Michigan

Michigan SOAR State Team

State Team Lead(s):

• Alisha Pennington
  Email: penningtona@michigan.gov
  Phone: 517-281-6957

• Rod DesJardins
  Email: desjardinsr1@michigan.gov
  Phone: 517-285-2115

TA Center Liaison:

• Amanda Starkey
  Email: astarkey@prainc.com
  Phone: (518) 439-7415 x5251

SOARing in Michigan

Michigan’s SOAR Initiative began in 2006 and is led by the Housing and Homeless Services Division within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.  The Housing and Homeless Services Division has a SOAR-dedicated team to oversee coordination and implementation of SOAR activities across the state.  The SOAR-dedicated team includes Regional SOAR Navigators that provide technical assistance, referral coordination, education and recruitment for SOAR within an assigned set of geographic areas of the state.

Quarterly SOAR training cohorts are hosted by the Housing and Homeless Services Division on an annual basis.  SOAR training cohorts consist of completing the SOAR Online Course and attending a “SOAR OLC Review and MI Fundamentals” webinar.

The Housing and Homeless Services Division supports SOAR network development through a variety of activities each year including regular check-in webinars, state steering committee meetings, and an annual SOAR event.

Expectations of Participation in SOAR

Formal certification is required for individuals to practice SOAR in Michigan. The Housing and Homeless Services Division grants SOAR certification on an annual basis.  All certified SOAR practitioners must be registered in and enter SOAR-assisted SSI/SSDI application data into the OAT system.

Outcomes Tracking

Michigan utilizes the Online Application Tracking (OAT) system for SOAR data collection and reporting.  All certified SOAR practitioners must be registered in and enter SOAR-assisted SSI/SSDI application data into the OAT system.