direct support professional

program specialist

community director

behavioral specialist

assistant director

Person Directed Supports, Inc.

On the average P.D.S. was a very stressful but at same time enjoyable job filled with a total learning experience each and everyday both for yourself and the individuals we cared for. The shift I worked required you to assist the individuals with everyday living skills(social,hygiene,personal,work environment if applicable etc)and to take the individuals out for the day and or to any scheduled Dr.Appts.,Counceling/Theropy Sessions etc,Shopping,Volunteer Work,and if applicable to and from work and if required assisted during work as well. I was responsible for making sure that I was fully aware of the individuals situation and condition and all of the possible triggers for behavior both good and bad for them and the cooping skills used and needed to be put into play is needed,also what meds they were on and times to be taken and how much dosage of each med as well,I was responsible for their safety and well being and making sure if the individuals required a special diet for medical reasons or weight control that it was followed accordingly and all of their needs and commitments were fullfilled as well.I learned that this particular job was very difficult when it came to not allowing yourself to look at it as 'A PAYCHECK" Only job and honestly this particular job needs employees who also make it more then just a job to them,this job without a doubt is for someone with compassion and a strong desired will to assist the Mentally Challenged and Special Needs Individuals and the hardest part personally was once getting to know each individual and being able to communicate in their way and learning what each facial expression or body language sign meant from each one and upon shift change and seeing that some staff was not indeed compassionate and in noway consoling etc and having to leave them knowing they didnt care for that staff now coming on duty. It is impossible not to care and not to become emotional and learn to care about what seems to mean all it does to them and to understand them and their frustrations when they are limited to their communication capabilities etc. The Most Enjoyable part of that job to me was the Completeness I felt at the end of each day knowing I was able to help in that individuals day to follow through with what they needed,to and that During my shift i was able to make them smile,keep them safe and assist them and most of all the fact that i helped someone in their life.

BEWARE of Allentown PDS Company!!
I worked for this company for almost a year only because, I love the two clients, I had cared for at this company. I also worked with a great group of woman. If it wasn't for these two things I would of left within the first week of bein hired. Each home is given a Ad which is a huge Joke except there is Nothing funny about the way these house managers get away with treating the regular staff like disposable Garbage! They manipulate the staff when trying to report things that are happening in the home, so much that staff are afraid to speak up. The company has this saying (See something say something). I think they use that to look good to the State because they don't run the company in a proffesional matter. They have trainings for new staff every two weeks which I personally have never seen and I have been in the medical field for 10 + yrs. This says a whole lot about the company within it's self. If you have children and a family you care for do Not!!! I repeat Do Not take this job! The only children and situations that matter are of the people who work in the office and who are close with this family owned buisness. I honestly Believe that the family who owns this buisness has No Clue that the people he is trusting in management positions who deal directly with the caregivers  and clients are the one's who bring his company down and give it a rotten taste in people's mouths! If they would take the time to really investigate not only the caregivers but the management. I think they would be disgusted with all that is happening. If the family who owns this company would really care for the client's and the workers and Not just about the $$ they would understand why they have so many lawsuits and such a large turn over rate, why great staff leaves, who and what kind of management are you really putting in positions of power that could potentially put these poor clients lives in danger! Sad company with all the potential to be much better!!!🤔

Lasted 5 months. Upper management does not care about you, your individual, or anything as long as a body is available. You can work a 16 hour shift. And the moment you clock out is 4 hours “free” time then be forced to work again. If you are an AD… you will be on call. And you will get questioned/called out on or even written up if you do not respond to the thread within 30 minutes. They will say things like where are the others? Why is no one responding, even if you are in ratio and are currently working. All the time. There is hardly any supplies in the house, and when asked for more supplies you are being questioned constantly and have a limit. You have to use your own personal vehicle if the individual does not have their own car for the house. You will get stuck on multiple times without someone to relief your shift hours on ends. You can request PTO that you have but still get denied. If you get hired and have already planned PTO that was approved, it will be questioned. There will be times where you were promised PTO and yet you still will be called on personal phone during that time. If you are sick you must get a doctors note and it must include your name, where you were seen (can’t be a video visit), and the date. I was in meetings there they were talking about calling the place you were seen at to make sure it was a legit note. If you do not have a note when you call out sick, you will be written up. You will be written up for something so small.  Staff will not use the on call list and call you personally on days off. Nothing gets communicated correctly and appropriately. You basically train yourself on the job. The worst part? The individuals/clients are not even that bad. It’s the staff that rotate consistently over and over and over that were bad. It’s so bad the owners and their daughter have made google reviews about their own company. I wouldn’t trust them to take care of my fish let alone a human. And don’t even get me started on holidays. 

I've only worked for PDS for less than 90 days and I already put in my 2 weeks notice.  I am an Assistant Director of community homes. I should have known During training when I was warned and laughed at by the support staff that I was a new AD. There are no days off unless you have PTO, which they can deny so you can't take off even if you put it in, ahead of  time. You will not be off unless you have in pto so you will be expected To work everyday. There are no designated days off. If your not on PTO you are working. Be prepared to work holidays/weekends, all of them. Working 16 hour days is the norm.   You are on call 24/7, even when you are suppose to be off they still expect you to be available whenever they want you to be. The rules are manipulated to the benefit of the upper management. 
My support staff were all amazing as well and the individuals in the homes.  

You never have time for self care and you are expected to be at there beck and call. In the less than 3 months I worked there I have had 5 days off which were not actually off because I was consistently being called or texted. 

They pay is not worth it..... and honestly  the pay is only good because of the amount of overtime you are required to work. And it is required, if you don't they will write you up. Be prepared to work 60+ hours weekly. Sickness or family emergency doesn't matter if they want you there, you are expected to drop everything and be there. People have had to leave their kids at daycare and cys was called because they didn't pick up their children and PDS refused to let the staff leave on time to get their child. You never leave when your shift is suppose to end. 

