The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) released results of their compensation survey of 140 programs, 132 which still provide Therapeutic Staff Support Services (TSS). Responses are summarized in the following four categories:
Hiring and Retention of Staff
- Over 100 providers reported difficulty with recruitment and retention at least occasionally. Seventy-seven providers report current staffing difficulty.
- Common recruitment and retention challenges reported include part-time versus full-time employment, low pay, limited benefits, limited long-term growth, weekend and evening hours, and scheduling difficulties.
Employment Models
- Over 120 providers employ TSS workers as agency staff rather than contract staff. Reported annual wage based compensation ranged from $20,000 – 40,000.
- Hourly rates range from $8.50 – $21 per hour with most rates falling in the mid-teens.
Benefits
- Ninety-eight of 132 providers offer some benefits.
- Fifty-one do not provide health benefits.
- Sixty-four do not provide paid vacation.
- Seventy-two do not provide paid sick leave.
- Sixty-nine do not provide any “other benefits.”
- “Other benefits” listed by 63 providers included retirement, holidays, life and disability insurance, and 401k plans.
- Thirty-four of the 132 providers do not provide any benefits to TSS workers.
Training
- TSS workers are paid for attending both the initial training and ongoing training by 118 providers. Additional providers pay for one training category.
- Pay for training time approaches included payment of regular hourly wage, payment at minimum wage rate, and payment at half the hourly wage.
