How to Become a Social Security Disability Advocate
Social Security disability advocates provide a valuable service to applicants for benefits, particularly at the point when an applicant's claim is denied--which occurs nearly 70% of the time. Although the Social Security Administration has established rules permitting disability advocates, it does not provide any training, nor does it provide much guidance on the requirements for a disability advocate, other than stating that you must have the knowledge necessary to provide a "valuable service" to the applicant. Therefore, in order to become a disability advocate, you need to acquire knowledge necessary to handle a disability claim from application through the appeals process from either a private organization or public social service agency.
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Instructions
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Familiarize yourself with the definition of "disability" used by the Social Security Administration (SSA), which is a very strict definition, i.e., an applicant will only be considered disabled if he cannot perform any "substantial work" because of his medical condition and the medical condition "must have lasted, or be expected to last, at least 1 year," or be expected to result in death. The SSA website provides some information and examples of how disability is determined.
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Familiarize yourself with the SSA process for filing an application for Social Security disability benefits, also known as "SSDI" benefits, and the steps in the process for appealing a denial of benefits. This information can easily be found on the SSA website, and will be helpful knowledge at your interview with any organization or public agency that handles SSDI cases.
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Contact law firms that specialize in handling Social Security disability cases (also known as "SSDI" cases) and inquire about the requirements for hiring a non-attorney disability advocate. Not all law firms use non-attorney disability advocates, but those that do are a good starting point for you to acquire the experience and training for handling SSDI cases. You may find a firm willing to train you to assist a lawyer in handling the cases. You will also learn what these firms look for in a non-attorney disability advocate, such as having paralegal experience or a college degree.
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Contact the social service agency in your state that handles SSDI applications regarding employment. These agencies perform the actual investigative work for the SSA, such as reviewing the applicant's medical evidence and interviewing the applicant, and are a critical part of the SSDI application process. Although you would be working the SSA side of the claim, you will acquire valuable experience and training that can be used to act as a advocate for the applicant in the future.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have a degree in social work or law-related field, you will have an easier time becoming a disability advocate. Without such degrees, you best approach will be finding work experience in the field of SSA disability cases at an entry level position.
