Next Right Step | Sarah Crosby
Sarah was a Fellow in the class of 2021 and has been continuing her work on her professional development project since the completion of the fellowship experience.
“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” Those words from Isaiah have been a calling since long before I went to law school and they help shape my Social Security disability law practice every day.
As a lawyer, I am an advocate, but in my specific practice I don’t advocate alone. For my clients, their doctors are the best people to advocate. Doctors can help judges understand a disability, they can translate the complex medical issues a person is going through and how those issues might affect their ability to work.
Joining CCF in August 2020, I had a pretty good sense that my work mattered, but CCF always poses the question – “what is my next right step?” I pondered that question and thought of pain points in my practice. One area that I kept coming back to is the fact that many doctors think that providing a statement saying their patient is disabled is incredibly helpful, when, in reality, it is useful at all. Social Security needs to know the “how” and “why” someone is disabled.
In the last year I have built relationships with local health providers, including Eskenazi Health. I have held multiple trainings with care providers to help them understand the disability process. Specifically, helping doctors understand to best help their patients they need to chart specific limitations such as “Mr. Smith should not be on his feet more than 1 hour per day” or “Mr. Smith should not lift more than 10 pounds” and connect these limitations to the patient’s medical conditions.
I will continue to hold trainings for any provider who wants to learn about the process. However, my next initiative I am mulling involves approaching the Indiana State Legislature to ensure anyone going through the disability process is ensured a free copy of their medical records. Currently, disabled claimants who can’t work may have to spend hundreds of dollars simply to prove their case. I don’t find that fair and feel like the law needs to change.
I am grateful to CCF for making me think deeper about justice and how to advocate not only for my clients, but also for the flourishing of our neighbors and Indianapolis.”
