State Team Information
Indiana SOAR State Team
TA Center Liaison:
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Sametra Polkah-Toe
Email: spolkahtoe@prainc.com
Phone: (518) 439-7415 x5107
SOARing in Indiana
SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) is a model designed to increase access to Social Security disability benefits (SSI/SSDI) for eligible individuals who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have a severe mental health or physical health impairment. SOAR services in Indiana are coordinated through the joint work of employees within the state’s PATH programs as well as other community-based agencies.
If you would like more information about SOAR, are interested in getting involved with SOAR in Indiana, or if your agency or community is currently using the SOAR model to assist with SSI and/or SSDI applications and need additional technical assistance, please contact the SOAR Local Lead for your community (listed to the right of this page) or the Indiana SOAR State Team Lead, Alivia Perteet, at alivia.perteet@fssa.IN.gov.
Expectations of Participation in SOAR
When completing SOAR cases, caseworkers are expected to:
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Serve as the Appointed Representative throughout the application process.
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Collect all medical records for treatment received in previous years.
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Waive any fees associated with serving as Appointed Representative or for assistance with the application process or collection of medical records.
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Write a comprehensive Medical Summary Report that highlights the applicant’s functional impairment through the document of his or her personal, medical, and work history.
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Track applications and outcomes including approval/denials and time to decision from application submission to receipt of SSA’s decision.
Outcomes Tracking
More info on samhsa.gov, and upon receipt of a final decision all cases are to be recorded in the OAT system. Only data regarding cases where SOAR critical components were used are to be recorded.