St Madeleine Sophies Training Center

PLEASE READ

I spent less than a year working at St. Madeleines as a Case Manager for the Adult Development Center Program (ADC). My experience with management was terrible. They will over work and underpay you. They are also very rude and will wrongfully terminate you if you speak up. I worked 2 jobs at once not including my mornings helping at transportation, covering other programs and working at the garden.

I can only speak on the program I worked at, but your loved ones who are mentally and physically disabled who attend the program are NOT safe. This program is supposed to have a ratio of 1:4, meaning 1 staff to 4 people. I have seen them extend up to 1:8 and even more. These are adults who need a lot of extra support (hand over hand, toileting, feeding,etc). They are completely understaffed because they do not support their employees at all and will brush off any concerns that are brought up. I worried every day about the safety of the disabled adults because of the unsafe ratio. ALSO they do NOT work on any of the clients objectives or goals appropriately. I have sat in meetings where I have witnessed managers lie to families saying that they are working on their goals when they do not at all. They do not data collect accurately or practice consistently for the adults to learn these basic skills. Trust me when I say they will put your loved one in front of a tv and leave them there all day. They are so understaffed that your loved one will be sitting in their soiled diapers for an extended amount of time.

PLEASE DO NOT ENROLL YOUR LOVED ONES HERE.
This place is a facade, a big lie. They truly DO NOT CARE about your loved ones. I am talking about management. I truly enjoyed the relationships I made with the adults. They deserve so much more. Please do not enroll your disabled adults here. Please.

My experience with this organization has been wonderful. My brother is a client of theirs; he has been attending the art program for five years now. I have seen my brother evolve in so many ways; he used to be withdrawn and scared to go out. He has higher self-esteem because he now feels like he has a sense of purpose. He is empowered by his art and by the options he is given. He is in a safe environment in which he knows he is understood and accepted. My brother is a person with high-functioning autism and is very aware if anyone treats him in a abusive, discriminatory, or degrading manner. I am saddened that the previous people who posted had such negative experiences, but those experiences are not a reflection of St. Madeleine Sophie's Center as a whole.

Some of the staff are very unprofessional, rude, and offensive. Managers of staff do nothing about the intolerable conduct. Removed my adult child from this program.

Beware for those who plan on putting their disabled household member at this day program. They are all about money! I seen a lot of staff members come and go. Job coaches keep getting changed out without any warning. Same with case managers. I had a hard time knowing who was who. The directors there are emotionally abusive. They will talk down and find ways to intimidate you. The abuse got so bad that they had me see a psychiatrist because they thought I was too mentally unstable to work. When I got a note of approval to return, they still denied the right for me to come back and work. I am on disability because of epilepsy. I am developmentally disabled. I was in their supportive employment program they offered. But this incident was not seizure related. Is that even legal? I already had area board 13 involved because of this. In fact St Madeleine directors laid me off before i could work again. Their excuse was that I was too high functioning for their program. They should have helped me get a job at Goodwill or something. No need though because I already work there and they treat me far better than St Madeleine's did. I feel sorry for the current clients that attend there for some are not as high functioning and they may be being emotionally abused too. No I would not recommend this program. There are better non profits for disabled adults that could help out your special needs household member. I would only give 1 star just because i had to give a rating. If you ask me St Madeleine's deserved 0 stars. Best of luck if you all if you go against my advice. Sincerely a highly disappointed former St Madeleine Sophie's Center client/consumer/ stafff or whatever I was. Too confused to even know my role there.