History of SOAR

Background

SOAR has its roots in a Social Security Administration (SSA) funded demonstration project that started in Baltimore in 1993 and continues today. Initially directed by psychiatric social worker Yvonne Perret, her team developed tools and strategies for assisting people with mental illness who were experiencing homelessness to apply for SSA disability programs. Beginning in 2001, with the support of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Ms. Perret and Deborah Dennis with Policy Research Associates, Inc. (PRA) developed SAMHSA’s Stepping Stones to Recovery manual and training curriculum. In 2014, PRA further developed this curriculum into the SOAR Online Course, currently used to train SOAR practitioners nationwide. 

In 2005, with funding provided by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD), states participating in the Federal Interagency Policy Academies on Homelessness were invited to apply for SOAR technical assistance, and the first 14 states were selected. In the following two years, 20 additional states applied and were selected to receive technical assistance that included infrastructure and systems change planning, train-the-trainer programs, onsite training, and ongoing technical assistance.

SAMHSA SOAR TA Center

In September 2009, SAMHSA awarded a five-year contract for the SOAR Technical Assistance (TA) Center to PRA, which was renewed in 2014, 2019, and 2024. Today, the SOAR TA Team works with all 50 states to develop and refine action plans for implementing and expanding SOAR programs in communities nationwide. Technical assistance, regional and state calls, webinars, a monthly newsletter, an interactive website, an online course, and an online outcome tracking program bring together SOAR stakeholders, community partners, and practitioners to share successes, challenges, and ideas for development, expansion, and change.

Costs

There is no cost for any technical assistance or training provided under the auspices of the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center. In addition:

• The expectation is that providers involved with SOAR do not charge persons applying for SSA disability benefits for their services. We work closely with providers to identify alternative sources of funding for their programs.
• The SOAR Online Course is available free of charge to participants. Community SOAR Leads may offer SOAR Online Course Review Sessions to individuals who have completed the SOAR Online Course. 
• SAMHSA provides funding for each state to send two people per year to a SOAR Leadership Academy, which supports local SOAR leaders in building and sustaining SOAR initiatives in their communities. Additional participants are accepted based on available space but must cover their travel expenses; no registration fee exists.
• Some states or localities have contracted with PRA or other national SOAR experts for additional training or technical assistance beyond what is available from SAMHSA’s SOAR TA Center.

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