A nonprofit based in Saratoga County is set to pioneer the statewide expansion of a program that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Dwight Joyner says supported-decision making has allowed him to live a more independent, fulfilling life.
“It means that I can make my own choices and I can do things I want to do – making my own meals, take a walk down the street, be able to have relationships without somebody telling me I can’t be in a relationship,” said Joiner.
First piloted in New York in 2016, supported decision-making, or SDM, is a process that allows people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to make decisions with the help of a network of trusted individuals. The idea is to promote independence for people with IDD, putting them at the center of their day-to-day management, rather than relying on a singular person – typically a parent – as often happens in a traditional guardianship model.
In 2021, the New York Office for People With Developmental Disabilities expanded the state's pilot SMD program utilizing federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. Now, a nonprofit in Saratoga County — AIM Services — is continuing to expand SDM programming within the state over the next five years with a nearly $8 million contract.
OPWDD Commissioner Willow Baer says with AIM’s guidance, New York could be a model for the rest of the country.
“It's also available in New York State for people without disabilities, other people who are aging, for example, might need a little support in making decisions as they age. And supported decision making is available in New York State for anyone that wants to use it right. The $8 million contract focuses on people with developmental disabilities. We are excited to be the first in the nation to make that available, and to really be a model nationally for this program and for how person-centered it makes services in New York State,” said Baer.
Through SDM, an individual creates and signs an agreement that outlines various people, or supporters, to whom they can turn to help make decisions regarding their health, finances, and living opportunities.
“So, for example, for medical or health decisions, maybe somebody really wants their mom to assist with that. But when it comes to relationships, they actually want their best friend to help,” said Alexis Harrington.
Alexis Harrington is chief of program implementation at AIM, which in 2024 served 4,000 people in nearly 400 supported and independent residential facilities in Saratoga, Washington and Warren counties.
She says individuals participating in SDM are better equipped to lead their own lives.
“We make decisions every single day of our lives, and we don't even think twice about that. So, the fact that we have people with disabilities that are discriminated against for assuming no capacity. Right? We are now flipping that concept on its head. We are aligning with the United Nations perspective that every person is a person and a human being that is able to make their own decisions,” said Harrington.
AIM CEO Christopher Lyons says the organization is well on its way to reaching the roughly 100,000 New Yorkers who live with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“People are having legal capacity. They're having autonomy. They're making their own choices. It's a beautiful thing to see somebody enjoy the good and the bad of their own choices. That's what makes us human right. It's the mosaic of our choices, our experiences, the good and the bad. You know, we used to keep somebody from dating somebody because they might break their heart who hasn't had their heart broken. So now everything is natural. It's we don't substitute our judgment. We're not in a control model or in a support model. Life is messy, but because of that, it’s beautiful,” said Lyons.
