Informed Decision Making Train-The-Trainer Curriculum

Learn about the importance of choice in the lives of people receiving services

In embracing a person-centered approach and supporting self-direction, people receiving supports need to be empowered to make their own choices. These ideals and practices of informed decision making are embedded into the NADSP Code of Ethics. Whether it involves relationships, privacy, sexuality, well-being, or other areas, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities should be supported in making informed decisions, while understanding the associated risks and responsibilities that are tied to those decisions.

To help advance these best practices, NADSP has developed the training ‘Supporting Informed Decision Making: Train-The-Trainer Curriculum.’ It is designed for organizational trainers to use in training with Direct Support Professionals, Frontline Supervisors, administrators, families, and others, to develop an understanding of why supporting people with disabilities to make their own choices is important.

Takeaways For Participants:

  • What informed decision making is (and what it is not)
  • Why having choice is important for the people they support
  • What role providers play in supporting choice
  • How to support people to make their own informed decisions

This five-hour curriculum explores how participants’ attitudes and values toward choice can enhance or suppress the decision making capacity of those they support, and helps employees build the skills needed to support decision making in a manner in that balances choice and risk.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the similarities and differences between substituted, supported, and informed decision-making.
  • Increase awareness of why having choice in one’s life is vital to community living and to recognizing the civil rights of the person.
  • Think practically about how a lack of choice may hurt or hinder personal growth and development.
  • Think critically about the amount of knowledge a person has regarding a choice, context of the choice, and what he/she needs to know in order to make a good choice.
  • Demonstrate how the skills under the NADSP competency “Participant Empowerment” apply to informed decision-making.
  • Connect the ability to support choice to recognizing that person’s civil rights and person-hood.
  • Recognize informed decision-making as essential to person-centered support.
  • Develop an understanding of what it may feel like to be ‘experience poor’.
  • Learn that the opinions one brings into the relationship can be coercive or negatively impact the choices of others.
  • Develop the values needed to support decision and provide ethical support.
  • Come to see oneself as an advocate for the right to make choices.
  • Identify resources & advanced training opportunities to enhance your ability to support informed decision making.

Next Steps

You can invest in the professional development of your employees by purchasing the ‘Supporting Informed Decision Making: Train-The-Trainer Curriculum.’ This curriculum includes PowerPoint presentation slides, electronic PDF documents for the Trainer’s Manual, Discussion Guide, Worksheets, Handouts, Answer Sheets and Training Evaluation Forms.

Pricing

Member Pricing: $2,000
Non-Member Pricing: $2,500
1-Day In-Person Workshop: $2,500

1-Day Virtual Training: $1000

These prices for the workshop does not include travel and lodging costs

Support Informed Decision Making

If you are interested in purchasing the curriculum and participating in the in-person workshop, click on the ‘Contact Us’ button to work with NADSP’s Chief Operating Officer, Desiree Loucks Baer, on next steps.