Supporting Individuals to Live Full Lives Toolkit
Supporting Individuals to Live Full Lives Toolkit
Supporting Individuals to Live Full Lives Toolkit
RESOURCE TYPE
Tool/form
LANGUAGE
English | Spanish
AUDIENCE
Caregivers | Individuals with disabilities | Interprofessional | Advocates | Family members
Resource Description
Introduction: This resource is a toolkit for Supported Decision-Making (SDM). SDM is a way to empower people with disabilities to make their own choices. Choices are made with help from trusted supporters. The booklet was developed by the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities.
Resource Summary
Content Summary: This toolkit is made to give families, people, and professionals information about SDM. It also gives tools to make SDM agreements. SDM is an alternative to guardianship. It lets people stay in charge of their choices while getting help from supporters they trust. Supporters can be family members, friends, or professionals. Their role is to help the person know their options, get information, and say their choices. A SDM agreement is a legal form where the person lists the choices they need help with. It names their chosen supporters. The person remains in control of their choices, and supporters cannot make decisions for them. SDM is helpful for a range of decisions, including healthcare, finances, housing, and education. The toolkit explains how to get started with SDM. This means talking about goals, choosing supporters, and making agreements. It gives worksheets and forms to guide people and their supporters in setting up agreements. The toolkit notes that learning to make choices is a long process. When people make their own choices, they become more independent and sure. SDM can reduce the need for restrictive guardianship, which can take away a person’s rights. The guide tells families how to use SDM instead of guardianship. This could be Powers of Attorney, which allow people to keep control over their lives. In addition to defining SDM, the toolkit gives resources. One example is the Wisconsin SDM agreement form. It gives examples of how SDM works in real life. It gives advice on updating agreements as needed. It highlights that SDM is a flexible, empowering tool that supports individuals. It promotes living full, independent lives while receiving the assistance they need.