employment specialist

direct support professional

direct service provider

residential coordinator

behavioral specialist

Sample Supports

A typical day often began with last-minute changes to my assigned transport route, leading to delays that staff were then unfairly blamed for. Transportation was frequently unsafe—clients were seated in ways that violated protocol, sometimes resulting in physical injury. Once at the day program, clients would either head out to the community or stay on-site, though due to chronic understaffing and mismanagement, plans were often abandoned. Staff were left scrambling to manage large groups without adequate support or resources, frequently resulting in behavioral escalations.

I learned how to stay calm in crisis situations, communicate effectively under pressure, and advocate fiercely for client safety and dignity. I also came to understand how systemic failures in leadership and training can compromise not only client care but also staff well-being. Most importantly, I learned the limits of what I could change alone—and the importance of walking away when those limits are reached.

Management was dismissive of safety concerns and consistently pressured staff to cut corners, often putting both clients and staff in ethically and legally compromising situations. Attempts to report neglect or unsafe conditions to HR and upper management were met with retaliation, indifference, or gaslighting. Leadership frequently ignored transportation safety protocols and failed to intervene when clients were at risk of harm or serious medical neglect.

The culture was toxic, marked by manipulation, fear, and burnout. There was a clear pattern of silencing staff who advocated for change and promoting underqualified individuals to supervisory roles. Despite this, a strong sense of camaraderie existed among the DSPs, many of whom were new and equally shocked by the conditions. We bonded through our shared commitment to the clients, often supporting each other through long, grueling days.

The hardest part was witnessing avoidable neglect and being forced into situations where I had to choose between following protocol and obeying unethical directives. It was emotionally and physically draining to care so deeply while being unsupported, ignored, or retaliated against for doing the right thing. The risk of violence, burnout, and moral injury was constant.

The clients were the heart of the work. Connecting with them, earning their trust, and supporting them through challenges was incredibly rewarding. I saw their creativity, humor, and resilience every day, and I’m proud of the moments of joy, laughter, and progress we shared. Despite everything, those relationships were a source of deep fulfillment and purpose.

A typical day was complete and utter chaos - while you will fall in love with the clients you care for, you feel compelled to care for them with all you have, however no matter what, you will never get the things you ask for. Your schedule will change on a whim to suit management's will the very moment you show any willingness to help, and they will take SO much advantage of your kindness.
Management makes the company what it is - if management doesn't like you, they will sway your schedule to make your time at work as difficult as possible. Even during active crisis situations, Management has intentionally prevented employees with the proper experience to handle the situation from solving the problem.
The upper management likes to hold meetings and such with individual employees, but never takes action on the requests being made, no matter how simple, and their monthly meetings cover barely anything that is actually needed to be covered (i.e. one of their meetings was all about existing clients and their current behaviors, while we needed information on the several new clients that were starting with us)
On the same subject, communication to those who need it simply doesn't exist. While you will be informed of your schedule changes and changes to who you are caring for, it wont be until the very last possible second. Even worse still, management frequently neglects to inform any employees of new clients, and their protocols. Depending on the shifts that you are involved in, you may not even receive mention that a new client has started. 
Don't even get me started on the policy situation... READ ALL POLICIES BEFORE SIGNING THEM, because they slip little clauses that waive realistic working rights. Under the policy that states you must maintain accuracy in time tracking and payment logistics, that same policy also waives your rights to be affected by Colorado state working laws, specifically your would-be right to take rest and meal breaks... super sketchy. 
On top of that, any possible legal action towards them, or any legal action towards you that would involve them supporting you in court, leads to them finding a reason to terminate your employment. Such has been the case with some of my coworkers.
Overall, while the company pays well, and the clients you work with can make the days you work fun, it is not worth the struggle and the clawing and arguing back and forth with management just so you can find a modicum of workplace balance. For me it was a wonderful experience and a lesson, despite the difficulties, but for anyone without the patience of a brick wall, it simply is not worth the trouble.

