Source: Legal Decision‑Making for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities — Stephen W. Dale, Esq., LL.M (Trustee, Golden State Pooled Trust).
Format: Slide deck / briefing document (PDF)
Audience: Legal and financial professionals, regional center staff, family members, self‑advocates, and nonprofit professionals who design resources or trainings about SDM and conservatorship alternatives.
Resource Description:
Clear, practitioner‑oriented overview of California legal frameworks that affect decision making for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including: historical context (deinstitutionalization and the Lanterman Act), legal definitions of capacity, supported decision‑making (SDM) statutory text and practice, durable powers of attorney and advance health care directives, limited conservatorships (purpose, powers, process), role of regional centers, and practical next steps when no planning exists.
Source: American Bar Association — PRACTICAL Tool for Lawyers: Steps in Supporting Decision-Making
Format: Practical guidance tool and checklist (PDF)
Audience: Guardianship and elder law attorneys, disability rights lawyers, regional center staff, clinicians, family members, and allied professionals
Resource Description:
A clinician- and lawyer-focused decision-making tool that guides professionals through a structured, person-centered process intended to identify supports that are less restrictive than guardianship. The PRACTICAL Tool walks users through key steps:
- Presume guardianship is not needed;
- Clearly state the reason for concern;
- Assess whether triggers are temporary or reversible;
- Map community and informal supports;
- Identify the person’s decision-making strengths and limits;
- Evaluate candidate supporters and challenges;
- Appoint legal supporters or surrogates where appropriate;
- and, if necessary, limit guardianship to the narrowest scope required.
The tool also lists concrete decision domains (money management, health care, relationships, community living, employment, personal safety) and common community supports and accommodations to consider.
Source: CA Policy Center for Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities — “Supported Decision‑Making: Legal Assistance Brochure” (printable brochure, CPCIDD)
Format: Print and web brochure (PDF/print‑ready)
Audience: Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), family members, chosen supporters, regional center staff, legal and social service professionals, healthcare providers
Resource Description:
A plain‑language, California‑focused brochure that explains what a Supported Decision‑Making (SDM) agreement is, the legal formalities for a written agreement, and core principles that guide SDM in financial and legal decisions. It defines who can serve as a supporter and who is disqualified, lists supporter duties and prohibitions, and summarizes how SDM operates within the legal system (including its role in conservatorship proceedings and the right to have a supporter present in meetings). The brochure is formatted for broad accessibility, suitable for distribution in clinics, regional centers, and community events.
Source: Judicial Council of California — “The Judicial Council and Supported Decision‑Making” (presentation by Melanie Snider; Judicial Council Self‑Help Guide excerpts)
Format: Presentation / slide deck and Self‑Help Guide excerpts (PDF/slides)
Audience: Judicial officers, court staff, self‑help center personnel, conservatorship practitioners, regional center staff, legal aid providers, and community service partners
Resource Description
A practice‑focused presentation and Self‑Help Guide excerpts produced by the Judicial Council that explain how courts view Supported Decision‑Making (SDM) within California’s legal framework. The material situates SDM among least‑restrictive alternatives to conservatorship, summarizes statutory definitions (Probate Code and Welfare & Institutions Code), and translates SDM concepts into plain‑language guidance for court self‑help center users. It also outlines related court options (CARE Act, powers of attorney, representative payees, special needs trusts), describes available community supports, and provides practical referral paths to county self‑help centers and SDM resources. Lists county self‑help center contact examples and encourages using local Self‑Help Centers for CARE Act and conservatorship process assistance; points users to The Arc, ACLU FAQs, Burton Blatt Institute, and Judicial Council contacts for further guidance.
Source: ACLU Disability Rights Program — “Supported Decision‑Making: Frequently Asked Questions”
Format: Plain‑language FAQ (PDF) designed for people with disabilities, families, supporters, and professionals.
Audience: Self‑advocates, family members, regional center staff, legal and health professionals, service providers, and community organizations.
Resource Description:
A clear, accessible FAQ that explains what supported decision‑making (SDM) is, how it works in everyday life, and how SDM differs from legal alternatives such as durable powers of attorney and guardianship/conservatorship. The document offers concrete examples of SDM tools (plain‑language materials, extra time, pros/cons lists, role‑playing, supporters in appointments, joint bank accounts), and describes safeguards (multiple supporters, use of monitors when finances are included). The FAQ emphasizes that formalizing SDM can help third parties — doctors, banks, schools — feel confident relying on a supported individual’s decisions and highlights resources for further help.
