Library & Tools

The SOAR TA Center has released the outcomes of SSI/SSDI applications submitted using the SOAR process from 2006 through June 30, 2019.

The SOAR TA Center has released the outcomes of SSI/SSDI applications submitted using the SOAR process from 2006 through June 30, 2020.

The SOAR TA Center has released the outcomes of SSI/SSDI applications submitted using the SOAR process from 2006 through June 30, 2021.

The SOAR TA Center has released the outcomes of SSI/SSDI applications submitted using the SOAR process from 2006 through June 30, 2022.

The SOAR TA Center has released the outcomes of SSI/SSDI applications submitted using the SOAR process from 2006 through June 30, 2023.

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.

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

One of the most important tasks for you to accomplish is to make the link between diagnosis and functional impairment so that DDS can fully understand the applicant’s disability. This article discusses how to ask questions that elicit the information you will use to write your Medical Summary Report (MSR).

For applicants with mental disorders, DDS examiners look at a person’s ability to function in four primary areas. Your responsibility is to describe the functioning of the individual in as much detail as possible and to document how the person’s illness impairs his or her ability to function and maintain employment at a substantial gainful level.

This article provides example descriptions for the areas of mental functioning. The “effective” functional descriptions clearly link the symptoms of the applicant’s illness with their limitations.