I love working with the IDD population and am normally a fan of behavioral work and quick-paced environments that require me to think on my feet. However, Samples has some deeply unethical practices that caused me to burn out ridiculously fast. My first warning sign was their training. Each training session was short, extremely broad, and felt inconsequential as a result. The most alarming part was having someone sign off on my CPI hours when I had received less than half of the required hours for certification. Samples use CPI for holds, which I ended up doing about once or twice a week when I covered shifts in Day Program, so it is absolutely necessary that they correctly train individuals in CPI since improper holds can be lethal. Several things they told me in the beginning that ended up being false: Samples utilizes trauma-informed care, turnover is low because they take such good care of their employees, they "over-communicate" which is part of their success, and they accept all clients in the name of inclusivity. Several clients were re-traumatized due to poor staff training and long shifts that drained staff, sanctuary harm was a big issue, and they looked down upon staff with client trauma who chose to seek medical attention. Turnover was extremely high, which forced me to cover multiple shifts in addition to my full-time position that included responding to crisis calls 24/7 that were routed directly to my personal cell phone; I can't remember one free weekend I had while working for this company, which was partly why I ended up burning out. I also never realized how horrible this "over-communication" was until I realized that everyone in the company knew my every move and were talking about it behind my back, which made for an extremely toxic work culture that made me terrified to make any mistakes because I often heard staff/management talking negatively about other people's work. Samples is also not inclusive to clients and staff, which is unfortunately common with agencies that work with this population. Anyway, this review is long but I just want to caution potential applicants about the most concerning and unethical issues I experienced during my time here. If you do choose to work here, be sure to document issues like the ones I described above so that hopefully management will learn to take more accountability.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The clients brought me a lot of happiness and gratitude. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Management did not set direct support professionals up for success by not following the staff to client ratio (I was frequently with a group of clients larger than the legal limit). I didn’t feel like I was properly trained for many scenarios I faced. For example, when a client would start talking about something inappropriate, I didn’t know how to handle that situation. Management should have planned activities for the clients and had supplies ready but most days, there was nothing on the activity sheet and so I had to quickly come up with a plan for the day which was not part of my job requirements and something I was not paid for. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Chaotic. It felt like there was a huge disconnect between the direct support professionals and management. I was working in a basement with the clients and management/behavioral therapists/etc we’re all above me. It felt isolating and that management was a vague concept and not a helpful entity. I needed more support and organization from that company and they could not provide it. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Check the transport schedule (which company van to use and which clients to pick up) to see if any last minute changes occurred and then text my manager confirming the schedule was accurate. Go to the office, switch from my car to the company van, go to each clients house and pick them up. Then drive back to the office, get the clients inside, check the activity schedule and see if anything was there and if we had the supplies. Either lead the activity if possible or make up my own activity (the second option was the norm). Engage with the clients for the duration of day program. Try my best to have the clients enjoy their time at day program. Get the clients ready to go home, load them in the van, drop them off, drop van off. Go home, enter the clients behaviors into the tracking software.

I worked at Sample Supports for quite some time in a number of positions. Although I absolutely loved the clients and being able to make a positive impact on each of their lives, I struggled with the company values, management, and work-life balance. 

At this organization, there is no such thing as a 40 hour week and there is a lot of work that carries over to home (tracking, incident reports, internal training, emails, etc.). If you are looking for a strictly 40 hour/week job, this is not the place for you. In addition working here is challenging and exhausting, so don't go in expecting it to be your typical 9am-5pm human service position. 

In regards to compensation and benefits, you will be reimbursed for mileage, which is great because some clients live up to 50 minutes away from each other. There are basic health insurance benefits, but there is no retirement plan/fund. In addition, although there is a lot of internal professional development, there is little to no external development and they do not offer assistance in paying for advanced schooling. 

One great thing about this company is that they are growing and there is always room for advancement. This comes with its own issues and "growing pains," however and the turnover rate is pretty high. 

Some managers within this company are great, however, others tend to focus on the end goal (the medicaid $) and billable time much more than their employees or their clients well-being. In addition, they have not proven to be understanding of employee needs and take action that is disciplinary rather than supportive and positively-reinforcing. For a company in the human service field, they do not demonstrate much empathy for the individuals providing and receiving services.  

Overall, I believe this organization has good intentions and many positive qualities, but it is young and still has a lot to learn and a lot of room for improvement.

I worked here for a only a brief time. While initially it sounds like this job is progressive and will have a great work environment it is incredibly toxic. Management is completely unwilling to listen to employees who are desperate for support. There is no formal training process and when mangagment is asked for more specific training, they get combative and accuse the employees of being hostile. I truly don't believe that they understand what good training looks like. An example of this would be that they have so many acronyms. When you ask what it stands for nobody can tell you but they will tell you it doesn't matter because you don't need it for the job. Because of the lack of training, management doesn't know how to do half the things. Documents are often copied from other patients and adapted, but because of the nature of this job, I think that is highly unprofessional. I also have concerns about the way clients are treated. Their needs are often dismissed and when they speak up, employees are told to ignore or redirect. Needs are often represented as behaviors. I would think twice before applying here. I'm not sure if it's better elsewhere because this seems to be pervasive in the industry, but Sample Supports is not a safe work environment and I would be concerned with liability issues if I was an employee.   

