Community and Health Services Navigation

When a patient leaves hospital with three new prescriptions and no idea who to call, a navigator makes the difference. Community and Health Services Navigation is a one-year Ontario College Graduate Certificate, three semesters long, at Cambrian College in Sudbury, that trains you to guide people through health, social and community services.

Semester one introduces Navigator Fundamentals and Navigating Systems of Care alongside Health and Wellness, Social Determinants of Health and Interpersonal Communication, so you understand both the services on offer and the barriers clients face. Semester two applies that knowledge through Systems of Care Application, Advocacy and Ethics, Concurrent Disorders, Mental Health & Addictions, Dementia, Ind Perspectives on Care and Professional Development. You learn to assess needs, connect clients with the right programme, advocate on their behalf and respect Indigenous approaches to care.

In the third semester you choose Placement 1, a six-week placement, or a Capstone Project shaped around your role or interests, and Cambrian arranges the placement for you rather than leaving you to find one. Previous placement partners include Health Sciences North and the YMCA newcomer and immigration services team. Graduates of the Community and Health Services Navigation certificate may continue at a college or university and receive credit for their prior study.

Sample roles include patient flow supervisor, community support worker, resource and referral specialist, mental health case manager, outreach and intake coordinator and smoking cessation coach, with employers such as the Alzheimer Society, Health Sciences North, Ontario Health Teams, Ontario 211, the Canadian Mental Health Association and the John Howard Society. The certificate suits diploma and degree holders from health, social service or related fields who are organised, empathetic and good at untangling complicated systems.