Library & Tools

Here are a number of resources for professionals as well as for individuals with brain injuries and their families. This information was compiled by Anastasia Edmonston MS CRC., TBI and Person Centered Planning Trainer, Maryland Behavioral Health Administration 2015*, and additional resources have been added as they have become available.

This guide will help you complete an SSI application for a child using the SOAR model. You have 60 days from the protective filing date (PFD) to submit a complete application packet to the Social Security Administration (SSA). We encourage you to complete the process in less time as you are able.

The second webinar in our "Completing Quality SOAR Applications" series was held on June 27, 2018 and focused on how to optimize medical records collection and approach SSA’s Listings of Impairments for expediting your SOAR claim.

Here are examples of completed SSA and SOAR Forms using information from a fictitious SSI child applicant.

This webinar, held on April 11, 2019, provided tips on how to get started on your first SOAR-assisted SSI/SSDI application.

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.