FAQ

It's never been too long! You are welcome to submit your documents for the SOAR Online Course practice case at any time and the system will never time you out.

If you have specific questions about your practice case, email them to soaronline@prainc.com.

The CEUs offered by the SOAR Online Course are approved by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

At the hearing level, many Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) will invoke ‘Rule 3.7: Lawyer/Advocate as Witness’.  Under the advocate-witness rule, you cannot serve as both advocate (via the SSA-1696) and witness.  The ‘witness’ is required to testify on the basis of personal knowledge, while an advocate is expected to explain and comment on evidence given by others. This dual role can give rise to a conflict of interest.

In your case, the ALJ viewed the 3^rd Party Function Report you completed as ‘providing witness testimony’ which can prejudice the ALJ’s decision. Often, the ALJ will recognize that the SOAR case worker is not familiar with this rule, and educate them on their options.  When there is other evidence in the file and the SOAR case worker does not need to testify themselves, they will remain the official 1696 representative. By doing so, they are able to cross examine expert witnesses and directly examine the applicant (i.e. ask them questions in front of the judge during the hearing).

Yes, as long as you successfully complete the practice case component of the SOAR Online Course, you will receive a certificate of completion. It comes with 20 CEUs from the National Association of Social Workers for those who are licensed, but the course is open and available for those who are not licensed.

Not really.  There are many reasons for this.  Firstly, hearings are tape recorded and physical movements won’t show up on audio.  As well, any physical limitations that are the basis of a disability claim must have medical records to back it up, not just an ALJ’s observations. Courts have discounted “sit and squirm” opinions from ALJs who “eyeball” the client, and say they have no back problems, for example, because they sit in a hearing for two hours in no obvious discomfort.  DDS is supposed to consider the claimant’s capacity to perform work activities on a sustained basis, not just on what they can or cannot do on a one-time basis.  (See Social Security Rulings 96-8p and 96-9p) https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/rulings/rulfind1.html#YRT1996)

To help expedite a hearing, the applicant or their representative can submit a letter of "dire need" to the Office of Hearing Operations (OHO).  The letter should describe the applicant's conditions, how they have worsened since the reconsideration was filed, and why they will worsen still if they are not granted an expedited hearing. You need to explain how the applicant is unable to get shelter, medical care, and/or food. Be as specific as possible and provide examples of the applicant's functional impairment.  If you can reference medical records, that is very helpful. There is no guarantee that the administrative law judge will grant an expedited hearing, but it is worth trying.

Occasionally elected officials will send a form letter (a dire need letter of sorts) to OHO to inquire about the claim and to ask for an expedited process.  

If the case is pending at the initial or reconsideration stage, you can become the applicant's representative via submission of the SSA-1696: Appointment of Representative form. You will then be able to communicate with SSA/DDS about the application and request access to the materials that have been submitted. After reviewing the person’s file, you'll know what needs to be addressed, just as when you are starting anew with someone. If the person isn't willing to have you be the representative, ask if they have one - if so, try to assist that person with what needs to be addressed.

If the person is waiting for an appeal hearing, it may be necessary for you to secure legal representation for them through agencies such as the state Protection and Advocacy organization, Legal Services, Legal Aid, or another kind of pro-bono legal service.

Read more at Prior or Pending Applications.

All of the forms required for the SOAR online course are located in Class 1 Practice Case page, “Meet your Client”. Right-click on each file, choose "Save Target As" (or "Save Link As"), and save in an easily-accessible location on your computer. The forms may also be opened as pdfs and then completed and saved. The course will instruct you on when each form needs to be completed and uploaded to the website. If you have any trouble uploading the completed forms, you can see our Troubleshooting Tips.

If you are looking to download and complete SSA forms outside of the SOAR Online Course, many forms can be found in our Library or on the SSA website.

When you log-in to the SOAR website, go to your Profile page.  There, you will see a link to access the Certificate of Completion that was e-mailed to you when you passed the course.

You can obtain valuable insight into the reason an applicant was previously denied by reviewing the applicant’s electronic folder, or at minimum, obtaining the “Disability Determination Explanation” or denial notice. Most likely, you will have easy access to the denial notice from the applicant or, if you are the authorized representative, SSA should have mailed a copy to you. You can also request reason for denial by contacting your local SSA office. Learn more at Reviewing Denial Notices.