Rights of Older Persons

At Brookdale, we’re working with Supported Decision-Making New York (SDMNY) on an ambitious three-year demonstration project to make Supported Decision-Making (SDM) the standard for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in New York State. SDM is a powerful alternative to guardianship, allowing individuals with I/DD to make their own decisions with support from trusted people in their lives, rather than having those decisions made for them by a guardian. It’s a model that protects autonomy, preserves rights, and fosters independence. Supported Decision-Making Agreements are also recognized under New York law.

As the evaluation partner, our focus is on helping SDMNY build the infrastructure needed to scale and sustain this model through a state-funded facilitation training resource and education center. We’re looking at what it takes to integrate SDM facilitation into schools, service agencies, and other key points in the I/DD ecosystem, while refining tools, processes, and training materials to make them effective and accessible for everyone involved—decision-makers, supporters, facilitators, and mentors.

Our evaluation isn’t about proving that SDM works; it’s about figuring out how to make the program operational and scalable. We’re analyzing what makes facilitation successful, how to best train and support mentors and facilitators, and what resources agencies need to embed SDM into their operations. By the end of this demonstration, our goal is to ensure SDM facilitation can stand on its own, with the tools and structures in place to help adults with I/DD take control of their lives and decisions in a meaningful, sustainable way.

The project is funded by the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD).