Successfully Implementing Soar : Lessons Learned from Six States

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) programs provide cash assistance to individuals who have disabilities that limit work. Although people who are homeless have a particularly urgent need for this kind of assistance, they are much less likely to be approved for benefits compared to other applicants. The SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) initiative aims to improve access to these critical benefits for people who are homeless, using a multi-pronged strategy to mitigate the most common challenges they face when applying for SSI/SSDI. This brief describes SOAR and the factors that help states and communities successfully implement the initiative. The SOAR initiative aims to improve access to SSI/SSDI benefits for individuals who are homeless. Communities do not receive any direct funding to implement SOAR but instead receive federally funded technical assistance (TA) from a small business contractor. Agencies that have provided funding for the TA include HHS' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Health Resources and Services Administration as well as the Department of Housing and Urban Development. States submit an application to receive SOAR TA. As of January 2010, all but 16 states had successfully applied for and received federally funded SOAR TA. This TA includes: Strategic planning to help states develop policies and procedures that will aid those who are homeless in obtaining SSI/SSDI. TA helps social service providers, advocates, and state and ABOUT THIS BRIEF The brief describes factors that lead to successful implementation of the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) initiative in states and communities , drawing on findings from a study recently conducted by Mathematica Policy Research under contract to ASPE. The full report from the study is available at ASPE's website: