Supported decision-making mechanisms can take several forms, particularly with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) entering into force in May 2008 and, more recently, the state and Catalan reform entering into force in September 2021. These include natural or professional support networks, support agreements, self-help groups, peer support, advanced support guidelines, and professional support services varying in intensity and duration. These mechanisms provide support for specific aspects of a person’s life or at a global level. Moreover, they are applied in a flexible manner and are based on the will and preferences of the person so as to respect their legal capacity.

Support-Girona has been evolving since 2014 by following the main principles of CRPD in order to create a system of support for legal capacity and provide assistance in the decision-making process while, simultaneously, offering safeguards for the exercise of the assisted person’s legal capacity and promoting their autonomy and full social inclusion within the community. The organisation addresses its practices in recognition of the right of each person to be involved in the decisions that concern them. Moreover, it promotes supporting the exercise of the rights and autonomy of the assisted person while respecting their will and preferences. Additionally, the organisation wishes to accomplish the following:

Integrate and spread the supported decision-making approach through dissemination information to society, services, and the professionals involved, whether from the healthcare or social areas or from the public or private sector (i.e., administration, banking, shops, etc.)

Create synergies of intersectoral cooperation and organising information as well as training sessions to seek the involvement and participation of key actors (i.e., users, families and experts) in order to implement, as much as possible, the principles of CRPD.

Find new ways to identify and implement effective safeguards to avoid undue influence and conflicts of interest while providing supported decision-making mechanisms to persons with disabilities.

Assist people so that they can recognise those situations where they may need support and then offering them that support.