What's the deal with mental health corporations?

[mypointlesspov]

Hey everyone,

I'm mid-postdoc year and starting to look for jobs; I've been seeing a ton of generic listings for "Psychologist (PhD or PsyD)" that ultimately lead to postings from one large company. The salary and benefits seem too good to be true and I'm very wary about working for any corporations. Does anyone have any experience working for any companies like this? Thanks in advance!

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[beginner2011]

Hey everyone,

I'm mid-postdoc year and starting to look for jobs; I've been seeing a ton of generic listings for "Psychologist (PhD or PsyD)" that ultimately lead to postings from one large company. The salary and benefits seem too good to be true and I'm very wary about working for any corporations. Does anyone have any experience working for any companies like this? Thanks in advance!

I know of at least 1 clinical psychologist who I respect a great deal who went from a research position at a major AMC to a major corporation in industry (not a health services corporation) within the last year. I don't know the details of their current duties or anything beyond the change of employment, though. For whatever that's worth.

 

[Sanman]

I am well aware of several large corporations that hire psychologists (particularly in the LTC/nursing home arena, but other areas as well). Salary and benefits can be decent. The trick is paying attention to the RVU scheme for full-time employees. Salaries are often similar for wildly different expectations. I was offered salaries in the $75-90k range for seeing anywhere from 8-12 patients per day. 8 is doable, 12 not necessarily. Many of these places will take you off salary and benefits and make you a contract worker if you are not meeting RVUs consistently.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I am well aware for of several large corporations that hire psychologists (particularly in the LTC/nursing home arena, but other areas as well). Salary and benefits can be decent. The trick is paying attention to the RVU scheme for full-time employees. Salaries are often similar for wildly different expectations. I was offered salaries in the $75-90k range for seeing anywhere from 8-12 patients per day. 8 is doable, 12 not necessarily. Many of these places will take you off salary and benefits and make you a contract worker if you are not meeting RVUs consistently.

I'm no lawyer or expert in employment law, but the bolded seems to me like it might be kind of illegal, depending perhaps on how other aspects of the job are setup. I don't at all doubt that it happens, though.

 

[erg923]

Hey everyone,

I'm mid-postdoc year and starting to look for jobs; I've been seeing a ton of generic listings for "Psychologist (PhD or PsyD)" that ultimately lead to postings from one large company. The salary and benefits seem too good to be true and I'm very wary about working for any corporations. Does anyone have any experience working for any companies like this? Thanks in advance!

Really??? It looks like pretty entry level stuff (75-80K?), standard insurance and retirement plan (nothing to right home about), many non recognized/not automatic paid holidays, and giant RVU expectations from the ones I've seen.

Are you talking about the explosion of corporations in the past 10 years that offer "a flexible schedule to work in a variety of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in your area TODAY?" If so, those are known, collegially, as "the Medicare factories/exploiters." Probably half of what you do is really necessary or has any significant clinical impact?

I can think of another in my area that isn't this though...compensation is "up to 120K" for a pretty brutal RVU expectation, so I've heard? Mostly therapy...and definitely milking "testing" from what I know.

 

[Sanman]

I'm no lawyer or expert in employment law, but the bolded seems to me like it might be kind of illegal, depending perhaps on how other aspects of the job are setup. I don't at all doubt that it happens, though.

I'm no expert either. However, I have seen them do it. I am sure there is language somewhere as to what constitutes full-time work and my guess this they are arguing that you are not keeping full-time hours.

 

[modestmousktr]

I read this in Jerry Seinfeld’s voice and legitimately thought it was a joke thread before I saw the first post, haha! 🤣