Unlike an advance directive (living will), advance care planning (ACP) is not legally binding and reflects an agreement between the parties:

• The affected person, who chooses who the other parties are.
• The professional, with the authority to ensure compliance with the PDA during a relapse.
• The person's support environment, which may include family, friends, other professionals, etc.

The PDA is situated within a rights-based and supported decision-making model of care , and therefore accepts error as a possibility (assumes risk) and allows freedom of choice among alternatives. By including the caregivers and those who support the person with a mental health problem in the process and in the preferences, it also addresses the needs of those in their support network, thus reducing the risk of psychological distress they may experience and preventing them from developing a mental disorder themselves.