As people, we all need support to make decisions in our lives. What this support looks like can differ for each of us depending on the type of decision. As part of the Oregon ISP planning process, helping others be informed about their options is one of the most important roles of supporters. This article provides some basic information about supported decision-making so you can help people explore decision-making tools and supports.
In this video a self-advocate discusses the importance of Supported Decision-Making and provides a brief description of what it is. Please note that the free book mentioned at the end is specific for Texas.
In this video a self-advocate discusses how he uses Supported Decision- Making in his life and how these tools have helped him live more independently.
All of us use supported decision-making at some point in our lives. We ask others for help to make both small and big decisions. For example, if someone is faced with making a medical decision, such as deciding to have a surgery or not, people will often seek out advice from others who have gone through similar medical situations. That is an example of supported decision-making. Supported decision-making agreements and tools can be used as a great alternative to guardianship, and even those with a guardian can benefit from using supported decision-making tools.
Over the past several years, Oregon has made significant strides in bringing awareness, education, and movement towards recognizing supported decision-making as an alternative to guardianship. Supported decision-making tools are getting in the hands of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, family members, and other supporters to help them make important decisions. Supported decision-making embodies a set of values that aligns with Oregon’s Office of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS). Although supported decision-making agreements aren’t yet legally recognized in Oregon, they are an option for people to record their wishes and desires and who they determine as a supporter to help them make decisions.
At its core, supported decision-making is about helping people, regardless of ability, make decisions in their life by using supports they already have available. These supports could include technology, community resources, family and friends, or paid supporters. With supported decision-making, the person remains in control of their life and decides what areas they want and don’t want support with.
One tool that works especially well as part of the ISP process is the Exploring Decision-Making Supports Tool from Charting the LifeCourse™. It provides someone with the opportunity to explore what decisions they may need support with. This tool explores the different areas or life domains in a person’s life that they may need support with, including:
- Daily Life and Employment
- Healthy Living
- Social & Spirituality
- Safety & Security
- Community Living
- Advocacy & Engagement
Within each section there are several questions related to that life domain.
You can put a checkmark next to the following options:
- I can decide with no extra support
- I need support with my decision
- I need someone to decide for me
Here is an example of a question from each life domain:
- Daily Life & Employment—Do I plan what my day will look like?
- Healthy Living—Can I make health/medical choices for my day-to-day well-being?
- Social & Spirituality—Do I make choices about what to do and who to spend time with?
- Safety & Security—Do I know who to contact if I feel like I’m in danger, being exploited, or being treated unfairly? (police, attorney, trusted friend)
- Community Living—Do I decide where I live and who I live with?
- Advocacy & Engagement—Do I decide who I want information shared with?
Using this tool, the person decides what level of support they want in different situations. It finds the balance of support that a person is comfortable with while exploring many different situations that we all encounter in life and can be used during or prior to an ISP planning meeting.
Supported decision-making is an important accommodation available to someone who may need additional assistance to gather information, ask questions, evaluate options, or communicate a decision to others. In particular, it can be a great alternative to guardianship, and the tools we’ve shared explore this in further detail. Below are some additional resources if you are interested in exploring more information.
About the Authors
Lindsay joined the Arc Oregon team as an OTAC Trainer in August of 2022. She brings with her 7 years of experience working within the field of disabilities. Most of that time was spent working at a Foster Home providing direct care, and then as a Personal Agent at a Brokerage providing person centered case management. Lindsay is a Charting the LifeCourse Ambassador.
Jennie Heidrick started with the OTAC program in 2009 and has been providing training, consultation, and mentorship services for Oregon’s IDD service system. Jennie is passionate about supporting people with IDD and their families, in addition to collaborating with the teams of people throughout Oregon who are committed to the same goal of protecting people’s rights and ensuring people have access, information and tools to live their best lives. Jennie experiences a chronic pain condition, disability and is a strong advocate for others who experience chronic pain and disability as well.
