Honoring People’s Autonomy Through Supported Decision-Making

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I was honored to join AIM Services in Saratoga to celebrate the official launch of facilitated Supported Decision-Making in New York State. At its core, Supported Decision-Making honors people’s ability to control their own lives by giving them the freedom to make decisions without the stigma of relying on support.

The road to Supported Decision-Making, as a less restrictive alternative to guardianship, has been a long one. New York’s Supported Decision-Making began ten years ago as a pilot program, led by Supported Decision-Making New York (SDMNY) and CUNY Hunter College, and funded by the Council on Developmental Disabilities. In 2021, OPWDD dedicated funding to extend and expand the pilot program, including the process of facilitating as an effective way to assist people in creating sustainable Supported Decision-Making Agreements.

In 2022 Governor Kathy Hochul signed Supported Decision-Making legislation into law, making it available to anyone in New York State and laying the groundwork for this monumental accomplishment.  Now, Supported Decision-Making expands even further. With the launch of paid facilitation, every New Yorker with a developmental disability who wants to choose this option will be able to do so as AIM Services assumes its role as the designated statewide coordinator of Supported Decision-Making Facilitation. AIM has already begun working with people to create Supported Decision-Making agreements and to develop a structured, replicable model for use across New York State.

As we continue our celebration of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, we are grateful for the self-advocates who dare to ask for more for themselves and who inspire us every day to continue pushing for autonomy, inclusion, and a life of dignity.

I am so proud of the work of everyone who had a hand in making this program a reality and I am excited to see more stories from people like Trina, who are making Supported Decision-Making work for them!

Sincerely, 

Willow Baer
Commissioner

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Honoring People’s Autonomy Through Supported Decision-Making