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  • National Recovery Month

    National Recovery Month is observed every September to educate the public about mental health and substance use disorders and to celebrate the gains accomplished by individuals in recovery. In celebration, the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center extends thanks and appreciation to the 250+ SOAR-trained case workers who identify as “peers.”

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Aug, 2023
  • Recognizing National Social Security Month

    April is National Social Security Month! In 2021, we honored Mike Nolan, one of the SOAR initiative’s longest-standing supporters at the Social Security Administration (SSA).

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Jan, 2023
  • Celebrating Black History Month

    February is Black History Month, a time for us to honor Black Americans’ achievements in the face of systemic oppression throughout our Nation’s history. In 2021, we celebrated the Former Acting Commissioner of Social Security (ACOSS), Carolyn W. Colvin, M.B.A., her achievements while in office, and her support of the SAMHSA SOAR model.

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Jan, 2023
  • Best Practices for Collaborating with SSA and DDS

    SOAR seeks to increase access to Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits for people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. To achieve this goal, collaborations with SSA and the Disability Determination Services (DDS) are absolutely essential. SOAR can provide invaluable assistance to both SSA and DDS and, similarly, SSA and DDS can help to streamline the process for SOAR providers and for the applicants they both serve.

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Jun, 2022
  • SSA Annual Updates

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

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Mar, 2022
  • Spotlight on Peer Support Workers

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

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Aug, 2021
  • Identifying Possible Special Medical Vocational Profiles

    In an effort to better identify appropriate SOAR claimants, identifying claims which are more likely to have a favorable outcome is paramount. Social Security has developed Special Medical Vocational Profiles, which are rare combinations of adversities that combine, along with impairments, to result in a finding of disabled. 

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    Jun, 2021
  • SSA Issues an Emergency Message for Evaluating COVID

    SSA is now evaluating the long-term effects of COVID-19 when determining disability. On April 16, 2021, SSA issued an Emergency Message (EM) with guidance to its employees for evaluating adult disability cases that include an allegation or diagnosis of COVID-19. Here are the key points of the EM as well as tips for SOAR practitioners to effectively represent SSI/SSDI applicants whose functioning is impacted by COVID-19.

    Type:
    Article
    Date:
    May, 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