Let’s Talk About Supported Decision Making
Let’s Talk About Supported Decision Making
Let’s Talk About Supported Decision Making
RESOURCE TYPE
Tool/form | Information | Guide
LANGUAGE
English | Spanish
AUDIENCE
Caregivers | Individuals with disabilities | Family members | Advocates
Resource Description
Introduction: This document is a comprehensive guide about Supported Decision-Making (SDM) in Wisconsin. It explains what SDM is, who can use it, and how it works. The guide includes forms, worksheets, and tracking tools to help people set up SDM agreements. It was created to help people with disabilities and aging adults make their own choices while getting help from trusted supporters.
Resource Summary
Content Summary: Supported Decision-Making lets people with disabilities choose trusted helpers while keeping control of their own choices. These helpers, called supporters, can be family, friends, or professionals. Supporters help gather information, explain options, and share decisions with others, but they don't make decisions for the person. The person decides what kind of help they want and who will help them. To start SDM, a person first thinks about what decisions they already make well and where they want help. They pick trusted people as supporters and fill out an agreement form. The form lists what kinds of help they want, like help with health care, housing, money, or other choices. The agreement must be signed by two witnesses or a notary. The law in Wisconsin says SDM is for people who have trouble with daily tasks or communication. This includes people with physical or mental disabilities, aging adults, and people with ongoing health issues. SDM is less limiting than guardianship, which takes away someone's right to make choices. With SDM, people keep their rights and can change or end the agreement when they want. A person can have more than one supporter and can get different kinds of help for different decisions. They can ask for help understanding medical information, managing money, finding housing, or dealing with other life choices. The guide includes a worksheet to help people think about what help they need and who might be good supporters. The agreement form explains what supporters can and can't do. Supporters must keep personal information private and can only help with things the person has agreed to. If a supporter doesn't do their job well or hurts the person, the agreement automatically ends. The guide also includes a tracking form to record who has copies of the agreement.