Resource Link

https://acl.gov/programs/consumer-control/supported-decision-making-program

Resource Description

Introduction: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) website explains a program called Supported Decision Making (SDM). SDM helps adults with disabilities and older people make their own choices while getting help from people they trust.

Resource Summary

Introduction: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) website explains a program called Supported Decision Making (SDM). SDM helps adults with disabilities and older people make their own choices while getting help from people they trust. Content Summary: SDM is a way to help people make choices without giving up their rights to someone else. Giving up rights in this way is called guardianship. With SDM, people pick trusted friends or family members to help them make decisions. But they stay in control of their own choices. The program knows that different people need different kinds of help. Some might need help with money choices. Others might need help with health care or housing choices. Some people work best with one helper. Others like having a team. The program can be changed to fit what each person needs. In 2014, ACL created the National Resource Center for Supported Decision Making. This center ran for five years and did many helpful things. They shared info about what works well in SDM. They made training materials and taught many different people about SDM. This included teachers, lawyers, judges, and doctors. They gave money to 16 projects in 14 states to try out SDM ideas. After the first five years, ACL gave three more grants in 2019-2020. Each grant was worth $75,000, making a total of $225,000. The money went to groups in Kansas, Indiana, and Missouri. These groups worked with many partners, like aging agencies, disability rights groups, and people with disabilities. They made plans to help more people use SDM in their states. Two of these groups got extra time to finish their work. The program lasted until September 2021. During this time, they asked many people what they thought about their plans. The goal was to make sure the plans would work well for everyone who might need them. The main point of all this work is to help people keep control of their own lives. ACL believes that everyone should be able to live on their own and be part of their community, no matter their age or disability. SDM is one way to make this happen by giving people the right kind of help. It also lets them make their own choices. People who want to learn more about SDM can visit the National Resource Center for Supported Decision Making's website, which has lots of helpful information and materials that anyone can use.