Previewing the 2019 National SAMHSA SOAR Outcomes
The SAMHSA SOAR TA Center is excited to release the 2019 National SOAR Outcomes for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) applications submitted using the SOAR process from 2006 through June 30, 2019. Over the last 14 years, the SOAR process has been used to assist 50,077 people who were experiencing or at risk of homelessness gain access to Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefit programs.
Curious about the highlights of the 2019 National Outcomes? In the 2019 reporting period, decisions on SOAR-assisted initial applications were received in an average of 108 days with an allowance rate of 63 percent. Decisions on SOAR-assisted appeals were received in an average of 187 days with an allowance rate of 42 percent.
Data from the National Outcomes also highlighted the incredible financial impact of the SAMHSA SOAR model in 2019. In 2019 alone, approved applications brought in 463 million dollars into economies of the participating localities! SOAR doesn't just change lives—it transforms communities!
Download the SOAR 2019 National Outcomes infographic (or download the text alternative) to see all of the highlights from the 2019 Outcomes today! The full National Outcomes issue brief will be released in the coming months. Thank you for helping to make the SAMHSA SOAR Outcomes such a success each year. It is through the work of our State Team Leads, Local Leads, and SOAR Specialists that we are able to transform thousands of lives through the SOAR model. Keep SOARing!
|
|
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
November 16-24, 2019
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is an annual program designed to promote education, action, and awareness about hunger and homelessness. This year's program will take place from November 16 to 24, 2019. To find volunteer opportunities in your area or to obtain resources to plan your community event, visit the Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week website.
The SAMHSA SOAR TA Center would love to feature Awareness Week events that highlight our SOAR partners in a future issue of the SOAR eNews! To highlight your Awareness Week activities, send your submission to soar@prainc.com.
|
|
|
Sharing Our Successes
Virginia
Evelyn Garcia from the Intensive Case Monitoring Program of the Department of Social Services in Fredericksburg, Virginia, wrote in to share an incredible SOAR success:
"John* had spent over 25 years in and out of prison and was sleeping in an abandoned house. [Helping him through the SOAR process] was a fantastic experience. When I first met John, he was a person with no home, dreams, support system, or person to believe in him. He thought that a good night's rest would be a night in jail. Through the SOAR process, I was able to watch him stay out of jail, find him a home, and watch him buy his own toiletries and other simple things that we take for granted. He has gotten medical assistance; working through his treatment plan has kept him from jail. Since John was 16, he had never spent a full year out of jail; he has finally been out of jail for 2 years. He was awarded SSI and he is now in a stable home. He has a representative payee, his rent is being paid, and he can eat healthy foods. No more nights in jail."
Thank you for sharing this incredible success story, Evelyn!
|
|
*Sharing Our Successes stories are edited for brevity and clarity. All client names have been changed to protect anonymity.
|
|
Events
December 3, 2019, 1:00 p.m. ET
The next SOARing Over Lunch Conference Call will take place on Tuesday, December 3, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. ET! The SAMHSA SOAR TA Center hosts this series of informal monthly calls designed to help support SOAR efforts across the country. Participants can join to ask about any SOAR-related question they may have.
|
|
SOAR Job Postings
California
Abode Services is seeking a full-time SSI Advocate based in Redwood City, California. The SSI Advocate will work with individuals experiencing homelessness to complete SSI/SSDI applications and to provide case management support as participants are in housing search.
Washington, DC
Pathways to Housing DC is seeking a full-time SOAR Outreach Benefits Specialist in Washington, DC. The SOAR Outreach Benefits Specialist is a member of the Outreach Team, which is part of a more extensive homeless outreach program at Pathways to Housing DC. Pathways to Housing DC's outreach staff work to build trust with those experiencing homelessness first by helping to meet basic needs.
|
|
Get Social with the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center
Hear more about what SAMHSA SOAR is up to via @samhsagov on Twitter and @samhsa on Facebook!
|
|
Funding Corner
Application deadline: Monday, December 16, 2019
On Wednesday, October 16, 2019, the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment announced the 2019 Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals (GBHI) funding opportunity. The purpose of this program is to support the development and/or expansion of local implementation of a community infrastructure that integrates substance use disorder treatment, housing services, and other critical services for individuals (including youth) and families experiencing homelessness. SAMHSA funds within the GBHI program support three primary types of activities, one of which includes efforts to engage and connect individuals who experience substance use disorders or co-occurring disorders to enrollment resources for health insurance, Medicaid, and mainstream benefits programs (e.g., SSI/SSDI, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF], and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP]).
The GBHI program could be a great funding opportunity to expand the capacity of your SOAR program! The application due date is Monday, December 16, 2019.
|
|
Federal Updates
SSA announced that SSI and SSDI beneficiaries will receive a 1.6 percent benefit increase in 2020. The 2020 Federal Benefit Rate for SSI recipients will increase to $783 per month. SSI resource limits will remain the same. Substantial Gainful Activity for non-blind individuals will increase to $1,260 per month, and the Trial Work Period threshold will increase to $910/month. For a full list of updates, see the new SSA 2020 Cost-of-Living Adjustment fact sheet.
In honor of Veterans Month this November, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is rolling out nationwide access for Veterans to their VA health data, alongside their health records from other health care providers in one place, in the Health Records section of the Health app for iPhone. Patients will now be able to see their medical information from various participating institutions, including VA, organized into one view—covering allergies, conditions, immunizations, lab results, medications, procedures, and vitals—and will receive notifications when their data is updated.
VA has released updates to the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) and SOAR Integration Toolkit. This comprehensive guide is an invaluable resource for communities for serving both Veterans and non-Veterans. This guide is available for free, immediate download.
|
|
|
|
