We’re happy to announce the fourth edition of our financial education booklet, Cents and Sensibility, is now available online and in print (contact us for a copy) with updated links, content, and a few new resources. Specifically, the ABLE infographic on page 31 and accompanying text reflects the most up-to-date details about ABLE in PA. Also, the Department of Human Services’ new tool, the Information Referral Tool (IRT), is included as a resource on page 50 that can help readers identify beneficial long term services and supports. The Cents and Sensibility companion website, www.centsandsensibility.us, continues to be updated regularly as well.
Becky MacDicken and Holly Chase collaborate with PATF staff on their presentation of Cents and Sensibility to Office of Vocational Rehabilitation counselors.
The revised booklet made its debut at a training for nearly 700 Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) counselors last week. This video training was conducted by our partners Becky MacDicken, of Pennsylvania Banking and Securities, and Holly Chase, of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA). The goal was to familiarize counselors on critical financial education concepts so that they could better instruct their customers. Topics covered included wants vs. needs, money mapping, and identity theft prevention. Denise Verchimak, Director of the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation Services at OVR said, “Several [counselors] commented to me that it is one of the best video conferences they ever attended… [and] they wish they could ‘contract’ with someone to do this in all of their schools.” We’d like to send a big thank you to Becky and Holly for their help in creating and implementing this training, and to the staff at OVR for spreading this invaluable financial education across the state!