AD's are used as fill in when staff call off and are still suppose to maintain the house regulations. 

Please work some where else if you can. It's a good job if you can work 20 hours a day and don't care about your personal life.

This was the most difficult workplace I’ve ever experienced. There is no work–life balance. Staff are expected to check their work phones every 15 minutes after hours and on weekends, even when not on call.
Leadership hires people into large roles but then micromanages every task and questions your authority to do the job you were hired for.

Training and support are almost nonexistent. Asking questions is discouraged, and you may be reprimanded for seeking clarification. Although the organization claims to be person-centered, staff are scolded for prioritizing individuals over answering messages or attending meetings.

Decision-making often focuses on minor issues rather than the larger needs of the individuals being supported. Staff are frequently suspended or written up for very small matters, while favoritism is clear at multiple levels. 

Leadership communication tends to highlight only what is wrong, never what is going well, and advocating for what’s best can lead to your words being twisted.

Message for leadership:
Please focus on staff morale and the issues that truly matter. Be open to change and stop reinforcing a “we are not changing” culture. Allow leaders you hire to actually lead. Provide proper training at all levels, treat staff with respect, and avoid intimidation or talking down to employees. Recognize positive work, not just mistakes. A healthier culture will ultimately benefit both staff and the individuals being supported.

Steer clear from this company. They may advertise a higher than usual amount of money but... once you see how the working environment is, and how disorganized their corporate team is, and frankly how uneducated too.. you'll see why they try and lure new staff in with a slightly higher salary. Pass them by. Its NOT worth the money. Their insurance benefits are expensive, you never know your chain of command since they switch and/or terminate Assistant Directors frequently, the company vehicles are in terrible condition, inaccurate information in client's ISP's (which they claim are "updated."), time off requests are either ignored or denied (even if completed in advance as per protocol.), staff are habitually late (more than 15 mins each time,) when coming in for the next shift.. without any disciplinary action being taken to correct the issue. Even PDS's front desk receptionist, who is the person responsible for greeting visitors, was rude! Once again, steer clear of this "company." If you do happen to take a job here, my best advice would be.. proceed with caution, and definitely put a time limit on your length of employment. This is a company where bad behavior seems to be rewarded. Worry about securing your future and dont jeopardize it by working here for a few extra bucks.

The most frustrating part of this job was watching leadership make decisions from an office while expecting frontline staff and supervisors to absorb the consequences. Work-life balance was virtually nonexistent. Time off was difficult to protect, expectations were unreasonable, and the message often felt clear: coverage mattered more than the wellbeing of employees.

The people supported by the organization deserved better, and so did the DSPs, shift managers, and house managers who worked tirelessly every day. Unfortunately, those employees were frequently stretched beyond what was sustainable.

This could be a great organization because there are genuinely caring staff throughout the system. The problem, in my experience, was leadership. Morale was low, turnover was high, and many employees seemed exhausted. Rather than addressing underlying problems, the focus often appeared to be on simply keeping positions filled and shifts covered.

I left feeling burned out, unsupported, and disappointed by what I witnessed.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Working with individuals with disabilities and making a difference in their lives.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Too much work and not enough people to do it all. Managers/administrators who don't do their jobs and aren't held accountable, which causes other people to have to pick up their slack and do even more work on top of their own. 
No boundaries for work duties for some people. While some people slack off and get away with it for months and years, other people are expected to constantly go above and beyond their own job duties on a daily basis. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Stressful, toxic, chaotic, disorganized. There is very little structure and hardly any oversight. No one is really supervising, directing, guiding, mentoring etc. 

There are too many people who are completely unqualified for their positions being put in positions of authority and no one really mentoring or supervising them. 

Bizarre relationships in this company also cause a lot of resentment and toxicity. The conflicts of interests on so many levels are absolutely shocking.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Chaotic, disorganized, stressful, toxic. Overwhelming incompetence abounds.

mismanagement, poor culture, lack of communication and transparency, ethical concerns and poor leadership. Inappropriate interpersonal and romantic relationships. Culture is unprofessional. Office is outdated. Lack of supplies.  Management does not provide employees with proper training or leadership development. People are worked nonstop and they claim that you have days off and vacation but the reality is that they will not approve vacation and expect you to still work on it as well as are expected to work nonstop. No boundaries. The mission is great and the individuals we served were great. Executive team is very hypocritical. Executive team micromanages, does not have adequate experience,  is emotionally immature and has a severe lack professionalism and appreciation for the people that work here. Human Resources is used as a tool to discipline and write people up and fire them. Scare tactics and guilt trips are constantly used and team members are taken advantage of. There are a few great people, but they are overworked. Very toxic company culture. The worst place I have ever worked by far. This is an example of how not to run a non profit. 

Duties include an absurdly long itemized list that no single person could ever complete. On top of that crushing workload, attendance at every staff meeting is mandatory even when management drones on about topics that have nothing to do with us. Time is wasted while mountains of work sit unfinished. Hours are constantly extended not once or twice but every single day. The work has turned harsh and completely exhausting, and attempts to speak with management about improving conditions only add more strain. Even when concerns are raised during meetings, responses are met with silence as if no one spoke at all. Being treated like air is infuriating and unacceptable. Despite endless meetings, communication remains broken because it only flows in one direction. Management actively shuts down voices instead of allowing honest discussion. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Direct support professional 44 salaries reported	$21.40 per hour
Program specialist 6 salaries reported	$28.00 per hour
Community director 4 salaries reported	$62,500 per year
Behavioral specialist 10 salaries reported	$67,250 per year
Assistant director 2 salaries reported	$23.20 per hour

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