Health Topics

• Data Development
• Health Care Reform
• Health Information Technology
• Medicaid and CHIP
• Medicare
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• Payment Policies and Costs
• Public and Population Health
• Quality and Health System Functioning
• State Health Policy

Evaluation of the SOAR Initiative

Several federal agencies have joined together to launch the Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) initiative to provide training and technical assistance to states. The goal is to help case managers expedite processing of SSI/SSDI applications for homeless individuals, many of whom have serious and persistent mental illnesses. SOAR aims to improve the quality of the information on SSI/SSDI applications to increase the likelihood of disability benefit award at initial application and reduce processing time.

Mathematica evaluated the implementation of SOAR and examined the outputs and some short-term outcomes, including factors associated with successful implementation of the SOAR model. We also identified ways in which the initiative might be improved at the state or federal level.

Mathematica is conducting a further evaluation focusing on the extent to which SOAR training changes frontline workers’ knowledge and practice, the effect of SOAR on SSI/SSDI application outcomes, environmental and implication factors associated with application outcomes, and benefits of improved application outcomes for state and private service delivery systems.

Publications

“Successfully Implementing SOAR: Lessons Learned from Six States” (February 2010)
"Findings from a Study of the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) Initiative" (September 2009)