SOAR Learning Communities: Funding and Sustainability SSI/SSDI OUTREACH, ACCESS, AND RECOVERY SAMHSA SOAR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER Sponsored by: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration U.S. Department of Health and Human Services May 20, 2014
Welcome
Jen Elder, M.Sc. Senior Project Associate SAMHSA SOAR Technical Assistance Center Policy Research Associates, Inc.
Logistics
Recording Downloading materials Poll questions Chat questions Live Q&A
Learning Community Call Agenda
Creating a Funding Framework
Federal Funding Streams
State Funding Opportunities
Private Foundations
Local Partnerships
Questions & Answers
POLL QUESTION #1
Funding SOAR Programs
There is no dedicated source of federal funding for SOAR programs Yet, all 50 states participate! Reallocating
existing resources Securing funding through federal and state grants and foundation funding Establishing collaborations with hospitals and criminal justice settings
Create a Funding Framework
Know your “ask”
Explore potential resources
Create a funding action plan Who,
what, when, how
Record
and revisit responses
Market your program Show
value for money
Develop
an elevator pitch
Elevator Pitch
30-60 second introduction of your program to funders, new partner agencies, referral sources, etc. Communicates:
Who you are What you do How you do it The benefits it brings Call to action
Creating an Elevator Speech Worksheet
Practice!
Elevator Pitch Example I’m John Smith, SOAR Coordinator at the Downtown Shelter, which provides homeless services to 1500 individuals a year. We help about 50 people per year obtain Social Security Disability benefits. What makes our program different is that we have a successful Social Security advocacy program called SOAR that helps many disabled individuals quickly access cash benefits and health insurance. We’ve helped 175 individuals obtain Social Security benefits since we began our SOAR program in 2011. Applicants in our program access stable housing and healthcare in an average of 65 days from date of application. We change lives! We’re looking for partner community mental health agencies to expand SOAR efforts in the city. Can we introduce your staff to the SOAR model at your weekly staff meeting?
QUESTION: What funding resources are you using, or have you explored for SOAR in your community? **Use this tool at the bottom of your screen to write answers on the whiteboard Please don’t use the delete button!
Federal Funding: SAMHSA
Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) Similar
components: Outreach, engagement, assessment, documentation, recovery PATH funds support dedicated SOAR benefits specialists, SOAR training, and statewide leadership and coordination in many states Encourage your State PATH Contact to include SOAR activity in PATH contracts
Federal Funding: SAMHSA Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG) Cooperative Agreements to Benefit Homeless Individuals (CABHI) Olmstead Adult Treatment Drug Courts
Federal Funding: HUD
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) A
flexible program that provides communities with resources to address unique community development needs Distributes annual grants on a formula basis to local governments and states SOAR programs have used these funds to support dedicated benefits specialists
Federal Funding: AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps State Provide direct outreach, engagement, and assistance with SSI/SSDI applications A cash or in-kind match is required for program costs Apply for a grant through your governorappointed State Service Commission www.nationalservice.gov
Federal Funding: AmeriCorps VISTA
AmeriCorps VISTA Can identify potential SOAR collaborations, organize local SOAR planning meetings, fundraise for dedicated SOAR staff, collect data, and coordinate future trainings Apply through your state Corporation for National and Community Service office No
required funding match from sponsors, but there is a cost-share option
SOAR TA Center issue brief on AmeriCorps
Medicaid and State Health Programs
Medicaid is a state-operated program, federal and state share the cost State
creates a plan for what services are billable
Case management services necessary for SOAR applications may be billable or allowable services Tennessee:
Behavioral Health Safety Net providers can bill for SOAR application assistance
Georgia:
6 regional positions statewide for Medicaid Eligibility Specialists
State or County General Assistance
General assistance (GA) funds offer time-limited cash benefits to adults without dependents who have limited or no income These
benefits are not available in every state
Through an Inter-Agency Reimbursement (IAR) agreement, SSA can reimburse state or local public assistance funds when individuals begin receiving SSI/SSDI
Successful Models: Minnesota
Department of Human Services (DHS) administers the General Assistance (GA) program Up to 35% of GA recovery under interim assistance provisions can be retained by DHS to provide “advocacy, support and claim processing services” DHS contracts for SOAR application assistance
State pays $750 for applications submitted with Medical Summary Report and Quality Review checklist
$1750 additional for successful applications at initial and reconsideration levels
State or County Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
TANF is a block grant from the Department of Health and Human Services Provides time-limited assistance to families with dependent children to help them become selfsufficient through employment For parents who can not meet the TANF work requirements, assessment of eligibility for SSI/SSDI may better meet their needs and save state funds for others in need
Successful Models: Philadelphia, PA
Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) contracted with the State Department of Public Welfare (DPW) to use SOAR with TANF recipients DPW
The State Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) identified individuals with severe mental illness DBH
provided contact information for TANF recipients
provided HAP with medical evidence
HAP’s approval rate on initial applications is 99% in an average of 34 days
State/Local Plans to End Homelessness
Most plans to end homelessness incorporate increasing access mainstream benefits Can fund SOAR leadership, coordination, and dedicated benefits specialists. Find your local plan and promote how SOAR helps meet this goal Nashville, TN: 10-year plan funds 3 positions in community mental health center
Since May 2006, 97% of 522 applications approved in an average of 40 days
Foundation & Other Private Funding
United Way: funds coordination of SOAR in Trenton, New Jersey; and staffing of SOAR programs in other localities
Pharmaceutical and insurance companies: GlaxoSmithKline, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Kaiser Permanente fund SOAR programs in North Carolina and Oregon
www.foundationcenter.org
Successful Models: North Carolina
Combined funding stream from: foundations, hospitals, local, state, and federal Focus on helping localities develop and sustain benefits specialist positions
22 FTEs and 3 PTEs in 14 communities
813 applications, 80% approval rate in 85 days
Hospital Collaborations
Hospitals can recoup payments for previously uncompensated care when individuals approved for SSI obtain Medicaid
SOAR providers may receive funding from hospitals for dedicated SOAR benefits specialists to help individuals access SSI/SSDI and health insurance
In 2013, States reported an average $7,417 reimbursed from Medicaid per SOAR approval In 2012, Mercy Hospital in Michigan reimbursed $852,557 after using SOAR to assist with 45 applications SOAR TA Center issue brief on hospital collaborations
Criminal Justice System Collaborations
Diversion courts, in-reach initiatives, re-entry planning, and SOAR trained corrections staff Reduces recidivism and prevents incarceration, which in turn saves money for states and communities In 2009, the Miami-Dade Jail Diversion Program estimated cost-savings to the state of $7 million Results leveraged on-going funding for SOAR SOAR TA Center issue brief on criminal justice collaborations
Other Partnerships
Programs serving targeted groups Veterans Youth
leaving foster care
Local colleges and universities Social
work field placements or internships Students get experience working with clients and help grow an agency’s SOAR program
Peer Support organizations SOAR
TA Center issue brief on utilizing peer support workers with SOAR
Sustaining & Growing SOAR
Be creative
Use your outcomes
Share success stories with the press
Give presentations to potential funders
Create linkage with influential leaders—both private and public Keep persisting!
Funding and Sustainability Tools
Funding and Sustainability Worksheet
Sample SOAR Proposal with Budget
Sample SOAR Proposal for Jail Collaborations
Funding and Sustainability Best Practices
Issue Briefs from the SOAR TA Center
Visit the SOAR Website Often! http://soarworks.prainc.com
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Connect With Us SAMHSA SOAR Technical Assistance Center http://soarworks.prainc.com
[email protected] www.facebook.com/soarworks @SOARWorks
