My Choice Virginia: Supported Decision-Making for People with Developmental Disabilities

Project Name

My Choice Virginia: Supported Decision-Making for People with Developmental Disabilities

Funder: Virginia Board for People with Disabilities
Grantee: The Arc of Northern Virginia

Type of practice
Promising practice (practice is proven to achieve outcomes)

Area of Emphasis
Formal and informal community supports

Project/activity years 
2020
2019

Population of focus
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Strategies used 
Training
Supporting and Educating Communities

Project description
Project Goal: To empower people with DD to use Supported Decision-Making (SDM) to increase their self-determination and avoid guardianship, to study and document the impact of SDM on quality of like, and to educate stakeholders about the benefits of SDM.

Impact (or impact-to-date) of the project/activity for people with ID/DD and their families
At the outset of the project, 10 individuals with developmental disabilities expressed interest in participating in the pilot project. Of the initial 10 selected to participate, 5 were under guardianship and the remaining 5 individuals were considering pursuing guardianship. During the course of the grant, the grantee collected demographic, objective, and subjective data, using various means, to analyze how, if at all, using SDM had affected the participants’ quality of life. Results obtained by the grantee through administered surveys indicated that participants who used SDM showed improved independence, confidence, and decision-making ability, made better decisions, and had enhanced quality of life. The grantee also provided education to key stakeholders on the benefits of SDM. A total of 13 presentations were delivered during the project period, to over 600 individuals. In addition, the grantee housed the presentations via its SDM Resource Library (https://thearcofnova.org/programs-services/sdm-resource-library/) and the recorded videos received over 200 independent views during 2020. The grantee also created a total of 7 accessible handouts on supported decision making and developed a series of six 3-minute webinars to provide a quick auditory and visual presentation of the information provided in the handouts.
Stories (Must be related to the project)

Story perspective
Person with ID/DD

What were things like BEFORE you/your family/partner/community participated in the project/activity?
The 3 stories collected during the active grant period were in video format and are available on the grantee’s dedicated SDM resource page, found at the following link: https://thearcofnova.org/programs-services/sdm-resource-library/#stories

Please cut and paste the link into your browser.

What are things like AFTER you/family/partner/community participated in the project/activity?
Please see link above to the collected stories.

What was most beneficial to you/family/partner/community from participating in this project or practice?
Please see link above to the collected stories.

Summary statement that highlights the role of the DD Council in achieving positive outcomes through this project.
Council award funding to the grantee beginning in 2019, with the goal that 10 people with DD would use SDM during the course of the grant project, and that external stakeholders would support the use of SDM. The outcomes were ultimately met during the course of the project, and the grantee continued to report long-term outcomes to Council for a period of 2 years following the end of the grant. Council monitored progress of the grantee through review of quarterly reports, and met on a quarterly basis to hear updates from Council staff on the grantee’s progress.

Results obtained by the grantee through administered surveys indicated that participants who used SDM showed improved independence, confidence, and decision-making ability, made better decisions, and had enhanced quality of life. The grantee also provided education to key stakeholders on the benefits of SDM. A total of 13 presentations were delivered during the project period, to over 600 individuals. These types of outcomes align well with Council’s mission, which is to create a Commonwealth that advances opportunities for independence, personal decision-making and full participation in community life for individuals with developmental and other disabilities. Our vision is for Virginians with developmental and other disabilities to direct their own lives and choose how they live, learn, work, and play.

Contact Information
Name: Jason Withers
Email: jason.withers@vbpd.virginia.gov
Phone: (804) 786-9375
Council location: Virginia
Website: https://vbpd.virginia.gov