SOAR stands for SSI/SSDI Outreach Access & Recovery. The SOAR initiative started in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1993 as part of a Social Security Administration-funded demonstration project. SOAR targets individualswho are homeless or at risk of homelessness, with medical or mental impairments. The SOAR initiative is an expedited process for eligible, homeless individuals to obtain SSI/SSDI income and get out of homelessness.
SOAR is a county-wide initiative. There are SOAR Programs at the Mecklenburg County Community Support Services, Mecklenburg County Criminal Justice Services, Mecklenburg County Department of Community Resources, and Atrium Health.
The SOAR process involves specialized, targeted case management. SOAR case managers assume the role of non-attorney disability representativeto support anSSI/SSDI claimant through the disability determination process or even an administrative disability hearing if needed.
SOAR case managers become educated on the disability determination process and assume active roles in communicating with the Social Security Administration to provide information to expedite the SSI/SSDI eligibility determination process.
SOAR case managers specialize in engaging hard-to-reach individuals. They are experts inreviewing and organizing large volumes of medical records and writing Medical Summary Reports (MSR), which paint a picture of their clients’ functioning and drive the disability determination process.
An SSI/SSD application completed using the SOAR process is more likely to result in approval in less time than a non-SOAR application. The SOAR Process can begin for incarcerated individuals 90 days beforetheir release,allowing them to acquire disability income soon after release.
SOAR is best implemented as a community effort. Therefore, the SOAR initiative encourages collaboration and coordination between the various systems that focus on breaking the cycle of homelessness, repeated incarcerations, and frequent inpatient hospitalizations.
The successful completion of a SOAR SSI/SSDI application comes with the reward of knowing that the life of another individual will be positively impacted.
For SOAR SSI/SSDI eligibility the client must be:
- Homeless or at risk of homelessness
- Have presenting medical and/or psychiatric conditions or symptoms that have existed for a year or more
- Currently and consistently receiving treatment, or have a history of treatment for the presenting conditions
- Unable to work or has difficulty sustaining employment due to presenting medical and/or psychiatric conditions
- Be reviewed by you, the case manager, using the form below
When you’re all done, use this link to fill out a referral form for your client.. SOAR referral
