SOAR eNews - September 2014

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September 2014 SAMHSA’s SOAR TA Center Marks Five Years of Service Since 2009, SAMHSA’s SOAR TA Center has delivered Technical Assistance in a variety of ways to all 50 states! See what we have all accomplished together in a short amount of time. 423,011 - SOAR Website page views 85,067 - Website users 24,967 - People on SOAR listserv 8,300 - Applications entered into OAT 4,700 - Facebook timeline views 1,285 - Twitter tweets 934 - 2-day trainings by SOAR Trainers 389 - Twitter followers 204 - SOAR TA Center in-person TA visits 50 - States using SOAR! 35 - SOAR e-news editions 32 - Webinars produced 26 - National Conference Presentations 25 - Continua of Care (CoCs) introduced to SOAR 17 - Train-the-Trainer events 16 - States introduced to SOAR during this contract 11 - Issue briefs published 8 - Leadership Academies conducted by end of September 2 - SOAR articles in peer-reviewed publications 1 - National meeting for SOAR Team Leads in 2011 SAMHSA’s SOAR TA Center Staff would like to thank you for sharing your ideas, best practices, successes, and most importantly, your time over the last five years, towards making SOAR the overwhelming success that it is around the country. In This Issue SOAR at Five Years Success Stories Tip of the Month SOAR Activities SSA Updates Thank You! Quick Links SOAR Website Contact us Trainings SSA Webinars Sharing Our Successes SOAR Community Welcomes Three New State Team Leads! Florida: Gloria Henderson, MPA, has been with the Florida Department of Children and Families, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Program, for some time and brings a great deal of knowledge and experience to the table. We are very excited that she has agreed to take over the SOAR and PATH (Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness) projects. We would like to extend our best wishes to outgoing SOAR State Team Lead (STL), Ute Gazioch, in her new role as Director of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Program. We are very thankful for Ute's tremendous SOAR leadership and dedication to SOAR trainers. Ute was a pleasure to work with and although she is no longer the SOAR STL, she is still a valued SOAR champion! New Hampshire: Patricia Jackson, with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Homeless and Housing Services, is the state PATH contact and would like to bring SOAR to all PATH grantees. We welcome Patricia to the SOAR Community! Minnesota: Barbara Williams, Housing Coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Community Living Supports, is adding SOAR Advocacy Coordinator to her responsibilities. We wish Barbara best of luck, and we look forward to supporting her in her new role! SOAR News and Accomplishments Springfield, IL: Fifth Street Renaissance/SARA Center announced the hiring of their first SOAR Case Manager for Sangamon County, who will be stationed at Helping Hands in Springfield. The city of Springfield is funding this position. If you have a SOAR-related success story to share, email pheine@prainc.com. Job Announcement Nevada is seeking a statewide SOAR coordinator. Visit http://soarworks.prainc.com/content/soar-job-postings for more details. SOAR Tip of the Month Top 10 Reasons for Submitting an SSA-1696 with All SOAR Claims 10. SSA-1696 keeps line of communication open with SSA and DDS 9. SOAR Case Manager is copied on all notices 8. Applicant has knowledge he/she is not going it alone 7. DDS will call the SOAR case manager for medical information 6. SSA and DDS are less likely to make a “technical denial” 5. SSA is more likely to apply appropriate flags (e.g., Homeless, Rep) 4. Applicant can ask SSA/DDS staff to contact their Legal Rep, if phoned 3. Top eight SOAR States all submit claims with SSA-1696 2. Submitting SSA-1696 is a SOAR Critical Component 1. It’s the “Key to the City”! We would like to share your SOAR Tips in future e-newsletters. Please send your tips to soar@prainc.com SOAR Activities Homeless Veterans Webinar On August 5th, the SOAR TA Center partnered with the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans for a webinar encouraging providers to connect Veterans to SSA benefits using the SOAR model. The training highlighted the differences between SSA and VA disability criteria, SSA fast track programs for Veterans, how SSA and VA benefits impact one another, and how organizations can get started with SOAR. The archived webinar can be accessed here: http://nchv.org//index.php/connect/story/connection_to_income_benefits_payments_through_va_and_ssa/ SOAR Fundamentals Webinars As a reminder, SOAR TA Center resources have transitioned this year to the development and ongoing support of SOAR community leaders through training and mentorship at SOAR Leadership Academies. SOAR local leads and trainers will conduct one-day SOAR Fundamentals trainings for individuals who have completed the online course (or 2-day training) to include a refresher of the SOAR core elements as well as training on the state/local SOAR process. This webinar series is intended to invest in our existing SOAR trainers and offer you additional educational experiences to enhance your current efforts. If you missed any, we encourage you to we encourage you to view the recordings and review the materials presented at http://soarworks.prainc.com/article/soar-leadership-academy-webinar-series Social Security Updates New Social Security Administration Tool: The my Social Security Account The Social Security Administration is highlighting the many benefits of creating a my Social Security account, a personalized online account people can establish at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. Acting Commissioner of Social Security Carolyn Colvin said recently, "A my Social Security account is a convenient, cost-effective, and secure way for the public to do business with us from the comfort of their home, office, or library." Many SOAR providers have helped beneficiaries open bank accounts for direct deposit; helping SOAR applicants to create my Social Security accounts is similar. You will want to discuss the benefits of the accounts and assist with the process. The accounts are useful to those who return to work for tracking earnings and any changes in income or resources. These accounts also may help to avoid suspension or termination of benefits. We would like to hear about your early challenges or successes with this new SSA tool. Please contact us at soar@prainc.com