Financial Wellness Specialist

Financial Wellness Specialist
Community Action House
739 PAW PAW DRIVE, HOLLAND MI 49423 /
FINANCIAL WELLNESS /
FULL-TIME, SALARIED
/ ON-SITE

About Community Action House

Since our founding in 1969, Community Action House (CAH) has been the focal point of local efforts to provide critical support and pathways out of poverty for our neighbors in need. Our community-powered work takes a client-centric approach that meets people wherever they are at and offers services that enhance ownership and agency. Our work is organized in three interconnected areas: Food Access, Resource Navigation, and Financial Wellness. Compassion, excellence, and collaboration are core values. Learn more at www.communityactionhouse.org.  

In October 2021, we launched our new ‘Food Club & Opportunity Hub’ to expand efficient, impactful healthy food assistance with the on-site integration of other pathway programs (learn more at www.hzfoodclub.org). 

Organizational budget: $2.5M-$3.5M
Agency Size: 60-70 staff and 700+ annual volunteers

Position Details

• Position: Full-Time (40 hours weekly) or Part-Time (24 hours weekly)
  M-F 8:30am – 5pm or 10:30am-7pm, rotating Saturdays
• Reporting to: Financial Wellness Team Lead
• Compensation: $42,000 – $48,000 (HUD certification dependent)
• Benefits: Part-time positions do not qualify for our benefits package. // Full time positions are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including health, vision, and dental insurance, and three weeks PTO.

About the Position
Community Action House is looking for a Financial Wellness Specialist to join our team! Financial Wellness Specialists are the foundation of the Financial Wellness (FW) team and are responsible for providing direct services to clients in need of financial counseling, rental or housing assistance, foreclosure intervention support, and/or education classes.

This position will be asked to become a HUD (Housing & Urban Development) certified Housing Counselor, if not already certified, and asked to attend relevant training, including training on Foreclosure Intervention. Proficiency in spoken Spanish is strongly preferred, as this helps us reach clients who may not otherwise have full access to these services and programs.

The Financial Wellness Specialist will have a basic understanding of personal finances, financial planning, the home buying process, and/or case management or counseling skills. If you enjoy working with people on reaching their goals and are interested in numbers, please apply to join our Financial Wellness team!

Qualifications

• Integrity, positive attitude, and self-directed
  Strong work ethic and commitment to continuous improvement
• Established interpersonal, communication, and problem solving skills
  Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks without direct supervision 
• Previous experience or comfort working with numbers, taxes, and personal finances
• Financial background, social work, case management, teaching or coaching experience preferred
• Experience working with Excel, Google Suite, and other Microsoft products
• HUD Certified preferred; or willingness and ability to obtain certification 
• Certification is obtained by receiving a passing score on the HUD Certification Exam (paid training time and study materials will be provided)
  Working proficiency in English required: written and spoken
• Proficiency in spoken Spanish preferred
• Knowledge of or willingness to learn about client systems and greater Holland community, particularly the culture of poverty and an understanding of addiction/substance abuse.

Regular Tasks in this Role

• Identify client needs and opportunities. Provide one-on-one counseling to clients seeking housing and education services on both a short-term and long-term basis, depending upon client need and interest (pre/post-purchase, rental, or foreclosure counseling assistance).
• Conduct client financial assessments and provide case management including collaborative goal setting and action planning. Maintain complete and accurate case files on services delivered.
• Facilitate program cohort groups and education classes including: Home Buyer Education, Savings Club, and other financial literacy workshops. Review curriculum and update appropriately to align with current trends and HUD and Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) guidelines.
• Strengthen existing partnerships and establish new home ownership and financial partners with community professionals, including those in the social service field, banking and lending institutions, mortgage companies, insurance providers and other local professionals.
• Ensure current knowledge of financial trends, and take continuing education as needed to maintain HUD certification and improve programming.
• Conduct follow-up calls and additional program evaluation to measure client and program outcomes.
  Assist with programmatic and cross-team support at the Community Action house Food Club and Opportunity Hub.
• Assist in various administrative duties, including monthly time tracking, billing, grant-writing, quarterly and annual reports, as appropriate.
  Attend professional development and relevant financial counseling and education training.

Other Factors

• This position requires sitting at a desk and working on a computer for extended periods of time
• This position may require the ability to drive between CAH buildings and to various community locations

Application
Interviews are conducted on a rolling basis until position is filled. To apply, submit resume and 1 page cover letter, depending on position. Contact ahewett@communityactionhouse.org with questions.

Equal Opportunity Employer
CAH is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws.  We encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply.

Note: This Job Description is a description of the typical duties of this position, and is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties. Job incumbents may be asked to perform other duties as required.