I can’t stand my job no more.
I need to vent because I’m genuinely starting to think I’m the crazy one.
On of my coworkers suck.. she’s okay housekeeping—laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc. But when it comes to actually supporting the people we’re there for… it’s exhausting.
I work in a high needs/highly restrictive house. She regularly leaves people with other staff without communicating, which can leave us scrambling to maintain required supervision ratios. She gets into unnecessary power struggles with residents over things that don’t need to become arguments. She’ll tell someone “no” to food, snacks, or drinks even when they have no restrictions. I’ve watched her ignore someone engaging in self-injurious behavior while sitting on her phone instead of providing the supports they’re trained to receive. If another staff member tries to coach or correct her, she either argues or completely shuts down and refuses to speak.
This isn’t a one-time thing. It’s been going on for months.
I’ve documented concerns. I’ve talked to supervisors. I’ve submitted written reports. Nothing changed.
Today my supervisor basically told me to stop bringing up concerns about her. He said she’s not going anywhere, that I need to build a better relationship with her, and that instead of expecting her to change, the rest of us need to accommodate how she works.
I’m sorry… what?
If this was just a personality conflict, I’d get it. I don’t have to like my coworkers. But when I feel like someone’s actions are contributing to behavioral escalations or creating safety concerns, I don’t think the answer is, “Well, everyone else should just work around it.”
At this point I’m honestly updating my résumé and applying elsewhere because I feel completely unheard. Has anyone else worked somewhere that basically said, “We know there’s a problem, but staffing is hard, so deal with it”?
I love being a DSP. I just don’t know how much longer I can keep doing it here.