Financial Health Institute

“Don’t discuss how much you make.” “Don’t let them see you struggle.” “It’s impolite to talk about money here.” We’re taught over and over again to keep our financial struggles to ourselves, leaving many of us ill-equipped to offer guidance to our clients. This course is designed to help case managers and other Human Services providers overcome social, cultural, and personal barriers in discussing financial matters. Key concepts: transparency, immediacy, communication competence  Read more

In this course, you'll be introduced to FHI's Asset Building Continuum, and you'll learn how it can be used as a framework to help clients reach their goals.  Read more

These three courses cover the basics of credit, debt and negotiating with creditors. Credit 101:  Basic knowledge about credit, the credit industry, and utilizing credit as an asset. Debt 101:  Introducing the concepts of debt and time-value, plus how to sort through your options, and strategies for successfully paying down debt. Negotiating with Creditors:  The nature and process of negotiation and strategies for successful negotiation, specifically focusing on negotiating with creditors, examining consumer rights and some techniques debt collectors might use against you. Read more

When a client who receives public benefits has an increase in income, that client may lose some or all of these benefits. This sudden and often unexpected decrease in benefits is known as “The Cliff Effect”. In this course, we’ll discuss what the cliff effect is, why it exists, and possibilities for supporting clients to navigate these benefit decreases so they can move forward in their career. Read more

In this course, we’ll discuss the complex context that our clients dealing with poverty are living within, which makes it difficult to work towards change. We’ll emphasize the fact that all people, regardless of their situations, have value and deserve compassion and outstanding service. Read more