Library & Tools

How substance use is considered in the disability determination process has changed substantially over the years. This article dispels several widely-held myths about how DDS views substance use (such as you have to be clean and sober to get benefits), and its impact on the application process.

This issue brief, developed by the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center, explores how SOAR collaborates with SSA and DDS, what roles each plays in a successful partnership, and the benefits to SSA and DDS of collaborating with state and local SOAR programs.

Documenting substance use for an application is not just about finding out how much the person uses or how often.

On this webinar, held on July 20, 2017, the SOAR TA Center walked through two fantastic tools, loaded with strategies that can be easily replicated for collaborating with SSA and DDS.

In this two-part webinar series, held on October 18 and 25, 2017, presenters shared their knowledge of opioid use disorders, opioid misuse and marijuana use among individuals experiencing homelessness.

A key component of the SOAR model is developing strong collaborations with the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Disability Determination Services (DDS). The SOAR TA Center has created a guide to help!

This webinar, held on December 12, 2018, explored how opioid or other substance use disorders impact SOAR-assisted SSI/SSDI applicants.

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.

On this webinar, held on May 25, 2021, the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center addressed barriers to equity in SOAR implementation and presented strategies to overcome them.

Here are resources associated with our document, "Guidance for Improving Staff Engagement: Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in SOAR Work"