The Self-Direction Center is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people with disabilities have meaningful control over their own care and support services across the United States.
We support the growth and improvement of self-direction programs across the country through four core areas:
Community: We bring together people who use self-direction, family members, workers, program administrators, policymakers, and other stakeholders. Through webinars, discussion groups, and our annual National Self-Direction Conference, we create spaces for people to share experiences, solve problems together, and learn from each other.
Education: We provide training and resources to help people understand how self-direction works and how to make it work better. This includes helping people learn to manage their own services, supporting states in improving their programs, and educating policymakers about why this approach matters.
Research: We support and nurture research that examines what makes self-direction successful and demonstrates its impact. We help connect researchers with the people and programs they need to study, promote research that centers the voices and experiences of people who use self-direction, and work to build the evidence base that policymakers and program administrators need to make informed decisions.
Advocacy: We educate policymakers, state officials, and the public about the value and impact of self-direction programs. We also support state-level advocates in their efforts by equipping them with research, data, and educational materials they can use in their own communities to protect and strengthen self-direction programs.
We believe that people with lived experience—those who actually use self-direction programs—must be at the center of everything we do. Their expertise shapes our research questions, our educational content, and our advocacy priorities. We're committed to ensuring that at least half of our board members are people with disabilities or older adults with direct experience in self-direction.
Self-direction programs exist in every state, but they vary widely in quality and accessibility. Our goal is to strengthen these programs, expand access to more people, and ensure that those who choose self-direction receive the support and resources they need to succeed. We're building a national movement that recognizes a simple truth: when people have real control over their own care and support, everyone benefits. People live more fulfilling lives, families have more flexibility, and our care systems become more sustainable and responsive. The Self-Direction Center exists to make this vision a reality.
