Trauma-Informed Representation— Advocating for Clients with Psychiatric Disabilities – Track II [Day 1] (Presented by National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives)

Representing claimants with mental impairments requires a trauma-informed approach to build trust, gather strong evidence, and address credibility challenges. This session will explore strategies for working with clients experiencing PTSD, anxiety, and psychotic disorders, including adapting communication to minimize retraumatization, assessing functional limitations, and overcoming documentation gaps.

Attendees will learn how to navigate symptom fluctuation and inconsistencies in medical records to strengthen cases. By integrating clinical insights with legal advocacy, representatives can improve claimant engagement and case outcomes for individuals with psychiatric disabilities.

Key topics to be discussed:

• Trauma-informed representation of claimants with mental impairments
• Strategies for working with clients with PTSD, anxiety, and psychotic disorders
• Integrating clinical insights with legal advocacy for psychiatric disability cases

This course is co-sponsored with myLawCLE.

Eligible for up to 1 CLE Credit Hour

This session was originally submitted for CLE as a live, in-person presentation and a live webcast for the Fall 2025 National Conference – Track II Conference and may be eligible for self-study credit.

Each state handles self-study credit differently; for questions, please consult your State Bar Association.

Recorded on September 9, 2025

Closed-captioning available