South Sound Behavioral Hospital
Specialty hospital in Lacey, WA
From 1 posting and nurse reviews · Employer research Sep 22, 2026Sources
For the South Sound Behavioral Hospital hiring team
3 nurses and nursing students on Nursing Mastery are open to offers and fit your roles.
- Psych1 role · 3 who fit
Is this your hospital?
Claim this pageFree to claim. Check your page, then ask the people who fit to talk.
The short version
If you already know behavioral health, the floor-level camaraderie is the thing staff mention most often, even in reviews that are hard on everything else.
For experienced nursesSources
An LPN posting listed base pay around $31 an hour, giving you a number to anchor against before you negotiate.
If you are moving hereSources
As of 2026-09Source: glassdoor.comPaid time off and employer-paid healthcare options come up as the bright spots in compensation reviews.
For experienced nursesSources
Nursing here
- Scheduling
12-hour shifts noted for night shift mental health technicians; daytime RN and therapist roles also utilized; some staff report irregular schedules and heavy workloads.
South Sound Behavioral Hospital · employer research
Sources
As of 2024-04Source: glassdoor.com
Published pay and benefits
- Hourly pay
$31.00/hr
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) job posting listing on Glassdoor
As of 2026-09
Sources
- Hourly pay
Mental Health Technician (MHT)/Security starting pay range: $24-$26/hr
As of 2026-09
Sources
- Annual pay
Mental Health Program Therapist (Inpatient) salary range: $75,000-$102,000/yr
As of 2026-09
Sources
What nurses say
Themes from public reviews
Summaries of published reviews, with the original sources.
- Staffing and Workload Concerns
- Staff report severe understaffing leading to safety concerns, missed meal breaks, and stressful conditions, though peer camaraderie among floor staff is often praised.
Sources
- Management and Workplace Culture
- Reviewers frequently cite poor communication, rapidly shifting leadership directives, and a lack of organizational support, resulting in overall employee ratings around 2.4/5.
Sources
- Benefits and Compensation
- Paid time off and employer-paid healthcare options receive positive mentions, though base pay competitiveness relative to workload draws mixed reviews.
Sources
The hard parts
Reviewers describe severe understaffing, missed meal breaks, and shifting leadership directives, with overall employee ratings sitting near 2.4 out of 5 — go in asking hard questions about census, breaks, and who backs you up.
Sources
What to ask
- How is base pay set for the role, and which differentials apply?
- Which shifts are open, and what are the weekend, holiday and call rules?
- How long is orientation, and will I have one preceptor?
- What is the usual patient load, and how often do nurses float?
- Which requirements must I meet before applying, and which can wait until after hire?
Living in Lacey, WA
Tucked beside Olympia on Puget Sound’s southern edge, Lacey offers serene shifts framed by Mount Rainier, Long Lake, and Saint Martin’s wooded trails. With living costs about 4% above the national average, nurses enjoy suburban breathing room and swift access to South Sound medical hubs without paying Seattle-area premiums.
Browse roles in Lacey- Metro price level · Lacey area
- 4% above the national average
- BEA index 103.7 (100 = national)
- Median gross rent
- $1,870/mo
- rent and tenant-paid utilities
- Median household income
- $90,625/yr
- all local households, not nurse pay
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · 2024 metro Regional Price Parities · Census ACS 2024
Current openings at South Sound Behavioral Hospital
Want to work here?
The hiring team at South Sound Behavioral Hospital sees your name and profile, never your email or phone.
Sources
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/South-Sound-Behavioral-Hospital-Reviews-E2544583.htm
The short version, Nursing here, What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2026-05
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/South-Sound-Behavioral-Hospital-pay-Reviews-EI_IE2544583.0,31_KH32,35.htm
The short version, Nursing here, What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2026-05
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/Employee-Review-South-Sound-Behavioral-Hospital-E2544583-RVW104164011.htm
The short version, Nursing here, What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2026-05
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Some shifts end with you crying in your car because it all catches up at once. That is allowed. Just say out loud, to someone you trust, that it was a bad one.
Get certified in whatever you keep gravitating toward. After my wound care certification it was like new glasses: I saw what I had not known to look for.