In March, Catholic Charities Fort Worth opened the door to expanding services in rural communities when it launched a satellite office in Denton.

Laura Sotelo, head of CCFW’s Regional Development and Business Operations, stressed that CCFW serves not only Fort Worth, but the entire diocese of Fort Worth.

“We’re called to serve all our brothers and sisters throughout the [diocese’s] 28 counties. This is another step in that direction,” she said.

“We looked at the need within Denton,” Sotelo continued. “They have a higher poverty rate than the state average. Then we looked at the LIFT project … because it will guide us as we move forward in serving rural communities more effectively.”

CCFW in Denton currently offers two programs, LIFT and Education Navigation. LIFT is a 6-to-12-month financial coaching model that incorporates employment and education opportunities as well as emotional resiliency coaching, explained Cindy Casey, head of CCFW Client Services. LIFT is also the agency’s third randomized control trial with the University of Notre Dame’s Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities, she added.

With 1,352 participants recruited over the next four years, the trial will answer the question: Can we provide our unique model of holistic case management services virtually with the same engagement and efficacy as in-person services?

To that end, half of the participants will receive in-person services and half will experience virtual case management. CCFW’s Fort Worth, Wichita Falls, and Arlington locations also serve LIFT clients.

Sotelo explained that if the research proves that virtual services achieve the same results as in-person services, it will open the door to reaching clients across the entire diocese, especially in rural areas.

“The research from the LIFT project will help inform how we’re able to serve these remote communities more effectively,” she said.

The Denton office currently serves 12 LIFT clients, six in person and six virtually. The in-person LIFT navigator will see clients in Denton and Cooke Counties, part of Wise County, and parts of Lewisville. A Fort Worth navigator serves virtual LIFT clients.

The other CCFW program in Denton, Education Navigation, combines strategic financial assistance with long-term coaching and mentoring to support students academically, financially, and emotionally so they can overcome obstacles to completing college.

Education Navigation serves students at 11 campuses across the diocese. In Denton, the program will serve about 30 students at University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University and another 15 to 20 students at North Central Texas College in Corinth, Sotelo said.

“As we build these opportunities to serve Denton and outlying communities, it’s the fulfillment of our Catholic call to serve,” Sotelo said. “It’s another step in the direction of [CCFW] being the service arm of the Church in the diocese.”