Library & Tools

Here is some guidance from the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center and the Social Security Administration for gathering information about and documenting Long COVID for SSI/SSDI applications.

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

This guidance document is a supplement to the Medical Summary Report Interview Guide and Template. It provides important considerations when working with individuals who are Deaf and hard of hearing. It includes helpful information about hearing loss, Deaf culture, and important accommodations. Finally, it includes sample questions that may be helpful in your interview.

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 guide presents common post-entitlement events that occur for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries and provides guidance for SOAR-trained case workers to assist SSI/SSDI beneficiaries with navigating these events to maintain eligibility. However, it is not exhaustive. SSI and SSDI post-entitlement events and rules are numerous, oftentimes complex in nature, and specific to a person’s circumstances.

Learn more about the impact of Unemployment Insurance and Economic Impact (Stimulus) Payments on SSI/SSDI benefits.

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

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.

SSI/SSDI overpayments may cause undue hardship for beneficiaries who are experiencing or at-risk for homelessness. This article provides tips for avoiding overpayments and steps to follow in the overpayment appeal/waiver process.

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.