Source: API Legal Outreach — “Supported Decision Making vs. Conservatorship in California” https://www.apilegaloutreach.org/news/supported-decision-making-vs-conservatorship-in-california/
Format: Web article (news/educational post)
Audience: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities, family members, guardianship attorneys, clinicians, regional center staff, nonprofit partners, and policymakers
Resource Description
A clear, plain-language comparison of Supported Decision Making (SDM) and conservatorship tailored to California audiences that explains the purpose, scope, and practical differences between the two approaches. The piece outlines how SDM preserves autonomy by enabling people to choose trusted supporters while conservatorship transfers legal decision-making authority to another person or the court. It highlights when SDM may be appropriate, common decision domains (health, finances, living arrangements), and practical steps families and professionals can take to begin SDM conversations and document supporter roles. The article also notes the limits of SDM in certain legal contexts and urges careful evaluation of risk, capacity, and safety when determining supports for decision making.
Source: LifeCourse Nexus — Supported Decision-Making page (Charting the LifeCourse) https://www.lifecoursetools.com/lifecourse-library/exploring-the-life-domains/supported-decision-making/
Format: Web guidance page with downloadable tools and sample agreements (HTML + PDFs)
Audience: People with disabilities, family members, service planners, regional center staff, educators, and cross-sector professionals.
Resource Description:
A practical, person-centered web hub that frames Supported Decision-Making (SDM) within the Charting the LifeCourse framework and provides tools to explore decision-making needs, plan supports, and document agreements. The page emphasizes that SDM helps people of any age or ability make their own choices using a mix of trusted people, technology, community supports, and paid assistance; supports are intended to help with understanding options, communicating choices, and building decision-making skills. The resource includes a “Supported Decision-Making Portfolio” (a printable booklet), downloadable sample SDM agreement templates in multiple styles, and links to additional agreement examples and planning tools.
Source: National Resource Center for Supported Decision‑Making — www.supporteddecisionmaking.org
Format: Comprehensive, continuously updated website and resource library for practitioners, families, and self‑advocates.
Audience: Self‑advocates, families, disability service providers, legal and financial professionals, policymakers, researchers, and trainers.
Resource Description:
A national hub that aggregates practical tools, state‑level legal summaries, training materials, webinars, and personal stories to advance supported decision‑making (SDM) practice and awareness. The site organizes materials by topic (resources, tools, state information), offers a curated resource library and newsletters, and hosts thematic projects such as the Jenny Hatch Justice Project and state legislative tracking. Content is tailored for different audiences — from plain‑language brochures for self‑advocates to implementation guides for professionals — and is updated to reflect policy developments and emerging best practices.
Source: California Legislature — Assembly Bill 1663 (AB 1663), Protective Proceedings (chaptered statute, 2022) https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1663
Format: Website: Chaptered legislation and statutory amendments to Probate Code, Welfare & Institutions Code, and related provisions.
Audience: Policymakers, judges and court staff, regional center leaders, legal practitioners, fiduciaries, self‑advocates, family members, and service providers.
Resource Description:
A comprehensive statutory reform package that (1) strengthens least‑restrictive‑alternative protections in conservatorship practice, (2) requires courts and conservators to document, review, and support conservatees’ rights and preferences, and (3) formally creates and defines Supported Decision‑Making (SDM) in California law. AB 1663 amends conservatorship investigation, petition, termination, and oversight procedures; requires courts to provide written plain‑language rights information to conservatees; establishes conservatorship alternatives programs in court self‑help centers (upon appropriation); and adds Division 11.5 to the Welfare & Institutions Code setting out SDM definitions, supporter duties, agreement elements, signature/formalities, disqualification criteria, safeguards, and accommodations for accessible formats and reviews.
Source: Administration for Community Living — Supported Decision‑Making Program https://acl.gov/programs/consumer-control/supported-decision-making-program
Format: Program webpage and resource hub (web content, toolkits, grant announcements, research summaries)
Audience: Self‑advocates, families, disability service providers, legal and financial professionals, state agencies, researchers, and policymakers
Resource Description:
A federal program led by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) that advances supported decision‑making (SDM) through funding, technical assistance, research, and national capacity building. The program aggregates practical tools (model SDM agreements, training curricula, easy‑read materials), state and local pilot project summaries, and evidence reviews that explore SDM outcomes and implementation challenges. ACL’s work focuses on expanding public and professional awareness, supporting state‑level adoption and adaptation of SDM practices, and generating evidence about safeguards and protections that preserve autonomy while minimizing risks such as financial exploitation. The hub includes notices of grant opportunities, examples of funded projects, and links to partner organizations producing training and outreach materials.
Source: UC Davis MIND Institute — Supported Decision‑Making (CEDD web page) https://health.ucdavis.edu/mind-institute/centers/cedd/supported-decision-making
Format: Webpage with curated resources, plain‑language explainers, workshop materials, and downloadable guides for families and professionals.
Audience: Families and self‑advocates, regional center staff, clinicians, court and self‑help center personnel, educators, and allied professionals.
Resource Description:
A practitioner‑focused hub maintained by the UC Davis MIND Institute Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (CEDD) that explains Supported Decision‑Making (SDM) in plain language, situates SDM as a least‑restrictive alternative to conservatorship, and gathers practical tools (step‑by‑step guides, workshop recordings, companion booklets) for getting started. The page summarizes why conservatorship can be overly restrictive, offers accessible introductions to SDM, and links to implementation resources (ACLU materials, ABA steps, health‑care decision‑making tools for AAC users) and state policy context (AB 1663). The hub is designed for easy sharing with families and professionals and emphasizes accessible formats and inclusion of lived‑experience perspectives.
Source: Autistic Self Advocacy Network — “Supported Decision‑making: Why the Right to Make Choices With Support Matters” https://autisticadvocacy.org/actioncenter/issues/choices/sdm/
Format: Practitioner and self‑advocate facing web explainer with plain‑language definitions, examples, model legislation, and how‑to guidance.
Audience: Self‑advocates, families, disability service providers, legal and health professionals, and policy stakeholders.
Resource Description:
A clear, plain‑language primer that centers self‑advocate perspectives and explains why supported decision‑making (SDM) preserves autonomy while providing practical supports. The page defines SDM, describes common forms and tools (SDM agreements, powers of attorney, advance directives, authorized signatory forms), and uses plain examples to show how supporters help people understand, weigh, remember, and communicate choices. It summarizes state law variation and links to model legislation, state trackers, and the National Resource Center for Supported Decision‑Making to help readers find state‑specific rules and forms.
