SOAR eNews - March 2014

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March 2014 SOAR Leadership Academy The first SOAR Leadership Academy was held February 4-6 in Atlanta, Georgia! We welcomed 28 new SOAR Local Leads from 12 states. During the Leadership Academy, participants attended sessions that prepared them to make SOAR work in their community and support case managers who complete the SOAR Online Course. Participants learned how to create and lead a local steering committee, implement a quality review process, creatively fund and sustain local SOAR efforts, and use the SOAR Online Application Tracking (OAT) system. In This Issue Leadership Academy Success Stories SSA Updates Center Events Quick Links SOAR Website Contact us Trainings SSA Webinars Sharing Our Successes SOAR News and Accomplishments Livingston County, NY: SOAR Trainer and case manager, Nicole Ricker, has had a 100% approval rate in an average of 85 days on six SOAR applications since early August! Congratulations to Nicole and the entire New York-501 Continuum of Care! New York, NY: SOAR case manager, Cydnee Couch, of the New York City Department of Homeless Services recently received her first approval. Congratulations, Cydnee! KS, AZ, and ID: The SOAR TA Center would like to welcome three new State Team Leads - Doug Wallace of Kansas, Adam Robson of Arizona, and John Kirsch from Idaho. Welcome to the SOAR team Doug, Adam, and John! New Haven, CT: Chris Evans, Manager, Pathways to Independence, Columbus House, Inc., submits the following success story: When I first met Rachel she spent most days walking up and down the main street near the shelter, picking up old cigarettes or eating food from garbage cans - walking outside in rain, hot sun or freezing snow. I was struck by her resilience. I introduced myself to her, bringing her food regularly as she waited to enter the shelter. After some time, I obtained signed medical releases from Rachel and began to gather important information about her past physical and mental health - including past involvement with the child welfare system, past trauma, mental health services, and more recent life activities including attending college. In applying for Social Security benefits using SOAR, I learned of her prior, substantial, work history, creating eligibility for SSDI benefits. Upon approval, Rachel received $800/month in benefits, and she was assisted in managing this with a representative payee. Shortly after, Rachel began to engage in mental health treatment, and she began a new regimen of medication which greatly diminished her psychiatric symptoms and helped her engage with her case manager. Rachel was approved for housing through Fellowship Place, and immediately felt at home in this new community. She started changing her clothes and wearing fashionable outfits, which she purchased using her own money. This sense of empowerment had a multiplier effect on everything else - she was now making friends at her new program and even used a cell phone to call her case manager to talk. At her new apartment, she adjusted well and began cooking her own meals, while also spending time decorating her room. The difference that just a few months, and a few hundred dollars a month, had made in this young woman was remarkable. Upon seeing her while making a routine visit to her case manager, I was almost moved to tears by the incredible metamorphosis this young woman had undergone. Someone who was once reliant on the shelter system, isolated and alone in a world of frightening delusions, was now a bright young woman looking forward to her future in a community that never gave up on her. In the past 24 months, 30 individuals, including Rachel, have received SSI and/or SSDI via the SOAR model employed at Columbus House. Another 34 applications are pending. Congratulations, Chris, and thank you for sharing! *** Stay tuned for an upcoming SOAR TA Center publication, In Our Own Voices, highlighting SOAR success stories! *** If you have a SOAR-related success story to share, email pheine@prainc.com SOAR Learning Community Calls SOAR Learning Community Calls will focus on administrative aspects of running a SOAR program. Those interested in expanding their SOAR role are encouraged to attend. All calls will be held at 3:00-4:30pm EDT. Upcoming Calls Tuesday, March 18: Creating and Leading Steering Committees/Conducting Effective Meetings Tuesday, May 20: Funding & Sustainability Tuesday, July 22: Supporting Quality Applications Further details and registration information will be sent out closer to the call dates. SOAR Job Announcement Benefits & Entitlement Specialist, Alameda County, CA The Benefits and Entitlements Specialist Team (BEST) is a new Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) program that helps individuals who are chronically homeless and disabled apply for Social Security benefits. Read more here: http://soarworks.prainc.com/sites/soarworks.prainc.com/files/BOSS_AlamedaCty_CA.docx Social Security Updates New Supplemental Security Income Rules Involving Same-Sex Married Couples Social Security has published new instructions that allow the agency to process some Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claims by individuals who are in a same-sex marriage. SSI is a program based on financial need, and the agency must consider the income and resources of the recipient and his or her spouse when determining eligibility and monthly payment. “As with previous same-sex marriage policies, we worked closely with the Department of Justice,” said Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “With the release of these instructions, we continue our commitment to treating all Americans fairly, with dignity and respect.” Read more here: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pressoffice/pr/new-ssi-rules-doma.html New Expedited Disability Process for Veterans Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, along with Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD) unveiled a new initiative to expedite disability claims by veterans with a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation rating of 100% Permanent & Total (P&T).  Under the new process, Social Security will treat these veterans’ applications as high priority and issue expedited decisions, similar to the way the agency currently handles disability claims from Wounded Warriors. Read more here: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pressoffice/pr/expedited-dib-process-pr.html Upcoming SOAR TA Center Events SOAR Leadership Academies May 6 - 8, 2014, Baltimore, Maryland June 3 -5, 2014, Portland, Oregon September 10 - 12, 2014, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Please contact the SOAR TA Center or your State Team Lead if you are interested in attending. Soar Learning Community Calls 3-4:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday, March 18: Creating and Leading Steering Committees/Conducting Effective Meetings Tuesday, May 20: Funding & Sustainability Tuesday, July 22: Supporting Quality Applications Further details and registration information will be sent out closer to the call dates. The SOAR TA Center is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Disclaimer: The SOAR Technical Assistance Center develops and distributes E-News with support from SAMHSA, HHS. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of HHS or SAMHSA.