FAQ

All complete packets submitted to SOAR TA Center will be reviewed within 10 business days. If your application packet is complete and without major errors or omissions, you will receive a Certificate of Completion. If there are significant errors/omissions, you will be invited to revise your packet and resubmit it for a second review. Once we receive your updated documents, you will hear from us within 7 business days. If the errors/omissions have been corrected, you will receive a Certificate of Completion.

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.

We estimate that it will take 16-20 hours to complete the Online Course.  This includes the completion of the Practice Case in which you will submit an SSI/SSDI application packet for a fictitious client to the SOAR TA Center.

We estimate that the full SOAR Online Course takes approximately 16-20 hours to complete, including time spent working on the practice case study. The length of each class varies, as some classes contain more articles than others. Also, we designed the course so that trainees can work through it at their own pace. As a result, the time spent in each class varies from person to person.

If you are finding that the classes are taking a significant amount of time and you have questions about the material, I encourage you to reach out to your SOAR TA Center Liaison.

The SOAR online course is available free of charge. Anyone interested in SOAR training is welcome to enroll at any time. The course is self-paced and you can receive support and assistance by contacting your SOAR TA Center Liaison or SOAR state/local lead.

If a person is working while applying for SSI and is earning above the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit set annually by SSA, they will not be eligible for benefits.

However, SSA has many work incentive programs for SSI beneficiaries to assist their efforts to return to work. These programs exclude some income/resources so that SSI recipients can attempt work, and even earn above SGA, without fear of losing their benefits. We recommend that beneficiaries speak with a work incentives specialist to discuss how work will affects their own benefits. A good place to start to find local resources is SSA's Ticket to Work website.

RFC forms are very useful and can be a vehicle for the treating source to provide medical opinion evidence, forcing the ALJ to consider it.  Sometimes the ALJ will discount the RFC form if he/she feels that it is not supported by the medical records.  For instance, sometimes a doctor will give the opinion that the applicant “can sit for 30 minutes” but nowhere in the medical record is there anything about this at patient appointments. So, be aware of that.  Also, be sure that the answers on the form are internally consistent. 

For the second question, once DDS determines the applicant has met a Listing (at Step 3 of the Sequential Evaluation), DDS stops developing the claim for other impairments.  DDS looks at the applicant’s RFC at Step 4 and Step 5.  The applicant’s RFC is determined and compared to the physical and mental demands of the past relevant work (Step 4). When it is determined that the applicant cannot perform past relevant work, RFC, age, education and past work experience must be considered to determine if there is other less demanding work the applicant can do.

Finally, RFC forms which are designed with space for the physician to provide their medical opinion, and not merely a form with check off boxes, is most effective. 

Most states prohibit the re-release or “further release” of records once they have been released to an entity that originally requested them. However, if you send a request for records using the SOAR Process, which includes (1) a signed SSA-827 Authorization to Disclose Information and (2) a signed Agency Authorization to Release Information (either using the sample on the SOAR Tools & Worksheets page or your agency’s HIPAA compliant release), you will be able to send those records on to SSA.

Also included on the SOAR Tools & Worksheets page is a Medical Records Request Letter, which explains the purpose of the records request. This process of sending two releases is permitted under the HIPAA Privacy Rule as a “compound authorization.” The regulation can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations: Title 45 Part 164 Section 164.508. Source: Code of Federal Regulations: Title 45

All of our resources are open-access and free to use when helping applicants. However, we request that you only use the “SOAR” label at Social Security when you are working with individuals who are experiencing or at-risk for homelessness. Read more about how we define homelessness and at-risk. If the applicants you assist do not fit this criteria, you are still welcome to use any of our materials that you find helpful, without marking the application as “SOAR” at Social Security.

Upon successful completion of the practice case in the SOAR Online Course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion and 20 continuing education (CE) contact hours from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

Once you submit your case study packet in Class 7, your application packet will be reviewed by SOAR TA Center staff who will provide you with feedback. If your application packet is complete and without major errors or omissions, you will receive your certificate. This can take up to 10 business days. If there are significant errors/omissions, you will be invited to revise your packet and resubmit it for a second review. If the errors/omissions have been corrected, you will receive a Certificate of Completion with your CEs.