All resources SOAR Evaluations (Work in Progress)

SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) is a national program designed to increase access to the disability income benefit programs administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) for eligible adults and children who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have a serious mental illness, medical impairment, and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder. SOAR is funded nationally by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Locally, individuals can be referred to SOAR and will work with a SOAR advocate who will assist them in applying for SSI/SSDI. The SOAR advocate will produce a Medical Summary Report (MSR), which outlines the individual’s narrative history and history of physical, mental, and substance use-related health issues and makes the case for disability income. The MSR can be co-signed by a physician, which strengthens the credibility and weight of the MSR in the disability determination process.