Library & Tools

What do medical providers need to know about SOAR and the Medical Summary Report?

The Listings are SSA’s categorized lists of illnesses and conditions and the specific severity criteria – symptoms, duration, and impairments – of each illness/condition that must be met for a person to be considered disabled by the illness/condition. It is helpful for case managers to become familiar with these requirements.

On this webinar, held on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, we took a deep dive into writing effective and culturally aware Medical Summary Reports (MSRs).

This webinar will explore the intersection of SOAR and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) programs.

On this webinar, held on August 28, 2019, participants learned tips and tools on how to write quality Medical Summary Reports (MSR).

This webinar, held on March 8, 2023, spotlighted successful collaborations between SOAR practitioners and medical providers.

Because SOAR is built on collaborations as well as training, the first step in starting a SOAR program is to bring key community partners together to agree upon and establish a SOAR Process and create a SOAR action plan. The SAMHSA SOAR TA Center can assist you every step of the way.

The SOAR Recertification Process aims to ensure that case workers who passed the SOAR Online Course more than one year ago but have not yet utilized the SOAR model to assist with SSI/SSDI applications are refreshed on the process. It also offers an opportunity for SOAR practitioners to verify their involvement with and knowledge of SOAR without having to complete the SOAR Online Course multiple times or on a yearly basis.

The Medical Summary Report (MSR) is SOAR’s signature tool and key to a successful application. It provides a succinct, comprehensive summary of the applicant’s personal and treatment history and its impact on his or her life. It also clearly describes the factors affecting functioning and ability to work.

We’ve gathered examples of well-written, successful Medical Summary Reports (MSRs) from SOAR providers across the country for the SOAR community to use as extra guidance.