Documenting Disability for Medical Providers

Purpose

This training offers a special opportunity for clinicians to learn how they can effectively document disabilities in order to expedite Federal benefits for individuals who are entitled to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Participants will also learn why it is especially important for clinicians to support homeless individuals’ disability claims, and how to relate to others involved in the process.

Target Audience

The training is specifically designed for physicians, psychologists, and others who are authorized by the Social Security Administration to provide medical evidence of impairment in support of SSI/SSDI applications. Other medical providers (nurse practitioners, physician assistants, clinical nurse specialists, nurses) who assist with documentation of medical impairments are also encouraged to utilize the course. This course is for informational purposes only. A certificate of completion is available upon completion of the course.

Learning Objectives

After attending this training, participants should be able to:

• Complete self measurement of learning objectives in the Documenting Disability online learning course using Moodle tools.
• Explain why it is important for medical providers to play an active role in supporting applications for federal disability assistance (SSI/SSDI), especially those submitted by individuals who are homeless.
• Describe the five-step disability determination process.
• Describe barriers for homeless applicants and medical providers.
• Describe what clinicians need to know to support SSI/SSDI applications for homeless applicants
• Describe what clinicians need to do to support SSI/SSDI applications for homeless applicants
• Describe how two actual letters were constructed to support a successful outcome for two homeless patients
• Evaluate Documenting Disability for Medical Providers Online