SAM Program Participant's Session Questionnaire and Information

Welcome Smart About Money Participants!

Thank you for the opportunity to assist you in your goals to increase and maintain your family's financial stability through your participation in Smart About Money (SAM), a free program offered by United Way of Greater New Haven in partnership with Annie E. Casey Foundation assisting low and moderate income households set and achieve financial goals through a series of one on one sessions with trained volunteer budget coaches for a period of June-November 2011.

Below is an outline of the activities to be covered at each of your six coaching sessions.  At the end of each session section is a link to a brief online questionnaire you will need to complete after each session. Please feel free to contact Jan McCray at (203)691-4216 for assistance in meeting your financial goals .

At the bottom of this page you can also find Cohort 1: June-November 2011:

• Program Expectations
• Simple Electronic Household Budget
• Budget Tracker Sheets
• SNAP (Foodstamp) Income Guidelines
• WIC (Wome, Infant and Children) Program Income Guidelines
• CT Husky Health Insurance Income Guidelines
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Income Guidelines
• Care4Kids (Subsdized Childcare Assistance) Income Guidelines

Overview of Smart About Money Budget Coaching Sessions

Session 1 - Getting To Know You

• Build Rapport
• Review of the household's financial summary
• Discuss personal financial goals
• Completion of Participant Agreement Form (when applicable)
• Completion of Participant Pre-program Survey (when applicable)
• Financial Fundamentals Quiz (see below and attach completed copy to session 1 report)
• Present and review participant workbook with household
• Assign reading assignment and tracking homework in workbook
• Inform participant of financial paperwork to bring to next meeting
• Set up next session date/time/location
• Expect to receive a follow-up call/email/text

Session 2 - Developing The Budget

• Review financial paperwork and tracked expenses
• Identify/compare Income and expenses
• Create/Complete budget (see below for electronic version)
• Brainstorm strategies for bringing income and expenses into alignment
• Review and realize importance of utilizing a budget and tracking expenses until next session 
• Set up next session date/time/location
• Complete  a Progress Questionaire here
• Expect a follow-up call/email/text between sessions two and three

Session 3- Developing the Budget

• Create/Complete budget (see below for electronic version)
• Brainstorm strategies/discuss progress made in bringing income and expenses into alignment
• Maintain enthusiam to use budget and track expenses until next session 
• Set up next session date/time/location
• Expect a follow-up call/email/text between sessions three and four

Session 4 - Reveiwing The Budget

• Review existing budget analyzing usage since last session
• Revise/adjust budget as needed
• maintain enthusiam to continue to utilization budget until next session
• Set up next session date/time/location
• Complete a Progress Questionaire here
• Expect a follow-up call/email/text between sessions four and five

Session 5 - Reveiwing The Budget

• Review existing budget and revise as necessary
• Identify and discuss financial goals
• Complete Goal Planning Survey(GPS) 
• Set up next session date/time/location
• Expect a follow-up call/email/text between sessions five and six

Session 6 - Pulling All The Pieces Together

• Review and discuss continuing to use budget after SAM
• Discuss strategies for continuous progress toward achieving financial goals (using GPS form completed in session 5)
• Complete Financial Fundamentals Quiz (second administration for households not achieving 100% on first administration)
• Coach will review GPS, Final Budget and Financial Fundamentals  and submit to United Way
• Participants will complete the SAM Participant Post Program Survey (a PDF doc is listed below) at this session. The survey should be placed in the provided stamped pre-addressed envelope, sealed and placed in the mail by the participant or given to the coach to be placed in the mail.
• Coaches will complete the SAM Coach Post Program Survey (a PDF doc is listed below) at/after this session. They survey should be placed in the provided stamped pre-addressed envelope, sealed and placed in the mail by the coach.
• Present participant with Certificate of Completion