Source: ACLU Disability Rights Program — “Supported Decision‑Making Agreement” (ACLU template PDF)
Format: Fillable agreement template and workbook (printable PDF)
Audience: People with disabilities, chosen supporters, family members, monitors, legal and social service professionals, regional center staff, clinicians, and service providers
Resource Description
A plain‑language, person‑centered Supported Decision‑Making (SDM) agreement template that prioritizes the decider’s voice and consent, designed to be communicated in an accessible format (read aloud or adapted to individual communication needs) and executed before a notary or two disinterested witnesses. The packet structures multi‑supporter entries with checkbox domains (personal care, safety, health, home/work, money, partners), includes consent language, supporter acknowledgements, optional monitor appointment for financial supports, and space for attaching related legal authorizations (HIPAA, educational releases). It emphasizes decider control (supporters do not make decisions), reversible and editable terms, meeting and communication preferences, safeguard steps (monitor role, reporting obligations), and notarization/witness procedures to promote third‑party recognition.
Source: Alta California Regional Center — “Supported Decision‑Making Agreement (blank)” (California statutory template; Welf. & Inst. Code §§ 21000–21008)
Format: Fillable agreement template with three attachments (printable PDF)
Audience: Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), chosen supporters, family members, regional center staff, legal and social service professionals, healthcare providers, financial institutions
Resource Description:
A plain‑language, California‑statutory supported decision‑making (SDM) agreement template designed for adults with disabilities to name supporters, specify life domains where support is desired, and identify the types and scope of support each person will provide. The template includes required statutory elements (areas of support; supporter obligations; Elder Abuse notice; list/attachment of other decision‑making documents; signature and witnessing or notary instructions), a supporter acknowledgement and agreement (duties, prohibitions, conflict‑of‑interest and disqualification criteria), a glossary of definitions, and an “information for recipients” attachment that explains when third parties must accept supporters and when they may refuse due to suspected abuse or coercion.
Source: Supported Decision‑Making: Empowering Seniors and People with Disabilities, WealthCounsel Quarterly, Volume 19, Number 2
Format: Article (PDF)
Audience: Elder law and special‑needs planning attorneys, probate and trust practitioners, financial professionals, geriatric care managers, and other multidisciplinary professionals who advise seniors and people with disabilities.
Resource Description:
This article explains SDM principles, contrasts SDM with guardianship/conservatorship, and provides guidance for integrating SDM into elder‑law and special‑needs planning. It emphasizes the presumption of capacity, the supporter role (communication techniques and statutory disqualifications), risks (undue influence, conflicts of interest, confidentiality), and strategies for reconciling SDM with special‑needs trusts and public‑benefit rules. Practical examples (including a third‑party special‑needs trust using SDM‑informed distribution plans and prepaid card budgeting) illustrate implementation challenges and solutions.
Source: CA Policy Center for Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities — “Supported Decision‑Making: Financial Decision‑Making Brochure” (printable brochure, CPCIDD)
Format: Print and web brochure (PDF/print‑ready)
Audience: Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), family members, chosen supporters, regional center staff, legal and social service professionals, healthcare providers
Resource Description:
A plain‑language, California‑focused brochure that explains what a Supported Decision‑Making (SDM) agreement is, the legal formalities for a written agreement, and core principles guiding SDM in financial and legal contexts. It defines who can serve as a supporter and who is disqualified, lists supporter duties and explicit prohibitions, describes required agreement elements (areas of support, references to other legal documents, Elder Abuse Act notice, signatures/witness or notary), and summarizes SDM’s role within the legal system including conservatorship consideration and the right to have a supporter present in meetings.
Source: Alta California Regional Center (ACRC) — “Supported Decision‑Making Agreements: For Clients and Families” (ACRC 2024 slide deck)
Format: Slide deck / presentation (PDF)
Audience: Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), family members, chosen supporters, regional center staff, client advocates, service providers, and frontline professionals
Resource Description:
An accessible, plain‑language training slide deck oriented to clients and families that explains what Supported Decision‑Making (SDM) is, the decider’s rights, types of choices and supports, how to select and talk with supporters, and the mechanics of completing and maintaining an SDM agreement. Content emphasizes person‑centered language (you are the decider), concrete examples of decision domains and support types (plain language, visuals, reminders, attending appointments), required formalities for signing (notary or two disinterested witnesses), attachments (supporter agreements, glossary, recipient instructions), renewal and termination procedures (two‑year review recommended), and practical next steps for sharing agreements with doctors, regional centers, and service providers.
