In May and June 2019, the Commission on Law and Aging convened advocates, experts, and policymakers in disabilities and aging to discuss decision supports for individuals across the age spectrum and to explore areas of consensus about supporting decision-making for all adults. Participants in the two forums, held in Washington, DC, agreed on some points…
DetailsThis2019 report, prepared for the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law, discusses legal reforms undertaken by states from around the world in the area of legal capacity and supported decision-making. This report attempts to provide an overview of the substantive content of several recent legislative reforms in this field. For each jurisdiction discussed, the report will…
DetailsPell SDMNY Report (2019) In August 2019, Elizabeth Pell concluded her evaluation report on the Supported Decision-Making New York (SDMNY) project’s New York City pilot program site. The evaluation was guided by four key research questions: 1) What concerns or advice led family members of people with IDD to consider or become a guardian?…
DetailsThis paper looks at SSA’s statutory authority, the selection process for rep payees and the different responsibilities of rep payees in SSI and in SSA’s other programs. It also provides an overview of the make-up of the current SSI rep payee program for adult beneficiaries. Although there are troubling issues in the SSI children’s program,…
DetailsThis report is organized into five parts listed below; it responds to the call for change by providing short-term recommendations which the board believes will strengthen the current administrative process and create a more manageable monitoring role, all while the board advocates for long-term structural changes which will involve comprehensive government-wide coordination efforts and cross-agency…
DetailsGuardians are entrusted with significant power over individuals who rely on their support. A guardian’s authority can range from deciding where an individual will live and when to seek medical care to choosing if family members are allowed to visit and how to spend retirement savings. Most guardians are selfless, dedicated individuals who play an…
DetailsThis paper gives an overview of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network’s summit, “Invitational Summit on Supported Decision-Making and the Transition to the Community.” It discusses the purpose of the summit, the structure of the summit, and the outcomes and conclusions reached by its ends. It will be followed at a later date by a more…
DetailsThe Supported Decision Making Phase 2 (SDM2) project was a pilot program funded by NSW Family and Community Services (FACS) and undertaken by the NSW Public Guardian (PG) from January 2016 until June 2017. It consisted of two components: first, the Financial Decision Making (FDM) Program worked with 33 people with cognitive impairments (‘decision makers’)…
DetailsThis report from the National Council on Disability (NCD) describes the impact and “the connections among autonomy, dignity, independence and protection” that guardianship and other alternatives to guardianship have on people with disabilities.
https://ncd.gov/sites/default/files/NCD_Guardianship_Report_Accessible.pdf
This report surveys several European jurisdictions’ laws and programs surrounding persons’ with I/DD exercise of legal capacity. Towards the end of the report, it describes a number of forms of SDM that are being used in Sweden, Germany, and the United Kingdom. This brief overview also includes brief quotes from persons with I/DD and psychosocial…