Info Session: Disability Advocacy Program

Posted by on January 13, 2006

The Philadelphia Welfare Coalition & the Philadelphia County Assistance Office (PCAO) invite you to an information session:

The Disability Advocacy Program (DAP*): How your clients can get help with applications for SSI and SSD

Speakers include:

? Tom Sirolli, Director, DPW DAP, Harrisburg
? John Topalanchik, Director, Medical Review Team
? A representative from the Bureau of Disability Determination, Pa. Department of Labor & Industry
? An Administrative Law Judge hearing-process attorney

A Q&A period will follow, with Ed Hickey, Acting Director, PCAO DAP Unit, and Cindy Schierl, Field Representative, DPW DAP, complementing the panel of speakers.

Wednesday, Feb. 15th, 9:30 a.m. ? 12:00 p.m.
United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania
7 Ben Franklin Parkway
(between 17th and 18th streets)
Philadelphia 19103
(Coffee, tea, and muffins will be available at 9:00 a.m. Program will begin PROMPTLY at 9:30.)

To register, contact forum@uwsepa.org
(Please reply by February 8th)

The Disability Advocacy Program (DAP) is a Title XX Social Service Program established by the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) in 1985. DAP advocates provide services to help recipients with disabilities through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) application and appeal process.

Advocates intervene on behalf of clients who are disabled during the following phases of the DAP process:

? Assisting with the initial SSI/SSDI application.
? Intervening on behalf of a client who failed to file the initial SSI/SSDI application on his own.
? Assisting a client through the appeal process once he receives the initial denial. Many of these recipients complete the initial SSI/SSDI application on their own.

(The above information is taken from the DPW Supplemental Handbook, section 820.1, available at http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/oimpolicymanuals/manuals/bop/supp/820/820.htm#P26_57.
DAP is addressed in sections 820.1 through 820.7.)