SUPPORTED DECISION
MAKING CONFERENCE
From Theory to Practice
Melbourne – October 18th 2013
Cher Nicholson
Supported Decision Making Training Project Officer
Health and Community Services Complaints
Commissioner
HUMAN
RIGHTS
HCSCC Charter of Rights
• Access
• Safety
• Quality
• Respect
• Information
• Participation
• Privacy
• Comment
Overview of SDM Facilitation Training
Trainer – Cher Nicholson HCSCC
Overseas Participants - 2
Strathmont
2
Minda
2
Leveda
2
CARA
2
Individualised
Funding 2
Playford
Council 1
STAR
1
UC Mental
Health Service 1
8
8
8
8
8
4
4
4
12
12
12
12
12
6
6
6
12
12
12
12
12
6
6
6
Decision
Workshop
Makers/ Supporters
Participants - 13 Clients
- 52
- 26
Informal
Networks
- 78
Service
Providers
- 78
TOTAL
247
Breakdown of numbers in a
single unit of training
Trainer – Cher Nicholson HCSCC
Trainee Facilitator
Decision
Makers/Clients
Supporters
Informal Networks
Service
Providers
PLUS Community Networks, such as SA Housing and Centrelink
= 20 (including Trainer)
SDM Practice Model
Facilitator
Supporter
- Friend
Supporter
- Mum
Supporter –
Work mate
Supporter –
Other family
Decision Maker
Service
Providers
Overview of SDM Training
Trainer - Cher Nicholson
• Facilitator – Trainee
• Two weeks skills intensive
• Weekly mentoring/coaahing with own clients in their
workplace by trainer
• Paid peer consultants with lived experience of disability
that were in the previous trial as decision makers
• Supporters from previous trial paid as consultants
• Each service provider showcases their organisation to
other participants telling of the philosophy, service
provision & eligibility.
• Trainee group becomes a resource group & support.
• System & culture change from within services.
Safety Measures
•
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•
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Police Check as warranted
Supervision discussion
Clarity of roles
Regular review by Facilitator
Follow selection process
Managing Conflict
Involving Decision Makers networks
Maintaining and enhancing relationships
Connecting to Services and Local Community
Adherence to service providers policies and
procedures
Community Development
Training Model
Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner
Builds on the developed SDM model produced by OPA
Components of the SDM Training Model:
•Uses community development principles
•Works with formal and informal networks
•Honours the role of the facilitator
•Within the model, the Decision Makers’ network acts as a
team for the expressed wishes of the Decision Maker,
further enhancing desired outcomes
Community Development
Training Model cont.
Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner
•Invites service providers to view their client numbers as a
whole network rather than an individual person with a
disability
•Model invites all parties to measure success in a different
way
•Success is not the enacting of the decision, but whether
there is an environment where decisions can be made
and rights are upheld
•Uses peer consultants with lived experiences to describe,
communicate, and evaluate our practice (paid)
Community Development
Training Model cont.
Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner
•Acknowledge people with lived experiences of disability
can use their previous negative experiences to
understand what positive experiences they want for their
future
•Use the worker/participants (trainees) as a group
resource to continually build practice
•Peer consultants will use their lived experience to
manage their disability to support others working with
what IS the reality of their world (reframing)
•Builds on existing ideas of support
•Uses training for culture change within service systems
Community Development
Training Model cont.
Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner
•Model has moved forward from OPA model – taking the
best of what worked well and safeguards
•Works well with expressed wish and expands on it by
working for and with the Person With Disability (PWD)
outwards to their networks
•Reverts to strength based practices – “Even small
glimmers can beam” Cher
•Training begins with intensive skills development
workshops and continues with ongoing coaching and
mentoring in the workplace for six months with the
participants own clients – less chance of status quo
Community Development
Training Model cont.
Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner
•Higher chance of success through working with systems
rather than just Decision Maker and Supporter
•Works with the belief that it is possible for systems to
change
•Introduce supporters – STAR volunteers (mutual pairing)
•Worker participants/trainees selected from key disability
organisations that have previously experienced SDM
through clients in OPA trial
•Independently evaluated – realist evaluation (Gill
Westhorpe)
Introduce Supporters
•STAR volunteers will be utilised for Decision Makers
that have no identifiable or desired supporters
•STAR volunteers will remain connected to STAR, as
well as the facilitator
•These volunteers have completed a police check and
are undertaking ongoing training appropriate for their
volunteer role
•The contract will be between the Decision Maker and
the Volunteer
Any Questions?
Practice Reflections
& Influences
“I Have a Dream”
Martin Luther King Jnr
The “Power of
One”
Bryce Courtenay