How Case Managers Can Address a Diverse Array of Financial Problems

Are you a case manager looking for an approach to help others address a diverse array of financial problems in a proactive manner? Would you find this approach even more beneficial if it empowered others to address financial issues in a way that delivered long-term, sustainable financial behavioral change?

Case managers who answered “Yes” to both of those questions should give the Financial Social Work certification a good, long look.

Why Financial Social Work for Case Managers?

Case managers in community action agencies, city social service departments, non-profit organizations, and other departments of social services facing the obstacles of diminishing resources and disappearing assistance will find the self-sufficiency of this financial change model a breath of fresh air.

The Financial Social Work model does not focus on giving you the tools and knowledge to offer a helping hand to others. Instead, you will empower others to take their own steps to improve their present financial circumstances while avoiding the cycle of financial despair by changing destructive behaviors as it pertains to spending and saving.

How Financial Social Work Differs From Financial Education

Unlike traditional financial education which are information-driven, FSW is a behavior-oriented financial change model. The foundation of Financial Social Work is built on the belief that your relationship with your money drives your financial behavior which then determines your financial circumstances. The results of empowering others to follow the FSW model are proven to deliver long-term, sustainable change unlike the traditional model which leads to short-term successes at best.

Financial Social Work’s Core Four

The FSW financial behavioral change model is comprised of the following four essential components.

• Psychosocial Aspects.
• Relationship with Money.
• Financial Behavior.
• Financial Information and Knowledge.

As you can see from the core four components, financial information and knowledge is not left out of the mix. Unlike traditional financial education, however, it is not the sole component of the model.

Addressing a Diverse Array of Financial Problems

Because of its behavioral-oriented approach, Case managers can empower individuals and families to address a wide-range of financial problems. This approach is especially useful when resources are scarce and budgets are dwindling.

Instead of solely focusing financial knowledge and teaching particular skill sets like balancing a checkbook or creating monthly budget (which are useful skills but do not offer long-term financial solutions), Financial Social Work addresses solutions to the underlying behaviors that brought on financial problems and pairs that with financial knowledge. Credit card debt, lack of savings, bad credit, no retirement funds: All of these financial issues, along with others, are addressed with the help of the FSW model.

As you can see, Financial Social Work provides case managers with the tools and skills to help clients understand how their relationship with their money drives their financial behavior and contributes to their emotional and financial stability. You will help others discover how and why they are in their current financial circumstances, where they would like to be in the future and empower them to take the necessary steps to reach those goals with a hopeful, proactive and supportive approach to financial behavioral change.

Written By Reeta Wolfsohn, CMSW

How Case Managers Can Address a Diverse Array of Financial Problems was originally published @ Financial Social Work and has been syndicated with permission.