The mission of assist is to officially advocate for and represent applicants with severe disabilities who are eligible for ssi and ssd benefits. Assist guides clients through all levels of the federal administrative claims review process. Assist is a revenue-generating service for its clients and a key element in the fight to end homelessness. Assist's services - both guiding clients through the application process and training other providers to do so - benefit clients and the community.

Health

In 2017, assist strove to increase new revenue streams through grants and governmental contracts to be able to grow our operations to serve more people with disabilities in the portland metropolitan area. We hired two new staff members and began training to increase caseload capacity. We enrolled 71 new clients in to the program. These severely disabled clients were helped to file for social security disability(ssd) benefits and supplemental security income (ssi) benefits applications. We successfully completed 58 cases for our clients. Representation for 23 client disability hearings was provided in front of disability administrative law judges, which is approximately twice as many hearings as the previous year. By year-end we had 86 open cases still in progress. We were awarded two grants from a county govermental agency and a major charitable foundation to help us begin developing a more region-specific project for washington county's disabled homeless or housing-vulnerable citizens. Smaller tranings and introductory events to strengthen the understanding of assist's work were held with numerous service community partners, such as virginia garcia clinics, the salvation army, coda, vocational rehabilitation services, washington county crisis team and others who work with the homeless and refer cases to assist. Casework revenues totaled $177,804. 42. Cash and in-kind donations totaled $62,679 including a pro bono seasonal year-end fundraising video production for community cable access viewers. We began to increase agency reserves to facilitate at least two months of expenses. Three fundraising events were held; one of which was a 1960's rock n roll dance party facilitated by area social workers who support the work that assist does. The band was pro bono. The other events were two, back to back nights of pro-bono music from a local musician, light hor doevers and small table auction items at a local restaurant.