The Evolution of SOAR: Expanding Access to Disability Benefits for People Experiencing Homelessness

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) model increases access to Social Security’s disability income benefit programs for eligible adults and children who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have a serious mental illness, medical impairment, and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder.

While the SOAR Technical Assistance Center has closed, the SOAR model continues as a vital tool in helping eligible individuals at risk of or experiencing homelessness access disability benefits.

Since application tracking began in 2007, the SOAR model has helped 71,675 people access life-stabilizing financial support from SSI and SSDI. The closure of the federally funded SOAR Technical Assistance Center provides an opportunity to transform the SOAR program to meet the needs of today’s case workers and applicants.

Policy Research has provided SOAR training and technical assistance to communities across the nation since 2001. Through the Stepping Stones to Recovery training and funding provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Policy Research has brought SOAR to all 50 states.

History of SOAR

SOAR was first conceptualized in 1993 as a demonstration project funded by the Social Security Administration (SSA). It was initially directed by psychiatric social worker Yvonne Perret. The project team developed a set of tools and strategies to support people with mental health conditions who were experiencing homelessness in applying for SSA’s disability programs. In 2001, Ms. Perret and Policy Research Associates’ Deborah Dennis formalized the model. They developed the Stepping Stones to Recovery training curriculum with the support of SAMHSA. Stepping Stones to Recovery taught case workers how to document an applicant’s disability and create a robust and complete disability benefit application. In 2009, SAMHSA supported the creation of the SOAR Technical Assistance Center, allowing Policy Research Associates to amplify the reach of the training.

When case workers use SOAR’s critical components, SOAR works, and lives are transformed.

In 2014, Policy Research Associates refined Stepping Stones to Recovery from an in-person training to the SOAR Online Course: Adult Curriculum. The course further expanded the reach of SOAR, allowing case workers the flexibility to become SOAR-certified at their own pace. In addition, course enrollees received high-quality, individualized feedback on fictional practice cases from the SOAR Technical Assistance Center. The course ensured that SOAR case workers were prepared to complete real-world applications with fidelity to the model.

From its origins in 1993, SOAR has evolved into a coordinated national movement, composed of SOAR State Team Leads who direct the implementation of the SOAR model within their state and SOAR Local Leads, who are responsible for supporting on-the-ground SOAR implementation. At the federal level, agencies like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, and Housing and Urban Development have made SOAR implementation mandatory for funding awards. Throughout this national expansion, Policy Research Associates has directed and guided the growth and influence of SOAR. Policy Research Associates has provided vision and expert technical assistance, responding to changes in the disability process. The organization has ensured that SOAR practitioners are prepared to navigate the disability benefit application process with confidence.

SOAR stabilizes lives, saves agencies money, and makes communities stronger and healthier.

Outcomes

SOAR equips case workers with tools and training to give Social Security Administration (SSA) Claims Specialists and Disability Determination Services (DDS) Disability Examiners exactly what they need to review disability applications, reducing workload, preventing denials, and speeding access to benefits. As a result, the national approval rate for SOAR-assisted initial applications is 65%—more than double the national average for unassisted applications (31%). The approval rate for the Top 10 SOAR states is even higher, at 78%. When case workers use SOAR’s critical components, SOAR works and lives are transformed.

Beyond approval rates and time savings, the impact of SOAR is most felt financially—by bringing life-stabilizing income to eligible applicants experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The effects of this income ripple beyond the individual, through increased Medicaid reimbursements and housing payments and fewer expenditures by homeless service providers, emergency health care systems, and correctional settings. In fiscal year 2024, the SOAR model brought over $774 million into the economies of participating localities. Medicaid providers received an average of $16,603 in Medicaid reimbursements per approved applicant, and beneficiaries received an average of $10,923 in back payments. SOAR stabilizes lives, saves agencies money, and makes communities stronger and healthier.

What’s Next for SOAR

While the SOAR Technical Assistance Center has closed, Policy Research Associates’ commitment to the SOAR model endures. We have made key resources, such as issue briefs, fact sheets, and articles, available to the SOAR community in perpetuity to ensure that SOAR practitioners can access the resources they need most. Policy Research will work with leaders in the coming months to offer technical assistance opportunities to interested states and communities.

We are deeply grateful to the thousands of SOAR-trained practitioners and state and local leaders who have sustained this work and transformed countless lives. Together, we remain committed to empowering communities to implement the SOAR model so eligible applicants can receive the benefits they deserve.