	Financial Education and Counseling Services

Introduction

Administration and Management

Service Delivery Administration Standards

Service Standards

FEC 1: Service Initiation

Clients participate in an individualized assessment to determine a customized course of service for their financial situation.

FEC 1.01

Prompt, responsive screening practices:

ensure equitable treatment; and
support timely initiation of services.

FEC 1.02

The organization:

documents authorization from the consumer permitting the organization to provide services via the telephone or Internet; and/or
has a process for ensuring confidentiality and verifying consumer identity.

Update: Revised Standard, Added Interpretation - 06/01/10

FEC 1.02 Original Standard:

An organization that provides services via the telephone or Internet:

documents authorization from the consumer permitting the organization to provide financial telephone counseling; and/or
has a process for ensuring confidentiality and verifying consumer identity.

Interpretation: Prior to responding to information requests, the client must provide proper identification information such as a password, account number, or social security number.

NA The organization only provides in-person services.

FEC 1.03

The organization does not deny consumers access to services.

Interpretation: Services cannot be denied for any reason, including the need for counseling without a DMP, unemployment, self-employment, or types of debt.

FEC 1.04

Assessments conducted during the initial counseling session include:

a preliminary evaluation of the request for service and client goals;
an evaluation of income, expenses, assets and liabilities, as appropriate; and
determination of the need for related service referrals when the person cannot be served, or cannot be served promptly.

Interpretation: Assessments are completed within timeframes established by the organization.

FEC 1.05

Assessments are responsive to cultural factors brought to the attention of the counselor and identify resources that can increase service participation and support the achievement of agreed upon goals.

Interpretation: Cultural factors may include geographic location, language of choice, and the person’s religious, racial, ethnic, and cultural background. Other important factors that contribute to a responsive assessment may include attention to age, sexual orientation, and developmental level.

FEC 1.06

Assessments include a review of the client’s housing status, including an affordability analysis and any potential threats to safe and adequate housing.

Interpretation: When housing costs represent a substantial portion of the client’s net income; when housing is threatened due to rent, mortgage, property tax, and/or utility delinquencies; or when other conditions exist that threaten the client’s housing status, the organization provides appropriate housing counseling and education and/or provides referrals to other organizations within the client’s community that provide appropriate housing counseling and education services.

QUICK JUMP TO


	PURPOSE: Clients who receive Financial Education and Counseling services learn to solve financial problems and gain personal financial management skills.

RELATED FILES


	SERVICE One or more organization-operated programs or activities that have a common general objective and deploy the organization's material and human resources in a planned and systematic manner. An organization that publicly promotes or identifies itself in writing as offering a service, is licensed to deliver a service, assigns personnel and/or space to a service, or allocates financial resources to a service is considered to offer that service.


	ASSESSMENT An evaluation, which utilizes professional expertise and skills in the collection and analysis of data to understand and describe the nature of service needs of an individual, family, or group. Assessment, as in needs assessment, is also used to determine priorities of program planning and service development for the organization as a whole. See also DIAGNOSIS.


	PRACTICE Established actions or ways of proceeding in the regular performance of organizational duties. Policies and procedures often guide practice.


	CONSUMER The individual, family, group, or community that seeks or receives services.


	EVALUATION The review and assessment of organizational operations, programs and services.


	REFERRALS Resource suggestions provided to consumers to address problems or needs that are beyond the scope of the organization's mission.


	COMMUNITY A specific group of people living in the same locality and who may share a common culture, values, and norms. Communities can also be defined by race, religion, ethnicity, age, occupation, political status, tribal affiliation, interest in particular problems or outcomes, or other common bonds. The term "community" encompasses worksites, schools, tribes, residential neighborhoods, business districts, recreational areas, and health and human service sites.


	CLIENT See service recipient.


	MANAGEMENT See ADMINISTRATION