Supported Decision-Making Service

Supported Decision-Making Service for Persons with Disabilities | Service Model

The Human Rights Center for People with Disabilitis

They should be cognizant of their obligation to regard the person to whom support

is provided as their equal.

b. Interpersonal skills and the ability to create trust:

Support is based on the

supporter's ability to establish a rapport with the supported person that is

based on trust and remains on target. Therefore, supporters should have good

communication and listening skills. In this context, supporter openness to the fact

that people live their lives in different ways and that there are different ways to

pursue goals, should be emphasized. It is also important to emphasize supporters’

ability to stand back, let the process focus on the person receiving the service, and

let them lead it as best they can.

c. Maturity:

The role of the decision-making supporter requires the ability to cope

with complex life situations, tension that may arise between the person and the

community – including the supporter themselves – and with the very participation

in an innovative process, which is not self-evident in Israeli society today. Hence,

the role of supporter requires considerable maturity, and we are therefore of the

opinion that 25 should be established as the minimum age at which a person will

be eligible to act as a supporter.

In conclusion, supporter suitability should be examined first and foremost based on interviews

and personal impression, according to the above guidelines.