We are proud to partner with Jonathan Martinis in offering 5 dynamic webinars on the practical application of Supported Decision-Making. Our series begins on Thursday, October 28th at 6:00 pm.

All sessions are free and offer direct access to Mr. Martinis.

Jonathan Martinis is the Senior Director for Law and Policy for the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University, leading its efforts to ensure that older adults and people with disabilities have access to the services and supports they need to lead independent, inclusive lives.  In 2013, Jonathan represented Margaret “Jenny” Hatch in the “Justice for Jenny” case – the first trial to hold that a person has the right to use Supported Decision-Making to make her own life choices instead of being subjected to a permanent, plenary guardianship. Since then, Jonathan has led SDM projects in New York, Ohio, California, Virginia, Vermont, Missouri, and Kansas. He has also educated and trained tens of thousands of older adults, people with disabilities, families, and professionals across the country on SDM theory and practice. Jonathan has written or co-written over 40 publications on SDM, including the first textbook and first theory-to-practice guidebook on the subject.

Session 1 – October 28th, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Supported Decision-Making: From Justice for Jenny to Justice for All
Study after study has shown that when people with disabilities have more control over their life and make more decisions for themselves – when they have more self-determination – they have better lives. People with disabilities who are more self-determined are more likely to live independently, work, be integrated into their communities, and avoid abuse.
This session will introduce the audience to the theory and practice of Supported Decision-Making (SDM). When people with disabilities use SDM, they work with friends, family, and professionals so they can understand their choices and make their own decisions. As a result, SDM can help people be self-determined, have better life outcomes, and avoid unnecessary guardianship!

Session 2: November 16, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Education, Employment, and Independent Living: Supported Decision-Making in Special Education
This session will focus on strategies for maximizing the supports and services available in Special Education programs.
We’ll focus on best practices in areas designed to empower and enable students to succeed in school and beyond, including the Student Led IEP, “I Statement” IEP Goals, and effective Transition Planning. Using SDM, students, families, and teachers can work together to maximize student achievement and potential!

Session 3: December 2, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Education, Employment, and Independent Living: Supported Decision-Making in Vocational Rehabilitation
This session will focus on strategies for maximizing the supports and services available in Vocational Rehabilitation programs.
We’ll focus on best practices and practical tips to help people with disabilities maximize their potential for independent employment and living, including Pre-Employment Transition Services, effective Individualized Plan for Employment services, and Benefits Planning. Using SDM, people with disabilities and their counselors can design truly individualized plans, leading to people getting jobs that fit their skills and interests!

Session 4: January 6, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Education, Employment, and Independent Living: Supported Decision-Making in Health Care and Life Planning
This session will focus on strategies and practical tips for maximizing independent living supports to help people lead their best, most independent lives.
We’ll focus on best practices in areas including Informed Consent, Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment, Person Centered Planning, Centers for Independent Living, money management, and ABLE Accounts. Using SDM, people with disabilities can plan for and access the supports they need throughout their lives!

Session 5: January 27, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Bringing it All Together: The Culture of Coordinated Support Model
Too often, services for people with disabilities are “silo-ed” – agencies, organizations, and providers focus only on what they do and do not communicate or collaborate with others providing similar supports. As a result, people with disabilities can receive ineffective, redundant, or even contradictory advice and support.
This session will demonstrate ways to create and implement effective and efficient support plans and services. Using the Culture of Coordinated Support Model, based on SDM, people can improve their services and ensure that providers work together, allowing them to specialize in the areas where they perform best – so people and providers can do better work in less time, with less effort and waste of resources.