Making decisions for your future
It can be hard making decisions alone, whether or not you have a disability. These choices could be about where to live, where to work, how to spend your time during the day, how to spend your money, medicine, doctor’s visits or other things. Everyone is different. The way you get support might be right for you but wrong for someone else.
In Rhode Island, there is a procedure for an individual with a disability to designate one or more persons to assist with making important life decisions. Supported Decision Making (SDM) is an alternative to guardianship and provides a person the ability to retain their decision making rights while receiving supports to make decisions.
Understanding Supported Decision-Making
The purpose of the website is to help you understand about Supported Decision Making.
On this site, Supported Decision Making (SDM) refers to the idea that a person has the right to make decisions to the full extent of their capacity, even as they get needed support. In Rhode Island, a person has a legal right to appoint a person or persons to help them make decisions.
On this website you will find information on decision-making and Supported Decision Making (SDM) as an alternative to guardianship.
A Good Place to Start
One of the best ways to start exploring decision making supports is by using the YOU DECIDE tool Book. This tool book will explain what Supportive Decision Making (SDM) is, and how a person can determine how to use SDM to support their personal decisions.
This website and the YOU DECIDE tool book were developed by the Regional Resource Center at Sargent Center, Warwick, Rhode Island.