Wolf River Consulting Group is partnering with the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) SOAR Technical Assistance Center and Policy Research Associates on the expansion of the SOAR Initiative into urban and rural American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. The SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) program helps increase access to Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSI/SSDI) for children and adults who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have a serious mental illness, physical impairment, and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder. SOAR also supports individuals returning to their communities from jails and hospitals and youth aging out of the foster care system.
Under this contract, Wolf River Consulting will develop culturally appropriate outreach strategies to engage AI/AN communities in SOAR and train key community stakeholders and providers to assist AI/AN community members experiencing or at risk of homelessness in the SSI/SSDI application process and ensure they receive access to timely disability benefits. Our team will provide ongoing guidance to the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center and AI/AN organizations and social service providers as they implement SOAR and identify innovative ways that SOAR implementation and strategic planning can lead to increased income, community inclusion, housing stability and greater employment opportunities for AI/AN communities.
To learn more about this work and SOAR visit: https://www.samhsa.gov/soar