What is SOAR?
SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery) is a national best practice model that assists eligible adults who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness to apply for SSI/SSDI disability benefits. The program was begun to help address the low benefit approval rates for people experiencing homelessness. As of 2017, the approval rate for applications done through SOAR in North Carolina is over four times higher than applications completed outside of SOAR.
How does SOAR work?
In 2006, SAMHSA contracted with Policy Research Associates to develop and facilitate a program called SOAR – SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery:
- Case Workers take the SOAR Online Course to learn how to submit a complete and thorough SSI/SSDI application packet.
- States, communities, and agencies collaborate with stakeholders and agree on a SOAR Process that supports SOAR-trained caseworkers and establishes protocols for the submission and processing of SSI/SSDI applications.
- State & Local SOAR Team Leaders support SOAR-trained case managers and keep stakeholders engaged.
- The SOAR TA Center provides the Technical Assistance needed to keep the SOAR effort moving forward.
In North Carolina, NCCEH is the state team lead and provides SOAR caseworker training, supports SOAR-trained caseworkers, and tracks the outcomes of SOAR cases.
Why SOAR?
To transition people out of homelessness, they need affordable housing, supportive services, and adequate income. Many North Carolinians experiencing homelessness cannot work due to disabilities, making federal disability benefits essential. These benefits offer monthly income and healthcare, helping individuals secure housing and services.
Applying for disability benefits can be a tough process. Take a look at the national rates of approval for disability applications:
- ~35% for first-time applicants.
- ~15% among the unhoused population
Despite the high percentage of people experiencing homelessness who are prominently disabled, most are denied the benefits they are entitled to. Why?
- Lack of access to a phone or a permanent address, plus the transitory nature of homelessness make it difficult for SSA and DDS to communicate with applicants.
- Obtaining copies of records or even simple identification can be a struggle for a person experiencing homelessness.
- The nature of one’s disability may make it impossible to follow the process for applying for disability.
But the real truth is, the process has seemed difficult because we did not understand how the process works – until SOAR came along.
The SOAR model is responsible for assisting over 65,000 persons across the U.S. who were experiencing or at risk of homelessness to access Social Security disability benefits.
SOAR in North Carolina
North Carolina has been a SOAR state since 2007. With over 500 caseworkers trained through NC SOAR and 29 dedicated SOAR caseworker positions in our state, we are seeing incredible results. Over the past 17 years, NC SOAR has helped bring back nearly $490 million in just SSI dollars to North Carolina.
NCCEH collects outcomes from North Carolina SOAR caseworkers to track the results of the applications they submit. Please visit our SOAR outcomes webpage to see the results of SOAR in your community and across the state.
Are you interested in learning more about SOAR and getting involved? Check out our SOAR FAQ document that has the answers to many commonly asked questions.
If you are a community member seeking SOAR services, please know that NCCEH does not provide any direct client services, but we are happy to connect you with those who may be in your community. If you are a service provider wanting to be trained in SOAR, we are happy to guide you through the initial steps.
After reading the FAQ, if you have other questions, please email soar@ncceh.org or call 919-755-4393, extension 5030.
Find a SOAR Caseworker Near You
Are you at risk of or experiencing homelessness and in need of assistance with an SSI/SSDI disability application? Are you a caseworker with a client who needs to be referred to a SOAR caseworker? Scroll down to find a list of agencies in North Carolina that have SOAR-trained staff!
If there is no SOAR caseworker listed in your county, please contact soar@ncceh.org.
Resources for Community Partners
The success of the NC SOAR program is credited not only to the dedicated caseworkers who help clients complete applications, but to communities and institutions that support caseworkers and agencies in their work. Community support and investment is critical to maintaining a sustainable, successful SOAR program!
For Medical Providers: Outreach Tool and Training
Do you need help educating medical providers in your community about the NC SOAR program? Are you a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant who wants to know more about the SSI/SSDI process and your role in helping patients obtain these benefits?
NC SOAR now has an outreach tool to help engage practitioners in your community! You can use this document to explain SSI/SSDI, the physician’s role in the disability application process, and how SOAR applications are different than “business as usual.”
The National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) also provides a training curriculum for physicians known as Documenting Disabilities. The training provides an overview of the Social Security’s disability programs and application process and tips for better documenting disabilities in medical records. Please note that you will need to create an account with NHCHC to access the training.
If you have questions regarding this document or the training, please contact soar@ncceh.org or at 919-755-4393 ext. 5030.
Primer on Hospital Collaborations with SOAR
Hospitals are natural partners when it comes to SOAR. SOAR can help hospitals recoup indigent care funds provided to SOAR applicants, while vital SSI/SSDI benefits break the cycle of hospital admissions and homelessness.
The national SOAR team, Policy Research Associates, has released a Hospital Primer about building collaborations with hospitals to support SOAR programs in the community. The primer provides examples of how other programs work with hospitals, tips on meeting with hospitals, and an example MOU between a SOAR program and a hospital.
If you have questions about hospital collaborations, please contact soar@ncceh.org or at 919-755-4393 ext. 5030.
SOAR Community Certification
Interested in building and maintaining a sustainable SOAR program in your community? Learn more about NC SOAR Community Certification today! Community certification provides specific and concrete stepping stones to success for communities interested in building a lasting program. NC SOAR Certified Communities are able to benchmark themselves against other cities and counties in our state and receive feedback and specialized technical assistance from NCCEH on current strategies.
We’re here to help! Contact NCCEH staff at soar@ncceh.org or at 919-755-4393, extension 5030, to plan a community SOAR meeting and to get started with NC SOAR Community Certification.