Posted on: July 20, 2020 Posted by: admin Comments: 0

Intro to the Disability Process

The SSA disability determination process is the cyclical method used by SSA to determine eligibility for and eventual award or denial of benefits.  Knowing what happens during the four stages of Initial, Reconsideration, Hearing, and Appeals Council helps prospective and current Social Security Administration Vocational Experts (SSVE) understand their role and where it fits in the entire process.             Luckily, SSA created a video series that start off with that…

Posted on: July 17, 2020 Posted by: admin Comments: 0

SSAVE Commercial Resources support

The data available to the Social Security Administration Vocational Expert (SSAVE) for pre-hearing research is varied and dense.  That same data availability during the time limits of a hearing dwindles appreciably.  Just like the civil-military complex, companies strive to fill the void for rapidly presentable data to the Social Security Administration as well.                    Companies such as SkillTRAN and Governmental agencies such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) are…

Posted on: July 15, 2020 Posted by: admin Comments: 0

SSAVE Academic and Regulatory support

In previous posts, we’ve already seen the various levels and sources of friction that the SSAVE must deal with to get the best input as an impartial witness.  Reliable information can alleviate this friction for the SSAVE and set them on the best path to growing excellence and dependability during their input into the Five Step process. These sources, seen in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (for now), the Handbook…

Posted on: July 13, 2020 Posted by: admin Comments: 0

How do VEs and the SSA work together?

The SSA employs Vocational Experts for a very good reason…research.  At the end of the day the SSAVE is paid for this research.  Conducting data analysis based on claimant information (work history) and applying hypothetical limitations to arrive at a residual functional capacity (RFC) is the name of the game…so what is the best research method? It depends..on the experience and capability of the SSAVE.  Stroud Academy recognizes this as…

Posted on: July 10, 2020 Posted by: admin Comments: 0

Other Players in the SSA Vocational Expert world

The Social Security Administration Vocational Expert (SSAVE) relies on a highly educated background and at least five years of direct experience helping people with disabilities.  The SSAVE also relies on a wealth of data, growing more prevalent every day with the availability at their fingertips via internet search capability.  While some resources are more authoritative than others, the various methodologies employed by SSAVEs still roll back to their “professional experience.” …

Posted on: July 8, 2020 Posted by: admin Comments: 0

Social Security and the Vocational Expert

In the last post we introduced what Social Security Administration Vocational Experts (SSAVE) are, what kind of requirements must be met to enter the profession, and some of the items that a SSAVE would do on a normal basis as part of their impartial witness duties. While those requirements increased for the latest iteration of SSA contracts (specifically the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor/American Board of Vocational Experts requirement), the need to…

Posted on: July 6, 2020 Posted by: admin Comments: 0

The SSA Vocational Expert…what is it?

So you’re interested in this fancy term you’re hearing…the SSAVE!  But what is it?  What does it take to become one?  Who’s in charge?  What is the education process?  How does one become a really good Social Security Vocational Expert (SSAVE)? This series will attempt to take this term and demystify it…just like an individual knows how to go to school for a career, we’ll outline answers to all of…