SOAR Webinar: SOAR Enhances Income Stability in AIAN Communities

There are 574 federally recognized Tribes in the United States; each are sovereign nations with their own history, cultures, and services. Just as each Tribe is unique, so is each SOAR application. Native individuals make up a disproportionate share of the people experiencing homelessness and many face unique challenges in accessing SSI/SSDI benefits.

The SOAR model’s culturally-sensitive engagement process and holistic approach to SSI/SSDI application assistance can be a critical support for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) community members whether residing on or off reservations. In this webinar, representatives from both the systems and community level will share best practices for engaging Native individuals to complete SOAR-assisted applications, and discuss strategies for gaining buy-in for SOAR from Native Communities in both urban and rural settings.

• Abigail Kirkman, MA, Assistant Director, SAMHSA SOAR TA Center
• Kim Vigue (Menominee/Oneida), MS, Managing Partner, Wolf River Consulting Group
• Rose David (Ojibway, Chimnissing First Nation), Partner, Wolf River Consulting Group
• Mylene Widner, (Apsáalooke Nation (Crow) and a descendant of Turtle Mountain Chippewa and Plains Cree of Canada) SOAR Case Worker and PATH Liaison, South Central Mental Health Center, Billings, Montana