WHAT IS SELF-DIRECTION?
Self-Direction is a service model offered by OPWDD that allows individuals with developmental disabilities—and their families—to take control of their own supports.
Instead of relying solely on traditional provider-managed services, people using Self-Direction can choose:
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Who provides their services
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What services they receive
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When and where those services happen
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How  their budget is spent ​
This approach promotes independence, personal choice, and flexibility, helping individuals live more fulfilling lives that reflect their unique goals and preferences.
WHAT IS SUPPORTED DECISION MAKING?
Supported Decision-Making is all about helping people make their own choices—with a little support from people they trust. Instead of someone else making decisions for them, individuals with developmental disabilities get help understanding their options so they can decide what’s best for themselves.
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That support might come from family, friends, or professionals who know them well. These supporters don’t make the decisions—they just help explain things, talk through choices, and offer guidance when needed.
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Whether it’s choosing where to live, picking a doctor, or deciding how to spend money, Supported Decision-Making gives people the tools and confidence to stay in control of their own lives.
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It’s a respectful, empowering alternative to guardianship—and it’s built on the belief that everyone deserves to have a say in their future.
The New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) is responsible for coordinating services for New Yorkers with developmental disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorders, Prader-Willi syndrome and other neurological impairments. They provide services directly and through a network of approximately 450 nonprofit service providing agencies.
Supported decision-making (SDM) is a now well recognized practice by which people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are able to make their own decisions with the support of trusted persons in their lives and retain all their legal and civil rights. As SDMNY has shown, SDM is useful and available for Decision-Makers who are as diverse as the population of New York.
