Supported decision-making is an alternative to guardianship. It is a set of strategies to empower people with disabilities to make informed decisions about their lives. These strategies help people with disabilities to work together with their families, friends, or other supporters to make decisions. Their supporters help them to gather information, choose the best option, and communicate their decisions. Wisconsin legally recognizes supported decision-making agreements as a tool to support people with disabilities to make choices about their healthcare, housing, employment, and education.
Health Transition Resources
Health Transition: Decisions
In this video, youth and their parents talk about the steps they took to learn how to make every-day decisions. They also talk about using Supported Decision-Making in place of guardianship.
Franklin’s Story: Using Supported Decision-Making
In this video, George Zaske shares how he and his son Franklin developed a supported decision-making agreement together. George is an attorney and parent from Western Wisconsin.
Closing the Gap: Guardianship and Supported Decision-Making: What Health Professionals Need to Know
This provider training describes decision-making tools available to promote autonomy for youth and young adults with special healthcare needs, with a primary focus on Supported Decision-Making. Learn about resources to assist your transition-aged patients make …
Partner Resources
Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (WI BPDD)
The WI BPDD website offers a guidebook, toolkit, recorded webinar and other resources about supported decision-making.
Family Voices of Wisconsin
This factsheet provides an overview of supported decision making for transition-age youth.
Disability Rights Wisconsin
This webpage provides resources for developing a supported decision-making agreement.