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Find answers to frequently asked questions.

Question:
Is there a school records request form?

There is no general form for requesting school records. To obtain school records, contact the specific School District to obtain their request form. 

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Question:
Is there any guidance or training on assisting with the appeal process?

Yes, we have a number of resources on the SOAR website to help provide information and guidance through the appeals process. They can all be found in the SOAR Library. I recommend starting with the article About Appeals and then checking out the Appeals Toolkit.

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Question:
I'm working with a client who has indicated that both her treating psychiatrist and her primary care doctor are willing to sign the MSR. Is there any advantage to having 2 signatures? Could this cause any issues?

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.

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Question:
How long is the certification from the SOAR online courses good for? is there an expiration date?

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.

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Question:
What is considered a medical impairment? (i.e. Global developmental Delay in a child under the age of 5?)

SSA’s definition of disability differs from a solely medical definition in that it encompasses the child’s ability to function as compared with the functional abilities of a child of the same age who does not have impairments.

According to SSA, a medically determinable physical or mental impairment is an impairment that results from anatomical, physiological, or psychological abnormalities that can be shown by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques. A physical or mental impairment must be established by objective medical evidence from an acceptable medical source. 

SSA uses the Listing of Impairments to define the criteria for disability eligibility. The Listings are categorized by body system (i.e., cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, mental disorders). Developmental delays can be found in the following Listing: 112.14 Developmental disorders in infants and toddlers. The Listing can be found here: https://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/112.00-MentalDisorders-Childhood.htm#112_14

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Question:
For the SSI application under in-kind support, do you include SNAP benefits? If so, what would be a good estimate if amount is unknown?

SNAP benefits are accounted for in question #58 on the SSA-8000 and, therefore, would not count as in-kind/cash support for Questions #37a-b.

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Question:
If someone has a pending claim for SSDI under appeal with an attorney involved, should/can a SOAR application be submitted?

SSA does not allow an applicant to have multiple applications pending at the same time.  If the applicant chooses to have a new initial SOAR-assisted application for SSDI benefits submitted, then the applicant would need to withdraw their current application.  It is important that the applicant understands that the new application would create a new application date which may result in the loss of retroactive 'back' benefits based on withdrawing the current pending application.

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Question:
Is military deployment considered living overseas on question SSA-8000 15(a)?

No, military deployments do not count as residency abroad.

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Question:
Are there any sources of income that are not counted towards your SSI claim (i.e., VA Disability, Child Support)?

Yes, there are a number of unearned income (e.g. income derived from a source other than working) exclusions in the SSI program. There is a comprehensive list here, with links to more information about each source: https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0500830099.

VA Disability payments are not excluded when looking at countable income for the SSI program, and you’ll see that they aren’t included in this table. These benefits are counted dollar for dollar, after a general exclusion of $20. For Veterans who receive a VA Disability Pension and are applying for SSI, their income will almost certainly be too high from the Pension payment to qualify for SSI. That said, they paid into SSDI through their military service and may qualify for SSDI, so that is worth exploring (for that, check with SSA to see if the Veteran has enough work quarters to potentially qualify for SSDI).

Child support payments are in this exclusions table (though the regulations can be a bit hard to sift through) – basically, SSA will exclude one-third of support payments made on behalf of a child when determining countable income. I find this link easier to read when discussing child support and main exclusions: https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/416/416-1124.htm

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Question:
Can I submit a SOAR application for a homeless client who has physical disabilities but not mental illness?

Absolutely!  SOAR is designed to assist individuals who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have a serious mental illness, medical impairment, and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder. 

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