disability support worker

Saskatchewan Alternative Initiatives

the company has a well standpoint on inclusivity with the individuals who live there and you can find yourself bonding with them and having grewt relationships, spending time with each person gives and helping them through life’s challenges is something I love doing. Often times the team and co-supports you are working with can sometimes be difficult when personalities clash but would set those aside and always prioritize the individuals at all times. Communication with the teams can be hard if you want to do certain tasks but other people begin to do them and makes you look bad.

A lot of the time you will be burnt out quickly and easily with the stress of the individuals and the times you will be required to switch between 12 hr nights and then transition into days and then nights again. Hours can be incredibly inconsistent so if you had a day scheduled off the schedule can change within a weeks notice so having personal plans or appointments is extremely difficult. 

They prioritize the individuals (as they should) but do not seem to prioritize their employees as such;
 they offer mental health support for their employees but it seems to be the opposite and will make you feel bad for calling in sick. Often you will be told to show up with a flu/cold and “just wear a mask”  and will make you feel shamed for it. 

Often using our own vehicles and gas is alright but you only get paid a certain amount of kilometres for gas per individual as well as using your own money to pay for things during outings (ex: swimming, bowling, arcades) 

I love supporting and I truly cherish the bonds I have with the individuals I work with.

The going from 12hr nights to 12hr days ways in you after a while.  You are often expected to use your own money, and gas for free.  You have expense forms to be reimbursed.  But you are rarely fully reimbursed, and your reimbursement is taxed.  You will also be emotionally manipulated into certain tasks such as out of town overnight outings where you will not be paid for the entirety of your time. You will be expected to spend your own money of certain things.  And, when you don't want to spend your own money they will say things like, "but don't you care about the individuals?".  Coordinator team is full of people who have essentially failed upwards, and work life balance is non-existent. If you want to be apart of a club or league good luck.  You will never be able for it into your schedule.  If anything of yours in damaged by individuals your on your own. If you are injured by any of the individuals you're on your own. Good luck.

SAI Can be the most amazing place to work at. I myself had amazing relationships with team memebers and the people I supported. The office is a friendly place as well! But this is all in who you know....

The office folks talk heavily about others - supports and team leaders to the point of where it's borderline bullying.  It's disheartening to hear the people you are suppose to look up to talk to poorly of others. It is a very toxic environment. That office could use a major overhaul! 

The burn out at SAI is insane. There is a lot of people thay require a lot of support so it's hard to keep supports and there is a very high turnover rates(you see them constantly looking for employees on here) so that can be frustrating on the individuals and on the teams. 

Individuals are number one, which,l rightly so, but there needs to be more support for supports. 

Sai is a place that I loved to work but it's because of who I am as a person. I think otherwise it's a hard place to work and feel accepted. 



My team's management was very poor in dealing with confrontation and conflict, as well as inconsistent with communication from changes to the schedule and to your future hours.

Every team will be different at each house, however.

They often promote people who aren't good at management but are good caregivers. Say what you will but this lead to an overall poor job experience.

I've been employed with SAI for 8 years.  They pride themselves on promoting from within, so many people who started as a support have moved up to management positions.  They all care deeply about the individuals we support and have a very strong sense of community.  The support work itself can be stressful, but employees are able to vent issues and look for creative solutions with management and team members.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The connections you make and the people you get to interact with 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
It really isn’t very stressful

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It’s like working within a community 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
open the office, interact with individuals as they come in and out of the office for activities. File paperwork, answer phones and help out where needed

I have had the pleasure of working for SAI for almost two years now. The people are wonderful, the individuals are wonderful and my co-supports are wonderful. 
Work life balance can be a challenge though. Most days it feels like I am never really not on-call and some days are much more stressful than others. Short shifts can be a challenge, especially if you are hoping for full-time hours. A lot of weeks I find myself working six or seven days.

The pay scale is fair and management is truly caring.

The work itself (supporting adults with mental disabilities) is inherently unpredictable and stressful. There will be great days where everyone is happy, and there will be days where simply showing up means you get physically assaulted.
The management is great, unless you are capable of thinking for yourself - they don't like that.

Depending on the position the support work can be drastically different. Some individuals cohabitate and have multiple support workers at a time, others live alone and get 1:1. You need to be a self-starter and some individuals require a lot of motivation. It always comes down to building strong relationships and honoring them. 

Some teams typically need to fill certain times, often overnights and weekends. But others can be flexible.

It’s a wonderful place to work. We work as family and with the team lead always ready to provide needed support. Good management and good team work. There is culture of inclusiveness and family oriented work culture where you will always have a say in the management decision. I feel welcome and appreciated.

Working at Saskatchewan Alternative Initiatives: company overview and reviews

Saskatchewan Alternative Initiatives

Saskatchewan Alternative Initiatives ratings

Popular jobs at Saskatchewan Alternative Initiatives

Salary satisfaction

Job seeker tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected