Library & Tools

This webinar, held on August 23, 2023, addressed the concept of “materiality” and how to demonstrate to DDS that past or ongoing substance use is not material to a finding of disability

Understanding the Social Security Administration’s evaluation criteria for SSI/SSDI applications involving co-occurring disorders is critical to providing effective representation.

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

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

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.