SOAR 2016 Outcomes Released!

Plus, SOAR at a conference near you.
Plus, SOAR at a conference near you.
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SOAR 2016 Outcomes Released!

2016 Outcomes: Initial Applications and Appeals
The SOAR TA Center is excited to release the 2016 national SOAR outcomes for SSI/SSDI applications submitted using the SOAR process from 2006 through June 2016. Over the last 11 years, the SOAR process has been used to assist more than 57,000 people who were experiencing or at risk of homelessness with applications for Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefit programs.
Curious about the 2016 highlights of the outcomes summary? In 2016, decisions on SOAR-assisted initial applications were received in an average of 101 days with an allowance rate of 67 percent. Decisions on SOAR-assisted appeals were received in an average of 196 days with an allowance rate of 60 percent.
Read the full brief on our website and view the outcomes infographic! Thank you for helping to make the SOAR Outcomes such a success each year. Keep SOARing!

Reminder: Temporary Discontinuation of SOAR Consent Form

The SOAR TA Center is temporarily discontinuing the use of the SOAR Consent for Release of Information Form (SOAR Consent Form) while it is revised to comply with the Social Security Administration's (SSA's) privacy guidelines. Read the original announcement for detailed instructions on how you can use SSA's tools in lieu of the SOAR Consent Form for the following procedures:
  • Request information on pending or previously submitted SSI/SSDI applications using the SSA-3288
  • Set the protective filing date using the Online Disability Benefit Application
  • Obtain additional information using a my Social Security account
If you have questions regarding the SOAR Consent Form, contact Jen Elder, National Policy and Partnerships Coordinator at the SOAR TA Center.

Required Two-Factor Authentication for my Social Security Accounts

Effective June 10, 2017, my Social Security account holders will be required to use their cell phone or email as a second authentication method during online registration and every sign-in. This will be in addition to their username and password. To use my Social Security, customers will receive a one-time security code sent by text message to a cell phone number they have confirmed or to their registered email account. The customer must then enter the security code online to complete the sign-in process.
Because an email address is—and always has been—required to create a my Social Security account, all customers with an account already have an email address on record with SSA. Along with this new release, SSA is enhancing the portal to automatically adjust to the size of the screen and kind of device the customer uses, such as a tablet, smart phone, or computer. All users, regardless of what type of device they use, will have the same ease of use and full access to SSA's portal.
A new blog post by the National Center for Excellence in Homeless Services highlights partnerships between SOAR and education! The blog post, Incorporating SOAR Training into Social Work Education, highlights three examples of SOAR training being embedded into university coursework: The University of Texas at Austin, Catholic University of America, and California State University at Long Beach.

Texas

Lyla Ordoñez from SEARCH Homeless Services in Houston, Texas wrote in to share a recent success of their agency's engagement team.
"My client, Mr. Duke*, is a disability program client. He had a cerebral stroke and was living under a freeway overpass, receiving no assistance for his medical needs. The Houston Police Department's Homeless Outreach Team and I worked together to locate him and collaborated our efforts with Texas Adult Protective Services to apply for his disability benefits and locate a nursing home rehab facility for him. After countless days of searching for a Medicaid-pending facility, I am happy to report that Mr. Duke was admitted to his new home! He will now receive the medical care he needs and the facts are lining up for a successful disability case. I was so excited to hear the news and to see Mr. Duke's smile after he received the news."
Congratulations, Lyla and the entire SEARCH Homeless Services team!
Do you have a success story you'd like to share with the SOAR community? E-mail it to soar@prainc.com!
*Name changed to protect client anonymity.

Events

May 9, 2017; 1:00 p.m. ET
The next SOARing Over Lunch Conference Call will take place Tuesday, May 9 at 1:00 p.m. ET! The SOAR TA Center is hosting a series of informal monthly calls designed to help support SOAR efforts across the country. Participants can log‐in to ask about any SOAR‐related question they may have.

SOAR On the Road!

The SOAR TA Center will be presenting at and attending a number of conferences over the next few months. Check out their sessions and say hello!
Jen Elder will be presenting at the Strengthening and Cultivating Individual Placement and Support Supported Employment Programs in Tennessee Conference on May 9 in Nashville, Tennessee. Her breakout session, SSA Benefits and Access Planning: A Key Component for Income Stability, will discuss the relationship between employment and Social Security disability benefits.
Jen Elder will be presenting at the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans Conference, being held May 31 through June 2 in Washington, D.C.
Abigail Lemon will be attending the National Indian Health Board Tribal Public Health Summit, being held June 6 through 8 in Anchorage, Alaska.
Pamela Heine will be attending the National Organization of Social Security Claims Representatives Spring Conference, being held June 7 through 10, in Washington, D.C.
Jen Elder will be presenting at the Maryland Behavioral Health Administration's SOAR Symposium, being held June 27 in Columbia, Maryland.

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