Library & Tools

Here is some helpful information if you are having trouble filling out and saving the SSA forms for the SOAR Online Course.

Throughout the SOAR Online Course there are several videos for you to view. Here are a few options for viewing these videos, as well as some troubleshooting tips.

The CARES Act included additional Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) funding for communities. There is an opportunity for ESG recipients and Continuums of Care (CoCs) to use some of this funding to support dedicated SOAR case workers.

This infographic provides the steps needed to obtain funding for your SOAR program.

On this webinar, held on January 25, 2018, the SOAR TA Center and successful local and state SOAR leaders shared tips, tools, and strategies to help keep your SOAR program successful and sustaining.

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.

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.

The SOAR Recertification Process provides an opportunity for active SOAR-trained practitioners to obtain an updated Certificate of Completion to verify their involvement with and knowledge of SOAR without having to complete the SOAR Online Course multiple times or on a yearly basis.

In May 2016, Frontiers in Public Health published an evaluation of the SOAR online training model, which assessed SOAR Online Course usage from October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015. The study focused on the unique integration of a practice SSI/SSDI application into the training, the first of its kind in public health online trainings, and the support provided by local and state SOAR leads.

SOAR programs across the nation are looking for attention-getting ways to communicate with government officials, community providers, potential volunteers, and funders about the work SOAR is doing to help people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness access Social Security benefits. Most of these stakeholders will look online to find information about your program.