Supported decision-making

Peer networks can help people understand their choices and make decisions for themselves.  Sometimes it can be useful to have a conversation about what it means to make a decision. 

This is important because sometimes a person living with disability may have someone else making the decisions for them, maybe a family member or a professional person.

The problem with that is that sometimes it can mean the person doesn’t always have a choice about what they want.

Here is how peer networks can talk about this, including something called supported decision-making.

Using your peer network meeting to talk about supported decision-making

Sometimes abbreviated to SDM, supported decision-making is a way of supporting a person to make decisions without that person losing ownership of their decisions.

A peer network can have a good conversation about decision-making, and there is much people can share.  Here is a sample list of questions that could be used to run a conversation about decision-making.

  •  Why is it important to each of us that we make our own decisions?
  •  Some people living with disability may need help to make decisions. Do we think this means they have to give up being a decision maker and making their own choices?
  •  (For family members) what are the challenges in being the decision maker/Guardian for your adult son or daughter? Is it possible to make decisions for your adult son or daughter without including your own emotions and views?
  •  People often turn to friends and other trusted people to help them when they are thinking about a decision. Could this happen if someone has a Guardian?

Useful links and resources

The Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) has a good summary of Supported Decision Making, and links it to the NDIS and to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: https://www.dana.org.au/

The Centre for Public Representation in America is a national legal advocacy centre for people with disabilities and it has a website dedicated to supported decision making.  The website has lots of good information and stories. You can find it here

The information on this page is also available as a downloadable Quick Guide, by clicking below. There are.pdf and word versions.