Library & Tools

If Social Security denied your application for disability benefits, you may request an appeal. Social Security has four appeal levels. This article discusses the Reconsideration and Hearing by Administrative Law Judge levels.

This article explains how you can promote SOAR with your Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) office to help ease their backlog and workload issues, while at the same time, improving access to expedited decisions for SOAR applicants.

Peers have a unique ability to engage with individuals and help people share information about how their conditions affect their ability to function, treatment sources, and collateral sources of evidence. This issue brief developed by the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center explores how peers are a natural fit to help people with the SSI/SSDI application process using SOAR.

On this webinar, held on June 18, 2020, we introduced our updated SOAR Appeals Toolkit and guest speakers offered practice tips on effectively representing SOAR applicants with appeals.

The Social Security Administration now offers a video option for Administrative Law Judge appeal hearings.

The SAMHSA SOAR TA Center is proud to debut a new resource guide on practical ways that SOAR can be integrated into the peer-certification process. 

Highlighted below are some of the ways peers from around the country have incorporated their lived expertise into their SOAR work.

On this webinar, held on January 25, 2022, panelists shared best practice examples on how they have incorporated their lived expertise into their SOAR work.

State and Local Leads spearhead and coordinate the implementation of SOAR initiatives. These leaders identify and engage stakeholders to participate in steering committees whose goal is to create and implement a SOAR action plan and process for adult SSI/SSDI and/or child SSI application submission. These committees meet regularly to collaborate, report on progress, and troubleshoot challenges.

This toolkit will help you to develop a SOAR referral process for your community or agency that helps ensure that potentially eligible individuals are connected with SOAR-trained providers who are available to assist.