System Navigators

What is a System Navigator?

System Navigators are part of the Resilience Project, an initiative aimed at fostering community resilience and addressing the root causes of child abuse and neglect. System Navigators work with Black and Racialized communities and help navigate them through systems as well as acting as an advocate and guide. Key responsibilities of a System Navigator include

  • They help families and individuals in support with filling out applications such as permanent resident application, and citizenship applications finances, navigating the school system, navigating the court justice system, health care support, housing support, and more.
  • Having access to and knowing how to navigate these various systems can be difficult, families come contact our Navigators for that support, in which they have the responsibility to help with any questions they may have and provide them with support throughout the process by keeping in contact with them through phone email and meeting with in-person based on where each system navigator is located or meeting people where they are, which is their communities, and homes.

Our System Navigators

Osman Salih- Kinbridge Community Association (Located in Cambridge)

Isinino Ali – AFRO African Family Revival Organization (Located in Kitchener)

Meron Solomon- Adventure4Change (Located in Waterloo)

Referral Process

  • Families may fill out the form on their own or a trusted individual can do it on their behalf.
  • There are various questions that families or individuals are asked which include their contact information, email or phone, the language of support they need, the system navigator who will be providing support, the urgent need that they need assistance with and more details about their situation.
  • From there, the three System Navigators will discuss who is best suited to assist based on factors such as language, location, services.

Follow up Form

  • After the system navigator has supported the family or individual with their case, to close the case they fill out a follow-up form which provides details about the outcome of the work that we have done and if any organizations have helped to support in the case that we are working on.