SOAR eNews - October 2014
October 2014
Sharing Our Successes
SOAR TA Center Leadership Academy: Moving Forward
On September 10 -12, 2014, the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center held a Leadership Academy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Twenty-six participants, representing 14 states, attended the training. SOAR TA Center team members, Pamela Root (Assistant Director) and Margaret Lassiter (Senior Project Associate and OAT/Online Course Specialist) were an added bonus to the training. The Leadership Academy goal is to prepare and provide local leads with the tools needed to support SOAR initiatives in their localities. We will be holding four Leadership Academies in the coming fiscal year. We will be announcing the dates, locations, and process for identifying participants very soon. 
SOAR News and Accomplishments
Maine: Congratulations to Roberta (Bobbi) Mullan, the new State Team Lead for Maine! Bobbi also serves as the Behavioral Health Intervention Manager for the Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services in Augusta, Maine. Welcome to the SOAR team!Congratulations to Mississippi in being awarded the Cooperative Agreement to Benefit Homeless Individuals for States (CABHI-States) grant! The major goal of the CABHI-States program is to ensure, through state and local planning and service delivery, that the most vulnerable individuals who experience chronic homelessness receive access to sustainable permanent housing, treatment, recovery supports, and Medicaid and other mainstream benefits. What a great fit for SOAR efforts! State Team Lead Trisha Hinson is preparing to use the funds to support dedicated SOAR staff. Way to go Mississippi! Nashville, Tennessee: The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office implemented a new in-house SOAR program, utilizing the SOAR process with individuals nearing release from jail. The first client in the program recently completed the process and was approved for benefits in 14 days! SOAR continues to promote reentry success! If you have a SOAR-related success story to share, email soar@prainc.com.
New SOAR Issue Brief
 In response to a call for examples of how Social Security disability benefits have changed the lives of people who are experiencing or at risk for homelessness, the SOAR TA Center has published an issue brief of recovery stories! This brief includes stories from SSI/SSDI recipients and SOAR case managers. It is a powerful tool that SOAR providers can use to demonstrate how access to benefits can improve lives, restore hope, and promote recovery. The SOAR TA Center would like to thank everyone who contributed their stories, SOAR experiences, and great work! View brief here: http://soarworks.prainc.com/article/soar-success-storiesWe would like to share your SOAR Tips in future e-newsletters. Please send your tips to soar@prainc.com
Inside the SOAR Website
Did you know that the SOAR website features job postings for SOAR positions? Click on SOAR Job Postings to view open positions at SOAR programs across the country. To post your own job announcements, simply send the job title, description, requirements, agency name, location, and contact information to soar@prainc.com. Social Security Updates
New Social Security Administration Stats
SSA's Office of Retirement and Disability Policy has released the following statistical information on its website. This information will be helpful for SOAR providers to find out about Social Security beneficiaries in their communities. Take a look!SSA provides a national monthly “snapshot” report on Social Security beneficiaries. Information here may help to debunk myths and give context to SOAR effort. For instance, when a skeptic asserts that receiving disability benefits is the equivalent to a life of privilege, we can respond knowing that the average SSI disability amount received for an adult age 18-64 was $553.12 for the month of August. Monthly Statistical Snapshot, August 2014 This annual publication focuses on the Social Security beneficiary population at the ZIP Code level. It presents basic program data on the number and type of beneficiaries and the amount of benefits paid in each state, Social Security Administration field office, and ZIP Code. It also shows the number of beneficiaries aged 65 or older. OASDI Beneficiaries by State and ZIP Code, 2013 These monthly tables provide statistics for federally administered payments and awards under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. SSI Monthly Statistics, August 2014 |
The SAMHSA SOAR TA Center welcomes Matt Canuteson as our newest Project Associate! Matt brings value to the team with strong leadership skills and peer advocacy support to SOAR efforts. Matt is a nationally known expert in behavioral health services for children, young adults, and adults. Prior to joining the SOAR TA team, Matt served as Assistant Center Director for the Statewide Family and Consumer Networks Technical Assistance Center at Policy Research Associates. In that capacity, he coordinated technical assistance to the Networks. Matt has past work experience with the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services where he led successful advocacy campaigns that included efforts to advance and protect funding on behalf of New Yorkers with psychiatric disabilities. These efforts included helping write and advocate for legislation that advanced funding and authorization for peer-to-peer crisis respite programs across New York State.