What does it really take to build services that last—not just through the next budget cycle, but for the next decade?

In this conversation, host Nate Beers sits down with Tim Sohosky from RCPA to talk about the long game in disability services: how change actually happens, why efficiency alone isn’t enough, and what leaders need to pay attention to now if they want their organizations—and their people—to thrive long-term. This is Part 2 of their conversation.

They explore:

• How advocacy moves from frustration to real system change
• Why outcomes matter more than ever (and what we’re measuring wrong)
• The hidden strain leaders feel when innovation collides with regulation
• What sustainable leadership looks like five to ten years out
• How building a bench of future leaders protects everything you’re working toward

This episode isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about perspective, patience, and making decisions today that future leaders—and the people you support—will thank you for.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Why leadership isolation is a real challenge in this field
01:03 – Why hearing what other providers face actually matters
02:36 – How RCPA collaborates with other associations
06:34 – How a single provider concern becomes an advocacy priority
09:32 – Why advocacy takes time—and why it still matters
10:23 – The constant tension between efficiency and regulation
14:59 – Why outcomes matter more than incident-free care
20:32 – Innovations that are actually helping providers right now
26:07 – Building future leaders before you need them
32:24 – Looking 5–10 years ahead: risks, opportunities, and the long game
36:34 – Final reflections on leadership and sustainability

Learn more about RCPA:
👉 https://www.rcpa.org

Do your frontline supervisors sometimes unintentionally contribute to staff turnover? I know how it feels... Most supervisors were never trained to lead. Get The 7 Quiet Danger Signs Your Supervisors Are Burning Out Their Teams and learn how high-retention agencies spot — and fix — these issues fast. https://iddleader.com/burnout

In today’s episode, podcast host, Nate Beers, sits down with Tim Sohosky, IDD Director at RCPA (Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association), to uncover one of the most overlooked advantages available to leaders in the IDD field: your provider association.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re leading in isolation, drowning in vacancies, or constantly reacting to new regulations—you’re not alone. And you don’t have to keep going solo. Tim shares insider insights on how high-performing leaders stay ahead of staffing challenges, influence policy before it hits their agencies, and tap into resources that make their jobs easier (and their teams stronger).

This is part one of a two-part conversation loaded with practical wisdom and real-world leadership moves you can use immediately.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:
RCPA Website: https://www.rcpa.org

“7 Quiet Danger Signs Your Supervisors Are Burning Out Their Teams” (Free PDF): https://iddleader.com/burnout

00:00 – The surprising truth: some agencies are winning the staffing battle
01:10 – Nate’s “doorstop” story and the theme of overlooked resources
03:09 – If you became CEO today: Tim’s first 3 moves to stabilize staffing
07:22 – Tim’s background from DSP to COO to statewide association leader
11:04 – What provider associations actually do (and why leaders need them)
15:27 – Managed care, performance-based contracting, and how leaders can stay ahead
18:54 – Biggest lessons learned from PA’s rollout—and what leaders in other states should do now
23:37 – Why some organizations thrive while others drown (and the leadership behaviors that set them apart)
30:05 – Game-changing recruitment strategies and the power of authentic communication
34:48 – Why formal DSP recognition matters (and how legislation could reshape the field)
35:55 – Nate’s Action Move: Why leaders must ask for help (and where to start)

Do your frontline supervisors sometimes unintentionally contribute to staff turnover? I know how it feels... Most supervisors were never trained to lead. Get The 7 Quiet Danger Signs Your Supervisors Are Burning Out Their Teams and learn how high-retention agencies spot — and fix — these issues fast. https://iddleader.com/burnout

Supervisors rarely intend to burn out their teams—but the early warning signs are easy to miss until turnover, drama, and exhaustion take over. In today’s episode, Nate breaks down The 7 Quiet Danger Signs Your Supervisors Are Burning Out Their Teams and what agency leaders can do to stop the cycle.

These subtle patterns show up long before resignations do—and once you see them, you can’t unsee them. Most importantly: they are fixable with better coaching, clearer expectations, and healthier leadership habits.

If your teams feel stretched thin, inconsistent, or stuck in “burn-over,” this episode will help you quickly diagnose what’s happening underneath the surface.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Why burnout isn’t an individual weakness
01:08 – Holiday story & how unclear norms fuel staff burnout
08:18 – Danger Sign #1: Staff learn expectations through gossip
10:13 – Danger Sign #2: Supervisors go days without 1:1 connection
12:37 – Danger Sign #3: New staff hardly see their supervisor in the first 72 hours
14:03 – Danger Sign #4: Supervisors say they’re “too busy” to coach
16:27 – Danger Sign #5: Supervisors avoid conflict until it explodes
20:16 – Danger Sign #6: Supervisors celebrate completion, not progress
23:22 – Danger Sign #7: Supervisors assume burnout is personal resilience—not workload or leadership
27:02 – Action moves & free resource: The 7 Quiet Danger Signs Tool

Download the free tool: https://iddleader.com/burnout
Learn about the Leadership Lab: https://iddleader.com/leadership

Referenced Episode
Episode 35 – "The 3-Sentence Script for Any Tough Employee Conversation"

Do your frontline supervisors sometimes unintentionally contribute to staff turnover? I know how it feels... Most supervisors were never trained to lead. Get The 7 Quiet Danger Signs Your Supervisors Are Burning Out Their Teams and learn how high-retention agencies spot — and fix — these issues fast. https://iddleader.com/burnout