SAM Expectations for Clients

SAM Participant Expectations

To follow is a description of the steps involved in participating in SAM and important things for interested households to consider.

Applying to Participate in SAM

• Interested households should complete a SAM program application and interview with SAM program staff.
• SAM program staff will assess if the household meets program criteria, if SAM is a strong match for the household’s needs and if a spaceis available to accommodate the household’s request for participation in the current program cohort.
• The applicant will receive notification of participate in the program and instructions on next steps

Program/Session Length

• SAM is a four month program. During the program period participants can expect to meet with a budget coach for 4 face-to-face and three phone budget coaching sessions. At the end of the program period participants can expect to meet with referring organization for a program exit interview.

Budget Coaching Session(Meeting) Location

• SAM budget coaching sessions will be held in safe public spaces in the local community (e.g. libraries, community centers, nonprofit organizations, etc.). You will be contacted by your budget coach to set up your sessions and to identify a meeting place that is agreeable to you and your coach. Your budget coach will also contact you directly if your session needs to be cancelled.

Information Needed

• Participants will be asked to share income verification, current bills, and/or other financial information with the budget coach.
• Prior to each session your budget coach will inform you exactly what financial information they will need you to bring with you to your next session.

Financial Coaching Process

• A participant’s first coaching session will run between 1 and 2 hours.
• Subsequent sessions should run about an hour.
• The budget coach will discuss financial behaviors and will encourage you to practice newly learned behaviors.
• The budget coach will assist you in evaluating your present spending pattern and help you work towards a balanced budget/spending plan.
• Once the budget/spending plan is agreed upon, the budget coach will act as an accountability partner with you and will assist you in identifying other resources to increase income and strategies to decrease expenses, when practical. 

Please note: There is no fee for this service. All budget coaches are volunteers, under the guidance of United Way of Greater New Haven staff, who have completed budget coaching training and desire to assist people in setting up a budget and learning how to manage their finances.

For more information on SAM contact:

Jan McCray, Community Impact Associate, United Way of Greater New Haven, jmccray@uwgnh.org, (203) 691-4216