This document contains information about self-advocacy, self-determination, and supported decision making presented by theamazinJ. It discusses that self-advocacy is important for individuals to advocate for themselves and get what they want. It also discusses that supported decision making allows individuals to make their own decisions with support from trusted people. The document outlines that the individual should be in charge of their own life and decisions, with a circle of support to help them achieve their goals. It presents information on different roles like brokers and fiscal intermediaries that can support the individual's self-determination.

1. The Individuals and their self-directed activism
toward what they want to achieve:
A Training for Brokers and Medicaid Service Coordinators
by theamazinJ (Jason Ross)

2. Individuality
theamazinj
Objects,
Possessions Creations
Choices
Genetics
Interests
Friends &
Family
Work and
Hobbies
Practices and
Habits
Ethnicity Appearance
Beliefs
Values

3. Identity First Language vs. Person First Language
theamazinj (Jason Ross)
Language is
important not
only for a
Disabled
person, but
for any person
Speak to any
Person the
way they
want to be
Identified as
instead of
giving people
an ID the way
society or you
wants

4. What is Self-Advocacy
and
Why is it so important?
theamazinj
Self-Advocacy is important because it is a
basic human right.
No one gets to say what other people
cannot do, think, say, or represent
ourselves as.
Being Human means having the individual
rights to be whoever we want to be.

5. Self-Determination
freedom to live
as one chooses,
or to act or
decide without
consulting
another or
others without
being influenced
by others
theamazinJ

6. An Individual’s Path to Self-determination
Everyone has their own agendas. It is important not to
influence the individual to what you think they should want.
The individual has to advocate for themselves constantly when
the agencies and others want to maintain their own agendas
for what they think is right for the individual.
I must make sure I maintain my own
self-advocacy to get what I want and need for my success in
my life.
The stronger self-advocate I become, the more I get what I
want and need.
Don’t be afraid to say ‘NO’ when something does not feel right
from an agency or person.
Tell everyone what you want and need!
theamazinj

7. The Person Centered, Self-directed Services,
maintaining Self-Determination
• It is important that the whole circle of support
maintains the Individual’s own self-determination
• The individual makes decisions based on what
they believe feels right for them without being
directed by other people telling them what to do
• The individual is in charge of their own life who
knows what fits, what feels right, and knows what
they want and the success they need. The circle
of support assists the individual to maintain that
success.
• No one tells or influences the individual, but
offers support
• The Individual gets to make their own mistakes
too and learns from those mistakes
For example, if an
individual chooses to
further their education to
enable themselves toward
their activism, let them!
theamazinJ

8. The Individual Self-directing their own life
theamazinj
The Individual calls their own meetings
The Individual creates their own circle of support which includes
mostly the Broker, the individual’s choice of supportive people,
and
partly the Medicaid Service Coordinator
The individual tells the circle of support what they want in their
life, what they need,
and what success looks like.
The Circle of Support is only there to support the decisions of
the individual’s wants and needs in their life while helping to make
those things possible
The Individual makes all the decisions
The Individual is an adult who IS taking responsibility for their
own life.
This is about supportive decision making, not influencing or
telling

9. Self-Direction
theamazinj
Self-determination from what the
individual wants, needs, and says.
Basically, the individual leads!
Without the head, body, and feet, the
system cannot function
Head : Fiscal Intermediary,
takes care of the money in
the budget
Body: person who
works the most with
the individual: The
Broker with the
circle of support
Feet : Medicaid
Service Coordinator

10. The Head: Fiscal Intermediary
theamazinj
This person allocate the money in the budget for the individual
They work closely with the broker to function by
allocating money for the different things within the
approved budget
Without the The Fiscal Intermediary no broker, staff, or
other things gets paid

11. The Body: The Broker
theamazinj
The Broker is the MAIN person who works
with the Individual
The Broker gets to know the individual the
most and helps construct the budget and must
be creative to think outside the box of how to
get the individual what they want and need
The Broker works closely with the individual to
make sure all the needs and wants are met by
the plan that is approved

12. The Feet: Medicaid Service Coordinator
theamazinj
The person who does the least, but still important
factor in maintaining the needs of the individual
This person maintains medicaid,
health insurance, social security
benefits, food stamps, the
Individualized Service Plan, and
helps provide support within the circle
of support to maintain that the
services are centered around the
individual

13. Helping Disabled People Build Community and Direct Their Own Lives:
My meet up group
theamazinJ

14. Disabled People’s Rights +
Civil Rights = Human Rights
theamazinJ
We need to view
disabled people as
part of the human
race too without
prejudicial thinking
or tragic burden
thoughts

15. alistairdegaetano@gmail.comalistairdegaetano@gmail.com
Disabled people are NOT Your Inspiration, we are people
too, and need to be respected with what we want out of our
life just as much as everyone else,
respect what we want, and we will respect you.
If non-disabled people get paid for work being done, please
concur with disabled people too.
theamazinJ

16. Supported Decision-Making New York

17. What Is SDM?
It’s something that we all do every day!
• Supported decision-making (SDM) is a process by which a person with an intellectual or
developmental disability can be supported in making his or her own decisions
• We call them decision-makers
• There is no “one-size-fits-all” model for SDM
• It generally occurs when people receive assistance from one or more trusted friends,
family members, professionals or advocates to help them understand the situations they
face and choices and options they have so they can make their own decisions

18. Not Just Pie In The Sky!
In Texas, SDM is already the law
“A process of supporting and accommodating an adult with a
disability enable the adult to make life decisions, including
decisions related to where the adult wants to live, the services,
supports and medical care the adult wants to receive, whom
the adult want to live with, and where the adult wants to work
without impeding the self-determination of the adult.”
Texas established code 1357.002 (3); 1357.003
other states like DE and
MA, are catching on, too!

19. Key Concepts for SDM
• Put decision makers in the driver’s seat
• Value the will and preferences of decision makers
• TRUST decision makers to take risks
• Create Meaningful Choices
• Recognize decision making supports as a right
• Recognize decision making supports as a right

20. SDMNY’s Theory of Change
) Education - spreading the word about how supported decision
making improves the lives of decision-makers
2) Diversion - Helping people avoid guardianship and uses
alternatives
) Restoration - Helping people under guardianship have access
to alternatives and get their rights back
Sustainability - Ensuring that supported decision making will be
here to stay

21. National Resource Center for Supported
Decision Making
-supporteddecionmaking.org
Northampton, MA Supported-Decision-Making
Pilot Project
-supporteddecisions.org/pilot-project
Maine’s Supported Decision Making Coalition
-supportmydecision.org
Supported Decision-Making New York
-sdmny.org

22. -Yuri Kochiyama
“Consciousness is Power,
nsciousness is Education and Knowled
Consciousness is Becoming Aware,
Tomorrow’s World is yours to Build!”