Partners
University of California, San Francisco, Oregon Health & Science University and University of California, Berkeley
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and University of California, Berkeley (UCB) are leading the research associated with the BEEM project. The BEEM research investigators bring expertise in health disparities, social epidemiology, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, health economics, psychology, anthropology, barriers to care, community-based research and community engagement.
MyPath
MyPath is leading the financial capabilities work, and plays other key roles in the pilot including convening community stakeholders and acting as a liaison with local governments. MyPath is a national nonprofit whose mission is to seed and empower economic pathways for low-income youth and young adults, especially for Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC). Designed collaboratively with youth and young adults, MyPath programming includes connecting youth with quality financial tools and banking; financial education delivered via technology and coaching; and partnering with employment and workforce development organizations to ensure that banking and learning to manage one’s finances is tied to earning a first paycheck.
Community Working Group (CWG)
The BEEM project is being advised and co-designed by 15 community members who work closely with black young adults and who have deep roots in the community. The CWG ensures that community expertise, views, priorities, assets, and knowledge are integrated into all activities, and they weigh in on all parts of the project, including eligibility determination, recruitment processes, survey design, and other programming. The CWG currently has representatives from the following Bay Area organizations:
National Institute of Health (NIH)
This project is financed by a cooperative agreement with the National Institutse of Health’s Common Fund for Transformative Research to Address Health Disparities and Advance Health Equity initiative, an initiative that supports research projects to prevent, reduce, or eliminate health disparities and advance health equity. Thank you to the NIH project scientists supporting BEEM, Nadra Tyus and Nathan Stinson.
Community Financial Resources (CFR)
Community Financial Resources (CFR) is administering BEEM funds using their Focus Card, a prepaid debit card that has online banking capabilities. CFR was founded in 2003 to promote economic justice and since then has served as a liaison between communities and financial institutions to provide accessible, inclusive financial solutions with tools to promote stability, protection of assets, and to establish a foundation for growth.
Sage Financial Solutions, Financial Capabilities Investment, and Reese Financial Services
Sage Financial Solutions, Financial Capabilities Investment, and Reese Financial Services are providing the financial mentoring component of the BEEM project, using MyPath’s Financial Mentoring framework. These partners bridge the gap between financial service professions and low-wealth communities by working with community based organizations to provide community members with competent, ethical financial services.
Bay Area Legal Aid
Bay Area Legal Aid is working to provide meaningful access to the civil justice system through quality legal assistance regardless of a client’s location, language or disability. Bay Legal is providing benefits counseling to BEEM participants.