MHAAO Honored As an Award-Winning Workplace!

MHAAO was honored to receive the Oregonian's Appreciation Award, and to be ranked 3rd best small employers on their list of Top Workplaces! MHAAO was also ranked 7th on Oregon Business's 100 Best Nonprofits to Work For list for medium-sized organizations. MHAAO received these accolades based on employee surveys conducted by third parties. Oh yeah, and … we’re hiring!

Below, a few of MHAAO’s staff share what they love about working for MHAAO:

Leadership Team-

Janie Gullickson, MHAAO’s Executive Director shared how she helps promote a culture of appreciation at MHAAO:

“Here at MHAAO we have a strong commitment to fostering a culture that supports people's professional development goals. Employee satisfaction and retention is important and a vital part of that satisfaction is to support the career goals and dreams of staff whether that is with MHAAO or somewhere else.

We support staff to bring their best selves to their current position at MHAAO while working on their knowledge, skills and abilities that will carry them into a successful future.”   

Jessica Carroll, MHAAO’s Pathway Home Director, shared how she has watched the organization’s commitment to paying a living wage influence other peer-run organizations:

I have watched the fiscal policies of MHAAO affect other Peer Support Jobs. When I started working here back in 2014, we made 15 bucks an hour because we were going to make a living wage and that has been built into every contract, every grant, every program. There are some other peer run organizations who have had to step up and pay their people more because we do. We get the best peers because when you pay well you get better employees.

Terry Leckron-Myers, EVOLVE Peer Delivered Services Director, shared about how passionate the people are and how the organization is driven by its core values:

I love how MHAAO is so intentional, and it feels like everybody I meet here has an actual fire inside their soul to want to see people recover. It’s not just a job. The vision of MHAAO is passion-driven and matches and connects with people from all sorts of backgrounds. It’s growing fast, but it feels like we are all rowing in the same direction, driven by our core values.

Peer Support Staff-

Elmer Morris, EVOLVE Program Manager for Multnomah County Mental Health Diversion Courts and Clackamas County Older Adult, shared how MHAAO has been committed to his career advancement and to cultivating a supportive work environment, driven by peer values:

This work is reciprocal, because you are giving peer support to your own peers, but then there is also the organization which is actually giving you peer support too, which is great to have that support from your coworkers.

I don’t even feel like it’s been [four] years here because I like the position that I’m in. I asked for education around being in a leadership role, and I got it, which lets me know that my voice is heard within this organization.

Grace Jo, EVOLVE Peer Support Specialist for Clackamas Opioid Overdose Survivor Program shared that she has been supported in pursuing her career goals:

“It means the world to me that MHAAO truly honors professional development. The MHAAO team and community partners made it work for me to go to school for my CADC1 one day a week.

There is an energy, love and care here that I have not experienced anywhere else. They truly care about your eight dimensions of wellness as an employee. It’s like family.”

Tara Prince, EVOLVE Peer Support Specialist for Multnomah County Jail, shared that she loved her collaborative working relationship with her manager:

“One of the best things I've learned working at MHAAO is my voice is valuable! My supervisor Sean M. and I talk 3-5x a day. We share resources, talk about what is working and what's not, and he always asks me how I'm feeling about my job and how I'm doing with self care. MHAAO not only cares about the people that we work with, they care about their employees as well!”

Morgan Simon, EVOLVE Peer Support Specialist for Kaiser Project Nurture, shared how she feels supported no matter what, and loves what she gets to do for work:

“I have never felt so supported by an organization. It’s nice to know that I’m supported no matter what, both when things are going really well, or when things are really challenging. What I love most is working with my peers, getting to build that connection, and helping them. Most of the time, I don’t even feel like it’s work!”