Library & Tools

This issue brief, developed by the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center, describes: the misconceptions about employment and loss of disability benefits; how earned income from employment affects SSI/SSDI benefits and Medicare/Medicaid coverage; the employment resources and work incentives offered by SSA to current SSI/SSDI beneficiaries; and the role SOAR programs can play in connecting individuals to employment resources.

Incorporating SOAR screening and referral into your Coordinated Entry System helps prioritize access to benefits assistance for those who are most vulnerable. Helping those most in need to quickly obtain income increases your ability to place them in appropriate housing.

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.

Released by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in July 2018, and updated in 2023, this tool helps demonstrate how income from employment and/or VA disability benefits will affect Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

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

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.

SOAR extends beyond accessing SSI/SSDI and also encourages employment as a means to increase individual income and further promote recovery. This issue brief explores Individual Placement and Support (IPS), a model of supported employment that has been developed over the past 25 years specifically for people who have behavioral health needs.

An income support plan documents an individual’s income needs and goals and sets action steps for pursuing a variety of income sources

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