5 Red Flags of a Toxic Organization (and how to fix them)
If you want to know how healthy your organization is, don’t just look at compliance reports or satisfaction surveys—listen to what is being said to your DSPs (or, sometimes, not said). Because while mission statements are nice and strategic plans look great on paper, actual workplace culture is shaped by the daily experiences of direct support professionals.
And sometimes…That culture is downright toxic.
Here are five red flags that signal deeper systemic issues in your organization—plus, what you can do to fix them.
1. "Good Luck Out There!" (AKA: Nonexistent Training)
If your onboarding process consists of a rushed tour, a stack of paperwork, and a heartfelt "Good luck!" before tossing a new DSP into the deep end, you’re setting them—and the people they support—up for failure.
DSPs need real training, not just a quick PowerPoint on HIPAA and a promise that "you’ll get the hang of it." Even the best LMS can’t replace hands-on training with real-time feedback. Competency-based training, shadow shifts, and structured mentorship programs aren’t just best practices; they’re essential. The NADSP Competency Areas offer a great framework for setting DSPs up for success.
2. "You Can’t Leave Your Shift." (Because We Have No Backup Plan)
When an organization lacks a solid staffing plan, supervisors resort to guilt-tripping: "If you leave, who will take care of them?" This manipulative approach leads to burnout, resentment, and, ironically, even more turnover.
If shift coverage is a chronic problem, leadership needs to stop treating it like an individual DSP problem and start treating it like a systems problem.
Do you have an effective on-call system?
Are you cross-training staff to increase flexibility?
Are you tracking call-off patterns and proactively addressing coverage gaps?
(Or are you just hoping people will keep pulling double shifts until they pass out in the break room?)
3. "Just Document It This Way…" (Or, "You’re the Only One Who Has an Issue With This.")
If DSPs are being asked to "adjust" documentation to avoid compliance issues, you have bigger problems than just bad paperwork.
When leadership prioritizes looking compliant over actually being compliant, it creates a culture of fear and dishonesty. And when concerns about ethics, safety, or best practices are met with gaslighting—"You’re the only one who has an issue with this"—that’s a fast track to high turnover and (eventually) legal trouble. Plus, even if it’s only happening at one out of fifty group homes, it creates a huge liability for the whole organization.
ALWAYS reward honesty over compliance. Then, work on fixing the compliance issues.
The best ways to do this?
Clear, transparent policies that match actual practices
A reporting system that protects whistleblowers
Leadership that actively listens and acts on concerns
Need help developing a stronger, more ethical approach to quality assurance? Consider pursuing outside accreditation with CQL, COA, or similar organizations.
4. "That’s Just How This Field Is."
Let’s talk about the most toxic phrase in human services: “That’s just how it is.”
Low pay? Long hours? High turnover? Sure, those challenges exist. But good organizations don’t just accept them as inevitable—they fight to make things better.
Organizations that retain DSPs long-term don’t just throw their hands up and say, "Well, burnout is part of the job!" They invest in solutions:
Competitive wages & creative compensation strategies
Employee recognition & reward systems
Career pathways that give DSPs a reason to stay
If the response to workplace issues is "that’s just how it is," the unspoken message is: we don’t care enough to fix it. And that’s not exactly a morale booster.
5. Silence.
Sometimes, the biggest red flag isn’t what’s being said—it’s what’s not being said. If DSPs go months without feedback, recognition, or meaningful communication from leadership, they eventually disengage.
If you’re only having real conversations with staff when they resign, you’ve waited too long.
Fix this by:
Scheduling regular check-ins (not just when there’s a problem)
Creating opportunities for feedback (and actually acting on it)
Publicly recognizing great work (SetWorks has a great article on employee appreciation strategies)
A little effort in communication goes a long way in creating a positive culture.
Fixing a Toxic Culture Starts at the Top
If you recognized some of these red flags in your organization, that’s not a sign to panic—it’s a sign to act. Culture change doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen when leadership makes intentional, consistent efforts to fix broken systems.
DSPs deserve more than just mission statements and empty promises. They deserve workplaces that actually support them. And when you build that kind of culture? Retention improves, quality of care improves, and suddenly, you’re not constantly scrambling to replace burned-out staff.
So, let’s fix it. Contact me to find out how I help organizations like yours lower their turnover by 15% or more in 12 months. Because "that’s just how it is" is never a good enough answer.
