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  • SOAR Supervision Checklist

    SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery) case workers assist eligible 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 to apply for Social Security Disability benefits. Due to the unique nature of the position, the following are helpful suggestions and reminders when supervising SOAR case workers.

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Mar, 2024
  • SOAR Succession Planning

    Staff turnover while there are pending disability applications can confuse and concern the applicant, the Social Security Administration (SSA), and Disability Determination Services (DDS). This checklist helps agencies effectively transfer applications to a new SOAR case worker, resulting in a frustration-free experience for all.

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Mar, 2024
  • SSA Annual Updates

    Find up-to-date information on the rates that SSA sets annually.

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Mar, 2022
  • ALJ Video Hearings

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

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Apr, 2021
  • Pay Equity for Social Workers

    When employers recognize the value of SOAR case workers and coordinators by offering them equitable salaries, the benefits go beyond the individual case worker.

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Apr, 2021
  • SOAR Collaboration with SSA’s Office of Hearings Operations (OHO)

    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.

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Sep, 2019
  • Sample SOAR Job Description

    Is your agency looking to hire a SOAR Benefits Specialist?  Take a look at this Sample Job Description!

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Jun, 2019
  • SOAR Critical Component: The Medical Summary Report

    The Medical Summary Report (MSR) is SOAR’s signature tool and key to a successful application. It provides a succinct, comprehensive summary of the applicant’s personal and treatment history and its impact on his or her life. It also clearly describes the factors affecting functioning and ability to work.

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Jan, 2019
  • Sample Functional Descriptions

    This article provides example descriptions for the areas of mental functioning. The “effective” functional descriptions clearly link the symptoms of the applicant’s illness with their limitations.

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Jan, 2017