Library & Tools

Tracking SOAR outcomes is a critical way to document successes and to target technical assistance needs. Using the SOAR Online Application Tracking (OAT) program, case workers can easily enter application outcome data and generate reports to use for local sustainability efforts.

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

An evaluation of the SOAR model concluded that better outcomes were achieved when providers used the SOAR model to complete SSI/SSDI applications.

Recipients of SSDI are eligible for Medicare two years after their SSDI eligibility began. This article provides an overview of programs that can assist individuals with the expenses associated with Medicare, such as premiums, deductibles, and co-pays.

Both SSA disability programs have health insurance programs associated with them. For SSI it is Medicaid; for SSDI it is Medicare which begins two years after the date of eligibility. Establishing eligibility for SSI or SSDI can be key to connecting with Medicaid or Medicare health insurance. 

SOAR TA Center Director, Kristin Lupfer, was featured on this webinar presented by HUD's Office of Special Needs Assistance (SNAPs) and Office of HIV/AIDS Housing (OHH).

An SSA ruling clarifies existing regulations which require that claimants and/or their authorized attorney or non-attorney representatives inform SSA about, or submit all evidence known to them that relates to their disability claim. This article will discuss the purpose of the ruling, outline key requirements, and present a few scenarios which a SOAR practitioner may encounter.

The following stories were submitted with permission to the SOAR Technical Assistance Center in response to a call for examples of how Social Security disability benefits have changed the lives of people who were experiencing or at risk for homelessness.

Completing the SSA-827 allows SOAR case managers to obtain the applicant’s medical records, in order to verify that they meet the medical eligibility criteria for SSI/SSDI.

The CE report should show not only the individual’s symptoms, laboratory findings (psychological test results), and diagnosis but also the effect of the mental disorder on the individual’s ability to function in personal, social, and occupational situations.