FAQ

For the SSA-3288, SSA will not charge a fee if the request is related to "program purposes" (i.e. related to one of the programs administered by SSA, such as SSI or SSDI). For instance, a reason related to program purposes may be help with an SSI/SSDI application for benefits. You could also add if the applicant is experiencing homelessness, as that might expedite the processing of the request (though faster processing isn’t guaranteed).

Once you have set the Protective Filing Date (PFD), you have 60 days to submit the complete application & MSR.  Read Steps in the SSA Disability Application Process.

Once a person receives benefits they will need to undergo periodic Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR). The frequency of a CDR will depend on the type and severity of the diagnosis.

Individual providers can choose whatever title works best for themselves and their agency.  Some examples that we have seen include SOAR practitioner, SOAR benefits specialist, SOAR case manager, and SOAR specialist. Others will use their traditional title (e.g. social worker, case manager, outreach worker) and say that they are SOAR trained or certified in the SOAR process. 

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.

A SKILL is the knowledge of the principles and the processes of a job and the ability to apply them in practice in a proper and approved way. Examples of a skill are making precise measurements, reading blueprints, setting up and operating complex machinery. SSA will determine the claimant’s skill level by the types of work he has done in the past. SSA classifies jobs as unskilled, semiskilled and skilled. SSA will look at the jobs the claimant performed in the last 15 years and determine if they were unskilled, semiskilled or skilled. The SSA will consult authoritative vocational sources such as the Dictionary of Occupational Titles to help them determine which category the claimant’s past work should fall into.

1. UNSKILLED work needs little or no judgment to do simple duties that can be learned on the job in a short period of time. This is usually 30 days or less. An example of an unskilled job is one that involves putting materials on or in, or taking them off or out of a machine. A person does not gain skills by doing unskilled work.

2. SEMISKILLED work needs some skills but does not require complex work duties. An example of a semiskilled job would be one that requires alertness and close attention to watching machine processes.

3. SKILLED work requires that a person use judgment. For example, a skilled job may require that a person determine the machine and manual operations to be performed in order to obtain the proper forms.

Practice Tip: The lower the skill level the claimant has the more likely the claimant will be found disabled. You want to try to place your client in the lowest skill level possible. For example, unskilled is better than semi-skill and semiskilled is better than skilled in a disability claim.

You shouldn’t worry too much about Step 2. DDS uses this step to weed out frivolous claims. At the second step, SSA considers the medical severity of an individual’ impairment(s), e.g.) health problems. An individual must have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment, (or a combination of impairments) that is severe and meet the duration requirement. To be severe, an impairment or impairments must interfere with basic work-related activities. To meet the duration requirement the impairment(s) must be expected to last twelve months or to result in death. If the impairment(s) are not severe or do not meet the duration requirement, the individual is found not disabled. If the impairment(s) are severe and meet the duration requirement, the adjudicator goes to question three.

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.

Yes, you should file a SOAR-assisted application because even if you don’t have access to the medical evidence, DDS will request directly from prior treating sources and/or schedule appropriate Consultative Examinations (CE) to obtain diagnoses. Remember, SSA needs a diagnosis to make a disability determination. Remember, to write in the “Remarks Section” on SSA forms, about your efforts to obtain medical information so that DDS will know what they need to do to medically develop the claim.

This is a great question! While DDS does not have a way to process records received via disk, this sounds like a good opportunity to speak with them about signing up for Electronic Records Express, which allows you to upload medical records directly into an applicant’s file from your computer without having to print them. I recommend reaching out to your DDS Professional Relations Officer, or your local SOAR contact, for details on how to register.  This should be a quick process, allowing you to upload these records without delaying your current case.