Pros
The individuals make this job worthwhile. Good health benefits, very good PTO. Career opportunities are good if you are into that kind of abuse.
Cons
How you see this job depends a great deal on where you work and what your position is. Someone in Mgt is more likely to see DSPs as lazy and money grubbing. A DSP is more likely to see how DSPs are really treated as opposed to the ideal, the written policy. I know many of the RSs and PMs are very overworked and it is stressful. RSs and PMs see the staff who calls off too much. who is shady, doesn't work, steals. They get it from both ends. That is not a reason to throw staff under the bus, belittle, berate or target them. I am a DSP who has worked under many supervisors. My attitude changes with how I am treated but I never forget my coworkers who might be still in a bad situation. Some RSs do their work, try very hard to make sure everyone is treated fairly, get the individuals what they need, when they need it, be it outings or medical care or consistently good well balanced healthy meals.. They speak the way they want to be spoken to and try to run a pleasant respectful house. They made sure I understood my job and actively helped me learn new things. They had both the staffs and the individuals backs when upper management was being unfair. These good RSs don't last. They see how little power they have to change things for the better. I have also worked under the others, the ones who scream at both staff and individuals, not raise their voice, not yell or speak sharply, Scream until the individual is sobbing and staff just wants to quit. But they don't quit, because they want to protect that individual. Do not say report the boss. I have done so and have been told I am a liar by the whole management team. Then I was targeted by the team and had to be 125% perfect just to keep my job. Some houses run out of food continually and the residents share 2 cans of soup between them. With nothing else. For suppers. Some houses don't get medical treatment for their individuals if it is inconvenient for the RS. Some ignore vermin infestations and other safety issues as long as they can get away with it. I have been told to falsify my documentation and got written up for refusing to do so. I have been written up for not doing my bosses work when I wasn't told to do it. Because she brought her baby to work and didn't have time to get work done. I have had items involving my health issues disappear from my file. I have been told that floaters don't need to do any work, but I must do my work and theirs. I have seen things done both against company policy and state regs. I know that some people get away with a lot - it is who you know or kiss up to. I know why the rare bonus checks from the county are late. I too have worked in human services for over 25 years, for 4 different companies, in several positions, 1 being managerial. I can say with 100% honesty that at this job, I only get treated with respect and dignity by those who don't think they are better than me or are not on a power trip.