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SOAR Webinar: SOAR and Criminal Justice System Implementation

This webinar, held on March 25, 2020, addressed the connections between serious mental illness, homelessness, and incarceration, and best practices for increasing access to SSI/SSDI benefits for people with serious mental illness who are reentering communities from jails and prisons. 

Description

The SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery) Technical Assistance (TA) Center is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and helps people who are experiencing or at risk for homelessness to access SSA disability benefits. For many individuals involved in the criminal justice system, SOAR stands for SSI/SSDI—Opportunities to Access Resources for successful reentry. 
 
For many years, the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center has been helping local corrections and community transition staff integrate SSI/SSDI acquisition into their reentry services to promote post-release success. The use of the SOAR model as a tool for reentry results in increased access to income, housing, and treatment for people with serious mental illness and co-occurring disorders.
 
On this webinar we will share information on the connection between serious mental illness, homelessness, and incarceration. You will learn what happens to SSI/SSDI benefits when a recipient becomes incarcerated and hear about best practices for increasing access to SSI/SSDI benefits for people with serious mental illness who are reentering communities from jails and prisons. Our guest speakers will provide both the management and caseworker perspective on successful SOAR implementation. 

Presenters

  • Dazara Ware, MPC, SAMHSA SOAR TA Center, Policy Research Associates, Inc., Delmar, New York
  • Amy Dean, Kansas Department of Corrections, SOAR-trained Supervisor, Topeka, Kansas
  • Michelle Cadue, Kansas Department of Corrections, SOAR Specialist, Topeka, Kansas
  • Deborah Dunham, LCSW, Community Integration Coordinator, SOAR Criminal Justice Lead, Department of State Hospitals, Coalinga, California

Resources

Links

Files

Available Files
Attachment Size
Slide Presentation 2.55 MB
Criminal Justice Best Practices - Infographic 567.04 KB