Pros
- Many staff members are highly experienced and bring a depth of knowledge to their roles. - The mission of the organization in elevating young people’s voices in mental health is very important, though in my view, the organization is not delivering on its mission.
Cons
- Very few staff, if any, have formal mental health training (i.e. beyond Mental Health First Aid) but are creating and disseminating youth mental health materials. - Youth voices are sometimes used to guide programs; however, youth do not lead the organizational mission and mandate. - The work culture at Jack.org was oppressive and harmful to my own mental health. - Decision making was held solely by the Senior Management Team, who do not reflect the communities Jack.org serves. - Hiring and internal promotion practices were not transparent with no policies available for staff. Nepotism (i.e. senior management hiring direct family members) and favouritism was demonstrated in recent hires and promotions. - Resources for marketing and communications are disproportionate to resources for the work with young people. BIPOC youth and staff are tokenized within marketing and communications materials. - Senior management relied on a high turnover of entry-level positions to maintain the status quo and hiring new professionals as they are deemed more ‘gullible’ (i.e. they will buy-in to the organizational culture and accept lower wages for the privilege to work with a mission-driven organization). I would not recommend working for Jack.org, especially in any entry-level positions.