Library & Tools

As we all do our best to address the barriers associated with racism and inequity, we must accept the discomfort that comes with the effort to learn about ourselves, learn about each other, and grow to create a psychologically safe environment in which staff can work and thrive. Here are some suggestions for improving staff engagement by integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into our SOAR work.

The SAMHSA SOAR TA Center has created a toolkit to provide helpful suggestions and key considerations when hiring and supervising SOAR case workers.

Increasing income through employment and Social Security disability benefits is critical for maintaining housing stability. However, for individuals utilizing housing vouchers, fear of losing their vouchers often prevents them from exploring employment. To encourage work, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has numerous incentives to protect those returning to work from immediate rent increases and voucher loss.

This issue brief provides guidance on how community agencies and local colleges/universities can collaborate to develop partnerships that integrate SOAR within the social work learning process.

This webinar, held on March 8, 2018, discussed a pilot project in which schools of social work integrated SOAR into their MSW programs.

This guide helps new SOAR Case Workers get acquainted with their role.

When employers recognize the value of SOAR case workers and coordinators by offering them equitable salaries, the benefits go beyond the individual case worker.

Is your agency looking to hire a SOAR Benefits Specialist?  Take a look at this Sample Job Description!

SOAR programs must consider how implicit biases may contribute to disparities in how SOAR services are accessed by and delivered to diverse groups. From hiring and supporting staff to identifying eligible SOAR applicants to writing a Medical Summary Report (MSR), there are many ways to encourage diversity, equity, and inclusion in SSI/SSDI application assistance while creating work environments where SOAR providers can thrive.

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.