SOAR remains active and available!
Although funding for the SOAR Technical Assistance Center ended due to changes within the former Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), SOAR remains active and fully operational. In Virginia, SOAR is now overseen by the Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services (DBHDS) and continues to work through formal agreements with the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Virginia Disability Determination Services to ensure that applications from individuals who are homeless or at risk are prioritized across the Commonwealth.
SOAR Overview
The SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) initiative was established by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to enhance access to disability benefits administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), specifically Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). The program is designed to serve eligible adults and children who are experiencing, or are at risk of, homelessness and who present with a mental illness, medical impairment, and/or co-occurring substance use disorder. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, administrative oversight of SOAR is now provided by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS).
Why Choose SOAR?
SOAR Certification equips professionals to secure Social Security benefits for highly vulnerable individuals with unmatched efficiency. Through unique partnerships with the Social Security Administration and specialized SOAR processing units within Disability Determination Services, certified practitioners achieve faster decisions and significantly higher approval rates. By obtaining training and certification, SOAR-certified practitioners ensure that people experiencing homelessness, behavioral or physical health conditions, gain timely access to the income and healthcare they need to stabilize and recover.
The SOAR Difference in FY24
Imagine applying for Social Security benefits when you’re already facing some of life’s toughest challenges. For most people in this situation, the odds are stacked against them — only about 15–20% of applications are approved, and the wait can stretch painfully long, often a year to a year and a half. Now picture a different path. With SOAR, things look brighter. In FY24, 86% of first-time SOAR-assisted applications were approved, and instead of waiting over a year, people received decisions in just 157 days on average. That means lives changed faster. People gained stability, access to healthcare, and the support they needed — not after years of uncertainty, but within months.
86% Approval Rate on Initial Claims
How SOAR Works
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Training for Case Managers: Case managers participate in SOAR training to gain the skills needed to prepare and submit complete SSI/SSDI application packets.
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Virginia SOAR Certification: SOAR workers attend a one-day, in-person certification and review session to learn the Virginia-specific SOAR process.
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Leadership & Support: State and Local SOAR Team Leaders provide guidance to trained case managers and ensure stakeholders remain actively engaged.
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Ongoing Technical Assistance: State and Local SOAR Leads deliver the technical support necessary to sustain and strengthen the SOAR initiative.
SOAR Works Virginia
SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) is a program designed to increase access to Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSI/SSDI), for eligible adults who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have a mental illness, medical impairment, and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder.
Georgi Fisher
Virginia SOAR Lead
Georgi Fisher serves as a Project Administrator for the Office of Community Housing at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services, leading permanent supportive housing (PSH) initiatives for individuals with serious mental illness and pregnant/parenting women with substance use disorders. Georgi also serves as the Virginia SOAR State Lead and oversees benefits processing for Virginia's state facilities, supportive housing programs, and community pre-release initiatives.
Georgi is a recognized leader in system coordination and transformation, specializing in designing solutions that remove barriers to benefits access and housing for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. As a subject matter expert for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on benefits and supportive housing - and a former member of its SOAR Expert Panel - she advises federal, state, and local policymakers on strategies to expand access to community entitlements for at-risk populations.