The goal of the Community Navigator program is to reduce barriers that prevent families from becoming self-sufficient, address social determinants of health, increase equitable access to services and resources through partner training and consultation, and support the long-term success of families through a coaching model.
Community Navigators help families build relationships with a network of services and resources in their community to support their long-term goals. This program also employs Special Issue Navigators who have expertise in complex systems and provide support to our Community Navigators when issues arise that are beyond their ability to address.
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In 2023, RefugeeConnect supported 382 families from 36 countries of origin, living in 6 counties (Boone and Kenton counties in KY, Hamilton, Clermont, Butler, and Warren counties in OH) through its Community Navigator program.
Support across greater cincinnati & northern kentucky |
In 2020, in response to the pandemic, RefugeeConnect pivoted its services to address challenges and barriers refugees faced navigating COVID-19 issues, including remote schooling, access to resources that promoted student success, wrap-around services that supported family well-being, and information around COVID-19 in participants' native language. During this time, the Community Navigator program was launched with support from the Greater Cincinnati Foundation’s COVID-19 Rapid Response fund.
Our Community Navigator program addresses systemic disparities and advances equity for marginalized communities by ensuring that refugees and immigrants are actively recruited, trained, and supported to partner with refugee families as they navigate complex and unfamiliar systems. Our approach of utilizing cultural leaders or natural helpers as Navigators is innovative for our region but is rooted in proven practices of supporting refugees through a community health worker model and is focused on supporting refugees and immigrants by addressing social determinants of health through a social justice lens. In addition, Navigators are trained to teach advocacy skills to those they support by transferring knowledge of how to successfully navigate systems, leading to a sustainable community-wide change in understanding and navigating systems. |
RefugeeConnect realizes that addressing inequity also means building partnerships with service providers and developing their organizational lens to be culturally responsive and trauma informed.
RefugeeConnect offers and provides culturally responsive, trauma-informed training and supportive consultation to service providers, educational institutions, and community partners. Our goal is increasing the long-term participation of the refugee community in their long-term goals and increase positive outcomes for marginalized communities.
RefugeeConnect offers and provides culturally responsive, trauma-informed training and supportive consultation to service providers, educational institutions, and community partners. Our goal is increasing the long-term participation of the refugee community in their long-term goals and increase positive outcomes for marginalized communities.
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