NCJ Number
245626
Date Published
January 2013
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article provides information on increasing access to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) programs for persons with mental illness who have recently been released from jails and prisons.
Abstract
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are two programs offered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that provide income and other benefits to persons with mental illness who are returning to the community following their release from jail or prison. This article provides information on increasing access to these programs through the use of community reentry strategies. Following a discussion on the interconnection between mental illness, homelessness, and incarceration, the article presents an overview of the process by which SSA disability benefits are suspended for incarcerated persons and how these benefits are reinstated once the person is released from jail or prison. Citing research that has shown the benefits that transition services can provide for ensuring a successful reentry for inmates with mental illness, the article provides information on strategies that have been implemented at the State and local level to improve reentry rates for mentally ill offenders. These programs use the SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery Program) approach to improve access to SSI/SSDI programs and benefits. The programs in Florida, New Jersey, Georgia, New York, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Tennessee that had success at improving reentry rates for mentally ill offenders are highlighted in the article.