Financial Opportunity Center Coach (Bilingual Spanish/English)

Asociacion Puertorriquenos En Marcha Inc•Philadelphia, PA

17d•Onsite

About The Position

APM has been servicing the North Philadelphia community since 1970. Our Financial Opportunity Centers (FOC) helps low to moderate income families boost earnings, reduce expenses, and make appropriate financial decisions that lead to asset building through an integrated service model approach. The centers provide individuals and families with services across three critical and interconnected areas: employment services, financial coaching and access to income supports. The FOC Coach provides direct services to low to moderate-income individuals who are enrolled as Financial Opportunity Center participants. This person assists clients in finding ways to supplement their income or reduce their expenses through benefits that the FOC will refer to as income supports. Income supports may include but are not limited to public benefits such as food stamps, medical benefits, LIHEAP for Utility assistance, and more; other benefits may include Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Child Care Works. These income supports may be difficult to apply for, or challenging to find, or understand. It is the role of the FOC Coach to make these benefits accessible to FOC clients. Furthermore, the FOC Coach must be resourceful and motivated to find new benefit sources for their FOC clients. The FOC Coach will work with employment counselors and financial coaches to ensure that the client is getting assistance across these three major service areas. The FOC Coach plays a valuable role in helping clients achieve financial stability.

Requirements

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree from a four-year accredited institution preferred.
LANGUAGES: Bilingual in Spanish and English required.
EXPERIENCE: Previous work experience in the social services sector preferred. Previous work experience in the financial sector (banking, lending, insurance, investments) required. Previous work experience with the FOC’s target population, and/or the ability to provide services in a culturally sensitive manner.
KNOWLEDGE: A strong understanding of personal finances, particularly in the areas of budgeting, asset building, and credit building
SKILLS: Strong communication skills, both written and oral; proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point). Internet and resource savvy.
A propensity to learn benefits programs rules and requirements.
Competent at following directions, filling out forms, and applications (both paper and online).
IMPORTANT: APM requires all new hires to obtain the following clearances: FBI, Child Abuse Clearance, Criminal Background, and Medical/TB Test.

Responsibilities

Provide one on one income supports counseling to program participants.
Conduct a general benefits screening.
Discuss all benefits for which the client is eligible with that client.
Assist the clients through the application process, as needed.
Understand other services offered by the agency, such as the employment services and financial coaching, and connect the clients to these other services.
Outcome tracking—track the stories and successes of program participants.
Maintain contact with the client and monitor the status of their applications (e.g. lost, approval, denial, re-certifications, etc.)
Use Efforts to Outcome (ETO), a client management system, to document and reflect the outcome of their clients accurately and in a timely manner.
Update the Combined Financial Assessment (CFA) for their clients to reflect changes to their budget via income supports (e.g. food stamps) OR alert the financial coach to this change [in instances where the financial coach makes all budget updates--depending on the process at the FOC].
The FOC Coach may conduct workshops as a means of outreach and education.
The classes may be part of a larger job readiness class offered by the FOC, or may be occasional workshops to the public
Develop workshop materials or tailor existing materials to meet the needs of the community.
Workshops should be relevant to the community, and may include topics such as: SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, Social Security.
Develop relationships with local government offices and community organizations
Cultivate a strong relationship with the local DHS (Dept. of Human Services) office. Advocate for the client as needed.
Create a network of referral organizations to help you assist the client in obtaining income supports (e.g. local Goodwill voucher program, free dental-work programs, etc.).

Benefits

Health Insurance through Independence Administrators or $100/month reimbursement with proof of current insurance
Vision and Dental Plans through SunLife
Basic Life Insurance (100% Employer Funded)
403B Retirement Plan with Company Contribution
Flexible Spending Accounts for Health, Childcare, and Public Transportation expenses
Employee Assistance Program including free counseling, trainings, webinars, and other resources
Could be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program as APM is a non-profit
Voluntary Plans include Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity
Short-term and Long-term Disabilities
Employee Referral Program
20 Days of Paid Time Off include Illness, Vacation, Appointments, and Emergencies
12 Days of Paid Holidays