Independent Services Network (ISN) is a private Human Services company whose clientele may have developmental disabilities, acquired brain injuries or emotional handicaps, and are served in community-based settings. In other words, an ISN Direct Support Person (DSP) gets them out & about town, where the client can interact with the public, which I personally feel is essential toward enriching the life of the client. You may encounter an ISN client with their DSP in a department store, bookstore, and/or at the public library, amongst other places in the community. Over the past year or so, I have had the unique opportunity to observe these DSPs closely interacting with their clients. As a whole, they do an excellent job. Some DSPs are truly exceptional, earnestly engaged with their clients on a daily basis. This should not be taken lightly. Done right, the job demands a lot. It's definitely not the place to kill time in exchange for a paycheck, nor should it be. I have also gotten familiar with several ISN clients over the same period of time. The first ISN client I met is named H (name withheld for sake of her privacy), who approached me regarding her handmade bracelets. H's sales pitch was quite comical; "Are you married? Do you have a girlfriend? Do you have a daughter, or a mom? Do you have a niece? Do you know any women at all?", delivered in rapid-fire succession. H also likes to share her poetry, often while it's still a work-in-progress, for sake of review & admiration it appears. As I have been most privileged to witness, many of her writings are very good, indeed. Another gal, L, is wheelchair bound due to a host of challenges. Yet, she has found a way to propel herself over to my table for the occasional cameo visit. Despite being non-verbal, L can manage a smile with her eyes. D likes to laugh. B is very pleasant & enjoys being helpful. J can be a tad moody, but there's no mistaking her good moods, which are accompanied by frequent giggle spasms; etc, etc. As a group, they're a pretty good bunch of folks. So, why the low rating for Independent Services Network? It has nothing to do with the aforementioned clients, and/or DSPs. The problem is with management. I was recently approached by a senior DSP, Anne C, with whom I was previously unfamiliar, informing me I could not be giving legal or medical advice to ISN clients. Anne C's clumsy reprimand left me dumbfounded. The "medical advice" turned out to be my flippant resolve for D's complaint of a toothache; a doorknob attached to a string. The joke was obvious to D, who responded in kind with her laugh. The so-called 'legal advice' was equally harmless, and insult to injury, since Anne C had the details of this faux complaint entirely wrong. Fed up with her displaced attack, I promptly dismissed Anne C along with her bogus allegations. I then waited a couple of weeks for the sincere apology I felt was sure to follow, once Anne C came to her senses. Apparently, she never did. So, I wrote the president of ISN, Gus M, corroborating the sequence of events to this sordid tale. He promptly passed the buck to VP, Debbie G, with whom I had to initiate contact several days later. Upshot, I agreed to phone Debbie G to discuss the matter. Unfortunately, that phone conversation didn't go very well. It soon became crystal clear where Debbie G had no intention of doing the right thing. Instead of a simple apology, she was intent on rewriting history. First, Debbie G alleged there were discrepancies over my account, and that of Anne C, regarding our brief encounter. Okay, what are the discrepancies, Debbie? Can't discuss them over the phone, Scott. Then she had the gall to attempt usurping my original email, conjuring that a meeting had taken place prior, with herself and some DSPs who voiced "concerns" over me. What concerns, Debbie? Sorry, Scott, but I can't discuss it over the phone. Huh? Yes, but could I come in to discuss this fabricated topic of dubious veracity with her staff. In other words, would I volunteer to be ambushed? No, my account is in your possession, so I won't be doing that, Debbie. I then promptly terminated the phone call with a simple "We're all done here. Goodbye". Why Debbie G asked that I phone her in the first place remains a mystery to me, since she was unwilling to discuss anything pertinent in that venue. . This experience forced me to make a major correction in my view of Independent Services Network. I was compelled to realize that if any issues should surface while my loved one was in the care of ISN, management would not be inclined to handle the matter honestly. More probable than not, they would try to sweep it under the rug, removing ISN from the path of retribution at all costs. Self-anointed absolution, at any price, is the apparent modus operandi of ISN. Thus, I would encourage anyone to look around before deciding on Independent Services Network as the Human Services provider option for their loved one. read more