask one longtime staff what to do about a situation or if something is allowed, then hear after from your boss that you did the wrong thing. Higher up management are great but they only step in if you go directly to them to let them know you need more support in the role. The youth can be brutal if they don't like you, and that can take a toll especially with the lack of support from other staff. No scheduled breaks. The culture is staff don't ask for breaks and if you do ask for a break that is more than 15 minutes you raise eyebrows. You are doing everything with the youth so you don't get any time to recharge. Most enjoyable parts of the job: you can be creative in what activities you do with the youth. You can pour love onto them and really create deep bonds with them. You get to be a small part of their journey to growth and healing. You learn a lot and develop a thick skin quickly. You learn open communication skills. Overall there is a caring environment, and you can have lots of laughs and create positive memories. 
If you take this job, speak up and ask for the support and training you need from the start. 

A Valuable Short-Term Experience, But Unsustainable Long-Term

Pine River can be a meaningful place to work in the short term. Staff gain valuable experience, develop therapeutic skills, and contribute to important work with youth. Unique opportunities like backcountry camping and community-based learning make for memorable moments.

However, long-term employment presents significant challenges. Burnout is common due to low compensation, lack of support, and unrealistic expectations. There is a clear disconnect between departments, high staff turnover, and minimal recognition for frontline workers. Organizational culture tends to prioritize optics over genuine change, with leadership often unreceptive to feedback.

While the experience can be enriching early on, the lack of transparency, internal support, and accountability makes it difficult to recommend as a sustainable long-term workplace. Major structural and cultural improvements are needed to restore what was once a well-regarded program.

A typical day at work: Participate in daily student academic, recreational and therapeutic 
activities. Assist with keeping youth on track regarding their expectations and program.  

I've learned in order for the program to work the management and staff need to work together and consistently communicate, so that everyone is on the same page. The program is very structured and the expectations need to be consistent.  This provides a safe environment for the youth to flourish and grow. This is one of the reasons the program at Pine River is successful.

Its a long process for many of the youth so its important to remember that developing a connection with them may take time.  Trust is an issue for many of them and it take time to gain their trust.  The hardest part of the job is that it does take time and everyone's journey is different.

The most enjoyable part of the job is playing a positive part in the youth's journey and watching them grow into confident, happy young adults.

Pine River does not provide training for their staff, which is problematic given the nature of the job. When working there they rarely listened to feedback from staff around low wages, poor benefits and staff engagement. There is a disconnect between management and front line staff, and often the youth counsellors do all the work with little recognition. 

Many times employees will talk about the stress of the job, and ask for support, but will be blamed for the student's behaviours. 

Lastly, Pine River does not have any procedures and policies in place for emergencies such as when students engage in physical altercations. The staff are not trained on how to deal with these fights in a healthy manner, and do not have de-escalation training. 

The kids are great, and the program does help the students who attend it. However the management is out of touch with the struggles their staff face on a day to day basis. Because of this there is a lot of miscommunication and high staff turnover. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
As a member of the OLE, camping for a living and seeing the difference you can make in the lives of youth. 12 days off in a row is also pretty sweet

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
In the OLE, some times the youth can be a handful and there isn't much support, you just have to deal with it. Not a lot of training, mostly trial by fire. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Fairly isolated. You work with your team of three, but not so much with the other two teams. They have been getting better at recognition, but feels like Management isn't excited about celebrating people

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
In the OLE, you work a week at a time in the woods. Mondays are prep days.  You go in Tuesday and hike, canoe, or snowshoe depending on the season. The route is planned before hand. You work with the students and then come out the following Tuesdays.  There are also weekend shifts as well.

Unfortunately Pine River continues to fail its youth counsellors. There is a complete lack of transparency and professionalism. 

The counsellors play such a vital role in the growth of the students and are yet consistently done a disservice. There is no sense of union among the “team.”

Gossip and an “every man for themselves” mentality plague this organization. Everyone is too busy worrying about themselves to see the complete dumpster fire taking place.

 Staff are treated on a favouritism basis and if you aren’t favoured your concerns are treated with a single and simple “I’m sorry you had that experience”.  Nothing else. No assistance. No changes. Just empty validation.

Overall.  I was not supported by my supervisor or HR at all and I would not recommend you work here. 

The students are lovely and the program is a good idea on paper. However, an entire mess in reality and will need a miracle if it hopes to keep staff. 

Lastly, the wage is laughable for what the counsellors go through.

As a guide, you very rarely get the opportunity to work in a structure that is coordinated towards a goal with small, focused team. The Outdoor Leadership Experience staff team and management are coordinated and very supportive. The work is very difficult. The students are going through a difficult transition and you need to support them. Guiding wise, the trips are of low distance and you are easily accessible should you need assistance with an issue. Highest I have been paid as a guide. 

PRI does not value their employees input or insight and seems to only care about those in their employment that happen to have Psychology degrees/doctorates. As a woods staff you are responsible for the lives of 6-8 youths who either do not want to be there, are suffering from withdrawls/suicidal thoughts, or both and when you make a suggestion or decision based on what you see while you are dealing with these kids and the situation that is at hand you will be unsupported by their office staff and or told to do something that is not feasible given the location.

I have worked at PRI for over a year and love it there. The students are challenging but rewarding to work with. It takes a little while to get used to the PRI community, but once you understand the system, even behaviour management becomes routine. Nevertheless, PRI has work benefits and an amazing kitchen staff that provides for the community. Management and staff are all amazing and super easy to talk to; always willing to take the time to help others, and the workplace culture is supportive of all.

What is the best part of working at the company?
company has a lot of benefits for the workers

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
not thorough training to prepare you for the job. professionalism is low. lots of gossip

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
lots of gossip and very isolating. not friendly at all

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
babysitting a team and redirecting all questions and discussions about their life to the therapist.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Youth counselor 10 salaries reported	$24.36 per hour
Psychotherapist 2 salaries reported	$87,500 per year
Therapist 1 salary reported	$87,500 per year
Cook 1 salary reported	$20.00 per hour
Nurse 1 salary reported	$67,500 per year

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