FAQ

There is no need to make up any details about your fictional applicant. All of the information you need to complete the Practice Case application packet is provided to you. Take care to review all materials available on the Practice Case pages at the end of Classes 1-4. This includes applicant interviews, medical records, and progress notes.

If a person is guarded when you are interviewing them for the MSR, you can explain to them the importance of you gathering this information and providing it to Social Security as part of the SSI/SSDI application process. If they still don't want to provide you information then you can document in the MSR the person's guarded nature, their behavior and symptoms you observe, and document that you believe it to be due to the symptoms of their mental illness (paranoia, delusions, suspiciousness, etc.). You can try to obtain the information you need for the MSR from the person's medical records and if they are willing to sign ROIs, you can attempt to interview collateral sources such as family, friends, case managers, etc. to obtain information to include in the MSR. 

The SAMHSA SOAR TA Center recommends that you don’t cite the Listing and Grid numbers, e.g.) Ms. Jones meets Listing 12.04, and the alternative Grid rule 203.03. Rather, at the DDS level (initial and reconsideration) we suggest providing a description of how the applicant meets a particular Listing(s) or Grid rule through specific examples from the medical records, applicant quotes, and other collateral sources.

We recommend contacting the DDS examiner assigned to the case to find out where they are in the decision making process. If they have just been assigned the case and are starting to process it, then you have time to write and submit a Medical Summary Report. You could let the DDS examiner know that you have additional evidence to submit. If you do not have an SSA-1696 on file, the claimant will need to be with you when you call. 

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.

Many of our sample MSRs include information about physical disabilities in addition to mental impairments. Here is an example of one.

We also encourage you to review the Listings for the specific criteria SSA will be looking for, for each condition. You'll want to include information in your MSR about how the person's conditions meet the listing criteria. 

It's great that she has two doctors willing to sign!  Yes, we recommend including both signatures -- it sends a stronger message that they are both on board with the content. And it won't cause any issues.

From the perspective of the SAMHSA SOAR TA center, there is no expiration date. Since you have passed the SOAR Online Course and received a Certificate of Completion, you are “SOAR-trained.” While we do not require additional training or re-certification, we do recommend visiting our website frequently and attending our webinars/SOARing Over Lunch calls, etc., to stay up-to-date on SSA policy changes and learn about new or updated SOAR resources.

With that being said, there may be training/certification requirements in your state or community.  We recommend reaching out to your State Team Lead or your SAMHSA SOAR TA Center Liaison. They will be able to provide additional assistance and connect you with leads in your area. You can find their contact information on your your state's SOAR page.

The SOAR TA Center does not require any further training but we always recommend that SOAR-trained practitioners stay up-to-date by re-visiting the website, reading our e-newsletters, attending our webinars, etc.

While we consider those who pass the SOAR Online Course to be "SOAR-trained," it is not a formal "SOAR Certification" so to speak.  However, many states implement their own SOAR Certification procedures so it is important to know about your state's SOAR Process. Please visit your state's page for more information.

The Mental Status Exam must be performed by an "Acceptable Medical Source" (AMS) in order to establish a "medically determinable physical or mental impairment."

Acceptable Medical Sources include physicians, psychologists, advanced practice nurse practitioners (APRN), or physician assistants (PA).  Further, the APRN category includes: Certified Nurse Midwife, Nurse Practitioner, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, and Clinical Nurse Specialist. Audiologists are also acceptable medical sources for hearing-related disorders.

Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) are not included.