[marmom]

Just wondering whether anyone has worked for Boys Town and can share what it's like. Thanks!

[Calvinist]

It's been a few years, but yes. What are you needing to know? What area would you be working in? It's a big place.

[marmom]

Originally Posted by Calvinist

It's been a few years, but yes. What are you needing to know? What area would you be working in? It's a big place.

Well, my husband is a child/adolescent psychiatrist and I am an occupational therapist, so we are both interested in Boys Town as a potential employer if they even have those positions. The times I've searched their web site neither of those has come up.

We want to know what it's like in terms of the atmosphere. Is it a pleasant place to work? Are the benefits and compensation competitive? Is there a high rate of turnover or do employees tend to stick around? As far as the kids, how long are they typically there? Are the kids really valued and treated ethically and compassionately?

Any answers at all would be helpful. Out of all the potential employers we've researched in Omaha, Boys Town sort of seems the most mysterious. We have not yet contacted them by phone, but other places (e.g. UNMC, Creighton, Immanuel, Children's Hospital), seem to give more of a feeling of transparency on their web sites.

[Calvinist]

Originally Posted by marmom

Well, my husband is a child/adolescent psychiatrist and I am an occupational therapist, so we are both interested in Boys Town as a potential employer if they even have those positions. The times I've searched their web site neither of those has come up.

We want to know what it's like in terms of the atmosphere. Is it a pleasant place to work? Are the benefits and compensation competitive? Is there a high rate of turnover or do employees tend to stick around? As far as the kids, how long are they typically there? Are the kids really valued and treated ethically and compassionately?

Any answers at all would be helpful. Out of all the potential employers we've researched in Omaha, Boys Town sort of seems the most mysterious. We have not yet contacted them by phone, but other places (e.g. UNMC, Creighton, Immanuel, Children's Hospital), seem to give more of a feeling of transparency on their web sites.

The previous guy in charge, Father Val Peter, was all about the youth. He made no bones about the fact that he had their absolute best interest in mind. I honestly don't know anything about the current guy.

I grew up there. My dad was an employee, and we lived on campus. He wasn't in a professional type job that required a degree like you and your husband, but I think he was paid a decent wage for the type of job he did. I don't know enough about the areas you'd work in, but as for treatment of the youth, they really placed a high emphasis on it. My dad had to work with a lot of them and I got to know some, too.

At the time we were there, most of the youth came from disadvantaged homes where they had a single parent, and for whatever reason they just couldn't provide for them. I recall a couple brothers I knew as a kid that had a deadbeat dad and single mother that couldn't care for the 6 kids, so 2 came to BT. Typically, a lot of them come in and stayed several years. There are also girls there, and from what I recall, a high # of them had sexual abuse in their background. I believe that is somewhat true for some of the boys, as well.

All in all, Boys Town was a great place to grow up at as a kid of an employee.

Everything I've heard from others that have worked there is that it's really a pretty decent place.

[marmom]

Originally Posted by Calvinist

The previous guy in charge, Father Val Peter, was all about the youth. He made no bones about the fact that he had their absolute best interest in mind. I honestly don't know anything about the current guy.

I grew up there. My dad was an employee, and we lived on campus. He wasn't in a professional type job that required a degree like you and your husband, but I think he was paid a decent wage for the type of job he did. I don't know enough about the areas you'd work in, but as for treatment of the youth, they really placed a high emphasis on it. My dad had to work with a lot of them and I got to know some, too.

At the time we were there, most of the youth came from disadvantaged homes where they had a single parent, and for whatever reason they just couldn't provide for them. I recall a couple brothers I knew as a kid that had a deadbeat dad and single mother that couldn't care for the 6 kids, so 2 came to BT. Typically, a lot of them come in and stayed several years. There are also girls there, and from what I recall, a high # of them had sexual abuse in their background. I believe that is somewhat true for some of the boys, as well.

All in all, Boys Town was a great place to grow up at as a kid of an employee.

Everything I've heard from others that have worked there is that it's really a pretty decent place.

Wow, what an interesting childhood you had! Thanks for sharing. Glad to hear that the focus is (or at least was) on the best interest of the kids. We'll for sure keep it on the list! The population you describe sounds very similar to what my husband works with. Most of the kids he sees have complex family issues and a lot of trauma. The hardest part is that he has to often send them right back into the lion's den so to speak. Thanks again .