Collaboration Projects

Health Care for the Homeless
Serious and Violent Offenders Initiative
Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH)
SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR)
Kansas City Regional Project Representative Payee Study

Health Care for the Homeless

The Health Resources and Services Administration, an Agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, provides support to the Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) program. Through grants to a network of local public and non-profit private entities, the Health Care for the Homeless program provides primary health care, mental health services, and substance abuse treatment to persons who are homeless. As of May 2003, there are 155 HCH programs, with at least one in each of the 50 States plus programs in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Field Offices can locate HCH programs in their service area by consulting the HCH Information Resource Center at: http://www.nhchc.org/HCHdirectory.html.

SSA encourages field offices to establish partnerships with HCH programs in an effort to obtain more accurate and timely disability information on their homeless clients, many of whom may be eligible for Social Security benefits.

The National Health Care for the Homeless Council is a national education and advocacy organization with a comprehensive website on issues relating to homelessness and health care.  The Council has developed many useful documents, including several that relate to identifying and assisting homeless persons who may be eligible for SSI and SSDI benefits.

Visit the National Health Care for the Homeless Council website at: http://www.nhchc.org/.

To order Determining Disability: Simple Strategies for Clinicians: http://www.nhchc.org/publications.html

To order A Curriculum for Training Health Care for the Homeless Outreach Workers: http://www.nhchc.org/Curriculum/

To order other books, reports and curricula from the National HCH Council: http://www.nhchc.org/publications.html

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Serious and Violent Felon Reentry Initiative

The Social Security Administration, in collaboration with the Department of Justice, participates in the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative.  This initiative seeks to provide individuals, who have been convicted of serious and violent felonies, the opportunity to become productive citizens after they are released from prison. 

This opportunity is accomplished through education, treatment and continuing access to a network of Federal agencies and support systems focused on reducing recidivism rates and post-release homelessness.  

Social Security's prerelease procedure allows you to apply for SSI and Food Stamps several months before your anticipated release from an institution so that benefits can begin quickly after your release

Click here to visit Social Security's prerelease internet site.

Visit the Department of Justice Serious and Violent Felon Reentry Initiative website at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/reentry/

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Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH)

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) administers the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program. The goal of the PATH program is to provide community-based services to individuals with serious mental illnesses (including those with co-occurring mental and substance use disorders) who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The Social Security Administration supports the PATH program and is advising SAMHSA on the development of a technical assistance manual, and training materials for case managers in PATH-funded agencies assisting homeless SSI/SSDI applicants. For more information, please visit SAMHSA's PATH program website at:

http://pathprogram.samhsa.gov

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SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) Technical Assistance Initiative

The SOAR Technical Assistance Initiative is provided to States participating in the Federal Interagency Policy Academies on Homelessness sponsored by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, and Veterans Affairs. The goal is to help States and communities increase access to SSI and SSDI for homeless people with mental illnesses and/or co-occurring substance use disorders. Each State participates in an in-State Forum to develop a plan for systems change related to access to SSI and SSDI for homeless persons.

Using the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Stepping Stones to Recovery training curriculum, trainers from each State conduct State-wide trainings targeting direct service staff who work with homeless people. Outcomes of this training-based intervention are being tracked by each State. The Social Security Administration supports this initiative by reviewing applications from States and encouraging SSA participation at the SOAR Forums. For more information, please visit the SOAR webpage at http://www.prainc.com/SOAR/.

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Kansas City Regional Project Representative Payee Study

SSA, working with the VA, led an effort to provide improved and more efficient service to America's homeless veterans. The effort was lead by a team of employees from the SSA Kansas City Regional Office and the St. Louis Veterans Benefits Administration. (VBA) As a result of the collaboration, the team took the following actions to improve beneficiary services.

• Better use of Internet - Though veterans are often eligible for both VA and SSA benefits, there did not exist a central location for them to go for assistance. In response, a one stop shopping website designed specifically for veterans was developed, which provides information about filing for VA and SSA benefits. The information provided on this website helped reduce delays in applying for benefits, by informing applicants of the information they need to gather prior to filing. We believe this is a fantastic effort. However, since the collaboration has ended, the website has not been updated.
  
  
• Better exchange of medical information - SSA developed a procedure for the VA to FAX requests for medical evidence to the SSA National Records Center in Kansas City. This new procedure allows employees to return the requested evidence to the VA via FAX in three days. Previously, the processing time for evidence requests was approximately 120 days.
  
  
• Vendor files of medical information - We made available to the VA an on-line file of medical providers in Missouri. The vendor file gives VA technicians the ability to immediately find information on treating sources, thus reducing the need to contact claimants for further information. The procedure not only eliminates the time it takes to access vendor information, but also eliminates second and third follow-ups with claimants.
  
  
• Inter-agency process visits - VA employees observed and studied processes and procedures at a Metro St. Louis field office, and requested that SSA provide the VBA with training on customer service, telephone procedures and efficiency.

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