Library & Tools

This infographic provides a simple flowchart for how to best contact your local SSA office.

This webinar, held on January 28, 2015, focused on coordinated assessment, also known as coordinated entry or coordinated intake -- a new requirement for all HUD Continuums of Care (CoCs) as established by the HEARTH Act.

This issue brief provides guidance on how community agencies and local colleges/universities can collaborate to develop partnerships that integrate SOAR within the social work learning process.

This webinar, held on March 8, 2018, discussed a pilot project in which schools of social work integrated SOAR into their MSW programs.

This guidance document is a supplement to the Medical Summary Report Interview Guide and Template. It provides important considerations when working with individuals who are Deaf and hard of hearing. It includes helpful information about hearing loss, Deaf culture, and important accommodations. Finally, it includes sample questions that may be helpful in your interview.

One of the most important tasks for you to accomplish is to make the link between diagnosis and functional impairment so that DDS can fully understand the applicant’s disability. This article discusses how to ask questions that elicit the information you will use to write your Medical Summary Report (MSR).

For applicants with mental disorders, DDS examiners look at a person’s ability to function in four primary areas. Your responsibility is to describe the functioning of the individual in as much detail as possible and to document how the person’s illness impairs his or her ability to function and maintain employment at a substantial gainful level.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) keeps all new disability files in electronic format. Applicants and authorized representatives have the right to obtain relevant application information on a CD-ROM. When you are preparing to appeal a denial of disability benefits, you should request the case file so that you can review key components of the file and decision.

Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) and SOAR are two key programs administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that work together to end homelessness. Both programs serve adults who have serious mental illnesses and/or co-occurring substance use disorders who are experiencing or at risk for homelessness and assist them in gaining income and housing stability.

It is important to find out whether someone has a pending initial claim or is waiting for a reconsideration or an appeals hearing before starting a new application.