SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) is a national project funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that is designed to increase access to SSI/SSDI for eligible Individuals who are able to apply for benefits as an adult under SSA rules. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are disability income benefit programs administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that also provide Medicaid and/or Medicare health insurance to individuals who are eligible.
Individuals disabled and experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness may be helped by SOAR. SOAR uses the same definition of homelessness as the Federal program Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program: persons who are “homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless” and have a mental illness and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder.
The SSI/SSDI application process is complicated and can be difficult to navigate, particularly for people who are experiencing homelessness or who are returning to the community from institutions (jails, prisons or hospitals). For those who have a mental illness, substance use issues, or co-occurring disorders that impair cognition, the application process poses an even greater challenge. SOAR can help!
Providers assisting people with SOAR do not charge persons applying for Social Security benefits for their SOAR services.