Financial Coach

Financial Coach Position

Our Mission

We are on a mission to provide system-impacted youth with a pathway from survival to self-actualization.

Our Vision

We envision a world where housing is more than just a roof over your head, but a classroom for life for all young people.

Our members are navigating real financial challenges, often for the first time and without family support. The Financial Coach plays a vital role in helping them build the money skills, habits, and emotional relationship with finances they need to thrive — both inside SHP and long after they leave.

Position Overview

Compensation: $60.00/per hour

The Financial Coach is a part-time contractor who provides individualized financial coaching, group workshops, and team collaboration to support member financial wellness across all stages of the SHP Life School program. This role blends practical money management skills with a deep understanding of the psychology of money — helping members not only know what to do financially, but understand why they feel and respond the way they do around money.

This is a relational, trauma-informed role. The right candidate brings warmth, lived experience, and the ability to meet young people where they are while holding them to high standards of growth.

Core Responsibilities

1. Individual Financial Coaching Sessions

Provide one-on-one financial coaching sessions with assigned members. Sessions should be consistent, goal-oriented, and tailored to each member's program stage and personal circumstances.

Custom Budget Development

Build a personalized monthly budget for each member based on their current income, program membership fees, and living expenses

Ensure the budget reflects the member's real life — not a generic template — and accounts for their specific goals, stage of program, and savings milestones

Revisit and update the budget regularly as income, expenses, or goals change

Develop a transition budget for life after SHP — projecting housing costs, utilities, food, transportation, and other independent living expenses

Align budget planning with the Path to Stability savings match program and program advancement requirements

Budget Accountability & Follow-Through

Hold members accountable to their budget goals through regular check-ins and progress reviews

Review spending and savings activity with each member — celebrating wins and troubleshooting gaps without judgment

Help members develop self-accountability habits and the ability to self-correct when they fall off track

Document budget adherence and flag consistent barriers that may require additional team support

Custom Credit-Building Plan

Assess each member's current credit situation — including credit score, credit history, open accounts, and any derogatory marks

Create an individualized credit-building plan with clear, actionable steps and measurable goals

Guide members through tools like secured credit cards, credit-builder loans, becoming an authorized user, and on-time payment strategies

Help members review their credit reports, understand what's on them, and dispute any inaccuracies

Set short- and long-term credit score targets tied to housing and financial independence goals

Credit-Building Accountability

Monitor each member's progress toward credit goals through regular check-ins

Review credit score changes, new account activity, and payment history on a consistent basis

Adjust the credit-building plan as needed based on member circumstances or progress

Educate members on how their daily financial behaviors connect directly to their credit health

Investment & Long-Term Savings Planning (Advance Goals)

Develop a personalized savings and investment plan for each member that extends beyond program exit

Introduce foundational investment concepts: compound interest, index funds, retirement accounts (Roth IRA, employer 401k), and long-term wealth building

Help members understand the difference between saving (short-term security) and investing (long-term growth)

Set tiered savings goals: emergency fund first, then longer-term investment vehicles as income and stability increase

Connect investment planning to each member's life vision and Purpose Map — making it feel relevant, not abstract

Introduce age-appropriate platforms and tools members can use independently (e.g., Acorns, Fidelity, CUNA, etc.)

Tax Filing Education & Support

Educate members on the basics of filing taxes: what forms they need, how income is reported, and what deductions or credits may apply to them

Guide members through the tax filing process — including use of free filing tools (IRS Free File, VITA sites, Cash App Taxes, etc.)

Help members understand their refunds and how to use them intentionally — aligned with their savings and investment goals

Clarify tax implications for different income types: W-2 employment, gig work, stipends, and program-related income

Ensure members understand deadlines, extensions, and what to do if they owe taxes

Connect members to Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites or trusted resources when professional support is needed

2. Psychology of Money & Emotional Financial Coaching

Go beyond the numbers. Help members understand the emotional and psychological dimensions of their financial behaviors:

Explore each member's personal money story — the beliefs, messages, and experiences around money they carry from childhood and past experiences

Identify emotional triggers around money (anxiety, avoidance, shame, impulsivity, scarcity mindset) and introduce tools to recognize and respond to them constructively

Practice reframing financial decisions through a growth mindset and asset-based lens

Connect financial patterns to broader healing and purpose work happening in therapy and life coaching

Normalize money conversations — creating a judgment-free space where members can be honest about their financial reality

3. Case Conference Participation & Team Collaboration

The Financial Coach is an active member of the SHP care team. Responsibilities include:

Attend and contribute to case conference meetings — providing updates on each member's financial goals, progress, and areas of concern

Share observations about a member's relationship with money relevant to their overall case plan (e.g., avoidance behaviors, high stress, meaningful progress)

Identify and flag patterns of growth or challenge across the caseload — noting where financial stress may be intersecting with housing stability or program engagement

Collaborate with the Case Manager, and staff to align financial goals with each member's broader program stage

Contribute to member advancement reviews — affirming readiness based on savings milestones, budget consistency, credit progress, and overall financial skill development

4. Group Financial Wellness Workshops

Identify and facilitate group workshops based on collective needs observed across the member community. Workshop topics may include:

Budgeting basics and building a spending plan

Understanding and building credit from scratch

Savings strategies — why it feels hard and how to make it stick

Introduction to investing: making your money work for you

Banking, financial products, and avoiding predatory services

The psychology of money: money scripts, emotional spending, and scarcity vs. abundance mindset

Tax filing 101: what every young adult needs to know

Preparing financially for independent housing

Financial goal-setting and vision mapping

The Financial Coach is expected to observe themes across members and proactively propose workshops that meet the community's current, collective needs.

5. Documentation & Progress Tracking

Maintain session notes and financial progress records for each member

Track key milestones (savings amounts, credit score changes, budget completion, investment accounts opened) in SHP's tracking systems

Provide input for quarterly member assessments and annual evaluations as requested

What Members Will Learn

By working with the Financial Coach, SHP members will develop the following knowledge and skills:

Money Management & Budgeting

How to create, maintain, and adjust a personal monthly budget

How to track income, expenses, and discretionary spending

How to set and meet savings goals — short-term and long-term