The buildings need to be CLEANED! The clients need to have activities that match their needs. They sit around too much and are only controlled, not enriched--especially nonverbal/sensory-seeking clients. Management is completely incompetent and hostile. Supervisors gossip, coworkers are burnt out and trying to survive. Training and programming are not anywhere enough to become proficient in the job in a timely manner. The schedules are always covering crises and not developing program knowledge or skills. DSP is regularly sent to other counties to cover mismanagement issues. Management is disengaged from operations, but opinionated and not without criticism. Safety is ALWAYS an issue; understaffing is a constant problem. Turnover is so high, that only a handful of people have been there longer than a few months--they have accepted toxicity as a norm--and also have little idea how to improve with no means to do so. Everyone is surviving the daily chaos. There is no intention to make things better. "This is how it is, " "That is your job," "They have always been doing it that way," and "Nothing will change"....are all remarks heard from supervisors/management. It was truly sad and traumatizing to watch/participate in this agency operate on a daily basis. Also, watch your back. No person is spared being tossed under the bus--if it aids the supervisor in the facade of competence. Also, you are expected to work beyond your stated working hours (after-hours paperwork, transports, and sometimes commutes you didn't agree to). The work that will make a positive difference is not encouraged or made room for. 

Working with the clients and making an impact in their lives is very meaningful. The company has a great vision, supporting individuals with IDD through individual support plans, treating no client as too difficult. However, the company falls short in regards to how they treat their staff.

Schedules change constantly with no warning. Employees are regularly expected to adapt to sudden schedule changes that happen the day of or during a shift, causing extended shifts. Employees are also expected to frequently work several hours of overtime reaching 45-50 hours a week or more. 

The training was mixed with paid training for medication administration, CPR, and NCVI training. However, after an initial week of online training, the new employees will immediately begin working without shadowing all the positions they are expected to work due to a lack of staffing. New employees may be expected to start working one on one with the highest level of client (level 7) without proper shadowing or training within 2-3 weeks. 

Furthermore, the company places employees in positions they did not apply for, switching around job coaches and direct support professionals without warning or training. Additionally the staff to client ratio places a lot of strain onto employees with one employee being responsible for 12-14 clients at base in Spec Hab or 4-6 clients in a community setting without additional support. 

Working with the clients was wonderful and the reason why most of us became job coaches. I can speak to the fact that many job coaches had degrees in education or field related but felt out skills are not utilized. For example, there are many shift job coaches did not have a client to work with so you would work that shift alone. So that might include closing dish pit or hosting. I didn't get a Bachelors or Masters to be a dishwasher. We had a situation with the washer where the pump would flood the basement for three months we asked upper management to take care of the issue. Finally, after discovering we had been standing in a electrically pool with our clients for three months mopping up the dirty water and taking trips to the laundry mat the issue ( might ) be resolved. We have a high turn over due to lack of communication and disorganization. The lead and manager are great listeners. The staff really knew how to pull together to cover shifts or help with transports etc. When the roof top opens be prepared to work a lot of doubles and overtime. I see a lot of potential for this company. Sample Supports needs to invest in their employees with listening to their schedule request, provide breaks to decrease burn out and insure that the ALL programs are fully staffed before accepted more and more clients.

I worked as a behavior specialist in the Northern Region for Sample Supports 2020. During this time, I experienced many issues with expected billable time, projects that pushed me to work several hours of overtime, and several dangerous situations with clients that could have been avoided with adequate problem solving strategies from management. When I started, I was immediately made aware of the fact that the other two specialists in my position were quitting. During my year of working there I encountered several experiences that quickly burned me out and limited support and problem solving strategies from management. When talking to the other staff, their perception of my role was "The behavior specialists never last long." My experiences are congruent with that statement. I put many, many miles on my vehicle, and as stated before, the "talk therapy" approach does not work with individuals who have severe issues. This company needs to provide better work/life balance and adequate problem solving solutions for their high intensity clients. 

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