Library & Tools

February is Black History Month, a time for us to honor Black Americans’ achievements in the face of systemic oppression throughout our Nation’s history. In 2021, we celebrated the Former Acting Commissioner of Social Security (ACOSS), Carolyn W. Colvin, M.B.A., her achievements while in office, and her support of the SAMHSA SOAR model.

April is National Social Security Month! In 2021, we honored Mike Nolan, one of the SOAR initiative’s longest-standing supporters at the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The Program Operations Manual System (POMS) is a resource used by Social Security employees to process claims for Social Security benefits. It provides detailed instructions and guidance on various aspects of benefit administration. Here we review POMS DI 25020.010-Mental Limitations.

There are two SSA disability programs: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). People often confuse them. Both programs are federally funded and administered by the Social Security Administration.

Here are the SSA forms, links, and other helpful resources you will need to complete SSI and/or SSDI applications.

Understanding SSA's disability criteria helps the SOAR case manager assess the documentation necessary to support the claim of disability.

On this webinar, held on May 25, 2021, the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center addressed barriers to equity in SOAR implementation and presented strategies to overcome them.

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.

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

The SAMHSA SOAR TA Center has worked to address the barriers to equity in SOAR implementation with the development of resources, tools, and training. On this webinar, held on March 24, 2022, SOAR Leaders discussed how these resources have been used in their agencies.