Sharing Our Successes
Persistence Leads to SOAR Success in DC
Johnna Carey from the DC Jail and Prison Advocacy Project at University Legal Services (JPAP) in Washington, DC wrote in to share this incredible success story!
Tanya* had experienced homelessness and incarcerations for much of her adult life. She came to JPAP shortly after her release from jail. She had already applied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) on her own. JPAP immediately helped Tanya apply for and successfully obtain Interim Disability Assistance, available from the DC Department of Human Services. JPAP then began the SOAR process—requesting all of Tanya's prior medical records to write a Medical Summary Report. JPAP liaised with Tanya's medical providers and the disability claims examiner while maintaining regular contact with her, which proved to be a challenge. JPAP successfully submitted all of Tanya's records and a physician-signed MSR to her claims examiner and took Tanya to a Social Security Administration-ordered Consultative Exam.
In the time JPAP has known Tanya, she has been attacked, robbed, and had all of her belongings stolen multiple times. She has been hospitalized several times for a variety of physical health issues caused by AIDS and her other health conditions. She had switched case managers at different agencies she had worked with on four or five occasions because she has great difficulty trusting and developing relationships due to past trauma. Nonetheless, Tanya stuck with JPAP throughout the entire application process and kept positive relationships with the JPAP team members.
Tanya was approved for SSI! Securing SSI for Tanya will absolutely change her life. It means that she will no longer have to worry about homelessness, making her much less vulnerable and much less likely to be incarcerated. For the first time in her life, Tanya will have a steady income.
What a beautiful success story, Johnna! When asked what words of wisdom Johnna would pass on to other SOAR practitioners, Johnna had one—persist.
Father Helps Son to SOAR in Florida
Samantha Roland from South County Mental Health Center, Inc. in Delray Beach, Florida wrote to the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center to share an incredible SOAR success.
The father of this applicant, Steve*, was referred to me by the supervisor of Case Management. Steve had been experiencing homelessness for close to 6 years and desperately needed help. We worked with Steve to help him in obtaining SSI. In developing his disability application, the co-signed MSR was instrumental in describing Steve's condition and the severity of his illness. After being approved, Steve's father wrote us a touching thank you letter, which is excerpted below:
"Steve experienced many challenges in his early life. He spent the first three months of his life in the neonatal intensive care unit. He was a very happy youngster. He was diagnosed with child behavioral issues, but we pressed on.
He entered the military at the age of 19. He served out his contract and received an honorable discharge. It was around this time that I started noticing some behavioral issues with Steve. He began to become withdrawn, and he became very isolated. His first crisis episode occurred at his place of employment. By the end of that day, he was incarcerated and a day later admitted into a behavioral health treatment center. Over the past decade he had experienced homelessness, encounters with law enforcement, and he wasn't able to work. While he was experiencing homelessness, he refused help; Steve thought he was just having bad luck. He couldn't understand why people didn't understand him.
After a few cold winters, Steve reached out to me for help. He committed to making his recovery work. He was tired of living on the street with no shelter, food, or water. At that point, I reached out to South County Hospital. Nothing happened overnight; we knew this would be a marathon and not a sprint. We were looking for a long-term solution, not just a quick fix. The team at South County interviewed Steve and then made recommendations, got us help with medication, and assigned him a case manager. The team referred us to Samantha. She helped with getting his disability application filed and helped navigate us throughout the whole process. That was one of the biggest hurdles to overcome.
Now Steve receives the benefits he needs and has had help filling out resumes for work. He has secured a place to live. He eats healthy meals every day. He sleeps in a bed at night and takes showers every day. These things may sound like no brainers unless you have a disability that makes almost every part of your life more challenging. This is a lifelong process; we are blessed to have the team at South County in our corner."
What an inspiring success story, Samantha! Thank you for sharing this success!
