The La Trobe Support for Decision Making Practice Framework Learning Resource
  • ABOUT
    • Full Credits
  • Module 1
  • Module 2
  • Module 3
    • Step 1: Knowing the person
    • Step 2: Identifying & describing the decision
    • Step 3: Understanding the person's will & preferences for the decision
    • Step 4: Refining the decision & taking account of constraints
    • Step 5: Consider if a formal process is needed
    • Step 6: Reaching the decision & associated decisions
    • Step 7: Implementing the decision & seeking advocates if necessary
  • Module 4
  • Module 5
    • Attention to communication
    • Education about consequences and practicalities
    • Listening and engaging to ensure all options are considered
    • Creating opportunities
    • Breaking things down
    • Enabling risk
  • Module 6
  • Resources
  • Contact
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​​About this resource

This online learning resource is about support for decision making.  It will present the first evidence-based framework to guide you through the process of supporting people with cognitive disabilities to make decisions. Using this framework will help you to enable the people you support to exercise choice and control in their own lives. 
This video is an introduction to this resource.
Being able to participate in making decisions is a basic human right.
The foundation of current approaches to providing support for decision making are that everyone has the right to participate in decision making. 
People with cognitive disabilities, particularly those with intellectual disabilities or acquired brain injury, are likely to need support to make some decisions about their lives.
This resource has been designed for supporters of people with intellectual disabilities and people with acquired brain injury.  Supporters include: frontline managers, disability support workers, team leaders, clinicians, friends, spouses, parents and other family members. It can also be used by case coordinators, case managers, local area coordinators and ability linkers.
If you support a person with intellectual disability or acquired brain injury, this resource will be useful for you.

What you will achieve by working through this resource

​By the completion of this resource you will be able to:
  1. Reflect upon how you support people with cognitive disabilities to make decisions.
  2. Describe the steps, principles and strategies in the La Trobe Support for Decision Making Practice Framework.
  3. Apply your knowledge of the La Trobe Support for Decision Making Framework to supporting a person with cognitive disability.

How to use this resource

  • This is a fully online learning resource.
  • It comprises 6 separate modules. You should work through these in order because the learning material in one module will inform the next.
  • You can work through this resource alone or with colleagues. 
  • Modules include short video talks introducing key concepts and activity videos that demonstrate different aspects of support for decision making.
  • Activities are denoted with a pencil icon. They can be completed using the downloadable workbook located in the Resources section. Suggested ways of thinking about how to respond to the activities are also in the Resources section.
  • There is a short Glossary. Words that you may not have come across before are written in blue and linked to the word’s meaning. For example, click the blue word, choice, to see what it means. The full Glossary is found in the Resources section.
  • Each module will take you between 30 and 60 minutes to complete.
  • You can get in touch with the authors using the online Contact Form.​
Start Module 1

Acknowledgements

This online learning resource was led by Professor Christine Bigby and Professor Jacinta Douglas from the Living with Disability Research Centre at La Trobe University. This work was developed through a process of research work and was supported with funding from the New South Wales Department of Family and Community Services (NSW FACS) managed by St Vincent De Paul Society NSW in partnership with the Living with Disability Research Centre. 

For a list of full credits click here.
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​The La Trobe Support for Decision Making Practice Framework has been developed by La Trobe University Living with Disability Research Centre and supported with funding from the NSW Department of Family and Community Services (FACS). 

The purpose of this website is to provide an evidence-based source of reference for those supporting people with developmental or acquired disabilities to make decisions.
Creative Commons License
CC-BY-SA
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
A suggested way to cite this resource:
Bigby, C., Douglas, J., & Vassallo, S. (2019). The La Trobe Support for Decision Making Practice Framework. An online learning resource. Retrieved from: www.supportfordecisionmakingresource.com.au
  • ABOUT
    • Full Credits
  • Module 1
  • Module 2
  • Module 3
    • Step 1: Knowing the person
    • Step 2: Identifying & describing the decision
    • Step 3: Understanding the person's will & preferences for the decision
    • Step 4: Refining the decision & taking account of constraints
    • Step 5: Consider if a formal process is needed
    • Step 6: Reaching the decision & associated decisions
    • Step 7: Implementing the decision & seeking advocates if necessary
  • Module 4
  • Module 5
    • Attention to communication
    • Education about consequences and practicalities
    • Listening and engaging to ensure all options are considered
    • Creating opportunities
    • Breaking things down
    • Enabling risk
  • Module 6
  • Resources
  • Contact