Supported Decision-Making Service

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

The Human Rights Center for People with Disabilitis

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Identifying and distinguishing betweenmatters on which the participant already effectively

makes decisions independently, areas in which he or she is involved in the decision and

areas in which someone else makes the decision for the participant.

One way to help participants understand the different concepts and stages of decision making

is to name concepts like: making a decision, will, initiative and choice during the ongoing

meetings between participants and supporters.

Social aspects in the connection between the supporter and the supported person

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Training supporters how to manage and end the social-emotion connection they develop

with the supported person.

Exploring limits and abilities

– It is recommended to ensure that supporters are able to

implement the approach of the supported decision making model, according to which the

supported person’s journey of discovering his or her personal abilities has to be made as a

process of searching, trying and personally coping with failure and success. Adopting this

approach is a challenge for some supporters as well.

7. Strengthening family support for persons with disabilities

– It is recommended to conduct

in-depth inquiries into the needs of family members in the context of advancing persons with

disabilities, exploring what needs can be met using the model, and define meetings with family

members as an inseparable part of the model – an element that directly contributes to achieving the

goal of independent decision making, and sometimes even to the removal of guardianship.