Living The Life
You Want
Welcome To Our Official Website
SDAN VISION STATEMENT
We envision people with intellectual and developmental disabilities living self-directed, fulfilling lives with access to all the long-term services and supports they need.
SDAN MISSION STATEMENT
SDAN-Maryland’s mission is to advocate for participant choice, control, flexibility, and the sustainability of self-directed services and supports. We do this through education, training, legislative advocacy, maintaining partnerships with state agencies and divisions, and collaborating with organizations committed to supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Your Life, Your Choice
Recent Information
News
SDAN MEETING – New DDA Family as Staff Form and Participant Agreement
Dec 2, 2021 12:00 PM Eastern Time SDAN ZOOM meeting on Thursday December 2, 2021 at 12pm. We updated our members on recent advocacy efforts and the legislative workgroup. Then Rhonda Workman joined us to answer any remaining questions you had regarding the DDA...
SDAN Meeting – Staff Recruitment
Thursday October 7 at 3:00pm Hiring dedicated staff members is more important– and more challenging– than ever. So…… on Thursday October 7, we premiered Why Work in Self-Direction? a staff recruitment and training video produced by SDAN volunteers. This new video,...
SDAN Membership Meeting – Housing
September 17, 2021 12:00PM On September 17th at 12pm, we held our SDAN Membership Meeting focusing on Housing. We welcomed Tim Wiens from Maryland Independent Housing. He presented information and resources to help us navigate the regulatory minefield of Independent...
Self Direction FAQs
1. What is Self-Direction (SD)? Self-Direction is when a person with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) makes their own decisions about how their Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) funding is allocated: You select the kind of...
SDAN Video – “Self-Direction & the Good Life!”
Self-Direction & The Good Life: Many Lives, Many Choices Video funded by SpArc Tank Grant from The Arc Maryland SDAN received a grant from The Arc Maryland to make two videos: this one and another one coming soon to help recruit staff. The Arc's funding was...
More Lives, More Choices!
Urgent Action Required to Protect Maryland Self-Direction
The proposed $150 million in cuts to the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) services are not just numbers on a budget sheet — they represent real people, real families, and real lives that will be directly affected. These reductions would destabilize...
Supported with Dignity: Desi’s Story
For Desi, self-direction means living a life shaped by his choices and being understood on his own terms. At 46 years old, Desi self-directs his services with a team designed around his preferences, communication style, and daily routines. Desi does not use spoken...