Library & Tools

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.

This infographic illustrates how SOAR makes an impact at the local level.

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.

Staff turnover while there are pending disability applications can confuse and concern the applicant, the Social Security Administration (SSA), and Disability Determination Services (DDS). This checklist helps agencies effectively transfer applications to a new SOAR case worker, resulting in a frustration-free experience for all.

SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery) case workers assist eligible individuals who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have a serious mental illness, medical impairment, and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder to apply for Social Security Disability benefits. Due to the unique nature of the position, the following are helpful suggestions and reminders when supervising SOAR case workers.

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

On this webinar, held on June 6, 2019, we reviewed the many ways OAT can be utilized, beyond outcome tracking.

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

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

The second webinar in our "Completing Quality SOAR Applications" series was held on June 27, 2018 and focused on how to optimize medical records collection and approach SSA’s Listings of Impairments for expediting your SOAR claim.