PUBLISHED IN , ,

Helping the Homeless with Disabilities

Candice Chilton connects homeless patients to disability benefits

Candice Chilton, on the right, sits with social worker Katherine Ruiz at Project Homeless Connect, a one-day, one-stop event in Durham that connects people who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness with a broad range of services. Photo courtesy
Candice Chilton, on the right, sits with social worker Katherine Ruiz at Project Homeless Connect, a one-day, one-stop event in Durham that connects people who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness with a broad range of services. Photo courtesy of Candice Chilton
Interviewed by April Dudash

Name: Candice ChiltonPosition: Disability services coordinator for SOAR, Duke Division of Community HealthYears at Duke: 2.5

What I do at Duke: SOAR (Supplemental Security Income/Social Security Disability Insurance Outreach, Access, and Recovery) is a national program for completing disability applications for patients who are homeless or at immediate risk for homelessness. Usually we’ll get referrals in from the community or Duke and Duke Regional hospitals, and we’ll go speak with that person, screen them and find out if they have a strong disability case, and from there, we interview them, work with them to get them into primary care and specialty care appointments, and we just build their case from there. We complete their applications and we do a medical summary report that outlines their medical conditions.

If I had $5 million, I would: definitely invest in housing here in Durham for others because housing is a really big challenge and there’s not enough of it.

My first ever job: My family had a lot of land, and so my parents always had me working. The thing I hated the most was we had a lot of gardens and flower beds, so one of my tasks when I was really young was to go out and pull all the weeds. The payment always was a pack of Nabs (a Southerner term for peanut butter crackers) and a fountain drink.

My dream job: Eventually I would like to get my Ph.D. and do research and just teach. I’d like to stay in this sphere and teach social work subjects.

The best advice I ever received: Everyone has a reason for where they are and to not make assumptions about people. I have met people who are homeless from all different backgrounds.

What I love about Duke: I love the role that Duke plays in the community. Duke really goes above and beyond as a hospital. Everyone in the Division of Community Health is passionate about the patients and their struggles and challenges.

When I’m not at work, I like to: cook a lot and have dinner parties. My grandmothers and my mom taught me how to cook, and they’re all Southern. I really like to keep those traditions alive, so I’ll make chicken and dumplings or greens or macaroni and cheese.

An interesting/memorable day at work for me: The days when I get to call a patient with news of an approval for disability benefits. You’re telling people they now have insurance, a monthly income they can use for housing and their basic needs, and it’s not like you’re providing someone with a one-time benefit. It’s something they will have for the rest of their lives, to use to get out of homelessness and improve their quality of life.

The skills I bring to my work: To be able to sit down with anyone, whether it’s the highest executive or with someone on the ground out in the woods. I really try to do my best to treat everyone equally and try to get to know them as a person.