Money Basics Financial Empowerment
Money Basics is a peer-led financial literacy program; designed for individuals who identify as having lived experience of mental health and/or addiction challenges and recovery. It is a series of ten interactive and empowering workshops created by peers, for peers.
The workshops are person-directed and strengths-based, with a focus on honoring the lived experiences of participants and building upon their many existing strengths and skills in order to support their economic well-being.
Our aim with this workshops is to provide support and resources to help peers navigate their finances and their relationships with money, thus supporting their overall health, well-being, and recovery. We hope the Money Basics curriculum and resources help contribute to the continued recovery and healing of those in our community and communities across the country.
A Program of MHAAO
Money Basics is a program of the Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO). MHAAO is a peer-run, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes self-directed recovery and wellness for all by offering recovery peer services, training, technical assistance, advocacy, community collaboration, and peer workforce development.
MHAAO’s peer support services for those experiencing mental health and/or addiction challenges are provided at no cost within the Portland Metropolitan Area through our EVOLVE and Pathway Home programs. MHAAO also provides training services and continuing education units (CEU), such as Money Basics, for certified peer support specialists and individuals who are interested in joining the peer workforce. This includes our state and nationally approved virtual Peer Wellness Specialist training. To further the growth of the peer support community, MHAAO also hosts our annual peer leadership conference, Peerpocalypse, for those working in peer support and their allies.
Course Goals
In this course, participating peers will learn about several important financial topics and develop personalized budgets and action plans to work towards greater financial resilience and economic well-being.
The goals of MHAAO’s Money Basics workshops are for participants and facilitators to leave the course with:
- Greater knowledge about financial topics and improved financial skills;
- Greater knowledge of various ways to save money and improve their financial resiliency;
- Increased confidence in their ability to handle their own finances;
- Healthy financial goals and habits.
- The ability to reflect upon and question their current financial situation so they may begin to improve it.
Participants will develop new skills in a safe environment that will help them reduce financial stress and feel empowered to budget, save, and spend money in ways that work for them.
Why Take the Facilitator Training?
MHAAO’s Money Basics Facilitator Training is a continuing education and workforce development opportunity for Peer Support Specialists/Peer Wellness Specialists/Certified Recovery Mentors. Upon completion of this training, peer workers can receive six CEUs and will be certified to facilitate Money Basics workshops to peers in their communities.
Peer facilitators do not need to be financial experts in order to teach this course. However, they are expected to complete the virtual Facilitator Training prior to teaching Money Basics to peers in their communities.
In this training, facilitators will learn how to facilitate the course topics, how to lead group activities, how to utilize the materials and resources located in the Facilitator Toolkit, and how to best support the peers they serve in managing their finances and improving their economic well-being.
Upon completion of the Facilitator Training, facilitators will be better able to support their community of peers in dealing with financial struggles and can provide them with the tools and resources to improve their economic situation. Skills learned in this training will help peer workers support their communities in and outside of the Money Basics course.