Source: CA Policy Center for Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities — “Supported Decision‑Making and Financial Decisions” (CPCIDD briefing/slide PDF)
Format: Briefing slide deck and guidance notes (PDF)
Audience: Financial professionals, bankers and notaries, regional center staff, legal and social service professionals, advocates, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and family members
Resource Description:
A practitioner‑oriented briefing that applies California SDM law to financial contexts and frontline financial practice. The resource explains SDM fundamentals and required written‑agreement elements, frames decision‑making along a least‑to‑most‑restrictive continuum, and translates SDM duties, supporter limits, and termination/renewal rules into operational guidance for banks, payees, and financial professionals. It addresses financial‑sector obligations (mandated reporting, account opening standards, privacy laws), fiduciary and liability considerations for third parties, representative payee interactions, and pragmatic risk‑reduction practices such as two‑year reviews and use of monitoring or administrative controls.
Source: National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making — “When Do I Want Support?”
Format: Interactive checklist / easy‑read self‑assessment (PDF/printable form)
Audience: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), chosen supporters, family members, service planners, regional center staff, educators, and allied professionals
Resource Description:
A plain‑language, easy‑read self‑assessment that helps people with disabilities identify which life domains they can do alone, can do with support, or need someone else to do for them. The form lists concrete categories (communication, personal care, safety, home and friends, health, partners, travel, jobs, money, civic life) and step‑by‑step guidance on using responses to plan supports and complete a Supported Decision‑Making Agreement. Designed for people with varied literacy levels and diverse communication needs, it prompts reflection about who might provide support and what types of accommodations (visuals, reminders, help with pros/cons) are useful.
Source: Cal State East Bay Supported Decision‑Making Outreach Team — “Supported Decision Making: Introduction for Professionals” (outreach brief, Sept 2024)
Format: Plain‑language outreach brief (PDF)
Audience: Health, education, legal, financial, and social‑service professionals; court and self‑help center staff; regional center personnel; and others who interact with adults with disabilities.
Resource Description:
A concise, practitioner‑focused introduction to Supported Decision‑Making (SDM) that summarizes what SDM is, how it differs from conservatorship, and how professionals should implement SDM in routine practice. The brief explains statutory recognition of SDM following AB 1663, defines SDM agreements and signature/witness formalities, and highlights professionals’ obligations to permit supporters to attend and participate in meetings and communications (including IEPs, care planning, discharge planning, and financial meetings). It clarifies when a third party may refuse supporters (reasonable belief of fraud, coercion, or abuse) and notes that recognizing SDM agreements may constitute a required reasonable accommodation under state and federal law.
Source: Disability Voices United — Supported Decision‑Making Handbook for Parents of Adults with Developmental Disabilities in California (updated June 2025)
Format: Handbook (print and downloadable PDF)
Audience: Parents and family supporters of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities; transition specialists; regional center staff; school personnel; legal, healthcare, and financial professionals seeking plain‑language examples of SDM tools
Resource description:
A comprehensive, plain‑language handbook that explains California law, practical steps, templated forms, and real stories to help parents support adult children using Supported Decision‑Making (SDM).
Combines: concise legal explanation of AB 1663 and related reforms; practical guidance for healthcare, education, finances, voting, and interactions with law enforcement; concrete “how‑to” steps to form a circle of support; and a robust Appendix of ready‑to‑use sample documents (SDM Agreement, Durable Health Care POA, Durable Financial POA, HIPAA and education/ regional center disclosure forms, representative‑payee guidance, health passport and SUPPORT tip sheet).
Source: San Diego Regional Center: Supported Decision Making — You Decide!
Format: PDF handout
Audience: Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD); family members and informal supporters; service coordinators; regional center staff; community partners.
Resource Description:
A clear, plain‑language handout that explains what Supported Decision‑Making (SDM) is, how it works, and the basic steps people can take to create a plan. The handout presents SDM as an alternative to conservatorship and emphasizes personal choice, the right to change one’s plan, and protection from abuse. Key sections include a short definition of SDM, examples of decision areas (health, housing, relationships, money, safety), a simple “Make a plan” checklist (think where/when you want help; ask people; write and talk about the plan; change it whenever you want), and repeated user‑centered statements of choice (who makes the decision, who helps, who signs documents).
