Nipissing Service Navigation Guide (SNG)
NIPISSING
Efficiently connecting people seeking mental health, addictions, and/or development disability services with the right services or supports through improved coordination and collaboration among all providers, and across sectors.
What is the system challenge?
The Nipissing Service Collaborative identified a need to greatly improve the experience of individuals as they navigate through the often confusing mental health and addictions care system in Northeastern Ontario. The goal is to efficiently connect people seeking mental health, addictions, and/or development disability services with the right services or supports through improved coordination and collaboration among all providers, and across sectors (including employment and housing).
What are we doing about it?
Evidence:
When creating the SNG, current research literature was used to support the design and implementation of the SNG. Evidence related to how service providers can take a person-centered approach and practice cultural humility when working with clients was also considered.
The SNG was developed based on the expertise of service providers and the lived experience of clients of mental health, addictions, and other community support services in Nipissing. For example, the Service Collaborate asked diverse client groups how they would like to be helped when navigating services.
With support from the PSSP Northeast Region team, the Nipissing Service Collaborative partnered with community stakeholders to co-create the Nipissing Service Navigation Guide (SNG) – a navigation process for service providers that focuses specifically on the services and supports available in the District of Nipissing.
The SNG complements and enhances existing practices and processes related to navigation and referrals, and it can be used by different providers across multiple sectors in Nipissing.
To ensure the success of the SNG, the Service Collaborative tapped into local service provider expertise, and listened to the lived experiences of system clients and their family members when developing the SNG. It is intended to be inclusive of diverse services and populations in Nipissing, and takes a system-wide approach that includes multiple agencies and sectors. It uses a person-centered approach that focuses on all of a person’s needs; it helps them to prioritize these needs and to quickly provide them with information about local service options or supports.
Some of the anticipated benefits of the SNG for people seeking services:
Individuals will better connect to mental health, addictions, and/or developmental disability services and supports that can provide relief to challenges they face.
The SNG will support individuals to feel welcomed and respected when seeking services, and to feel reassured that they will be able to find a service to support them.
Some of the anticipated benefits of the SNG for system planners and service providers:
Enhanced collaboration across services, supports, organizations, and sectors leading to a reduction in duplication of efforts;
Improved collection and sharing of data related to navigation and referral process leading to a better understanding of system needs and gaps in services and supports in Nipissing.
Enhanced understanding of services and supports available for diverse groups and populations (including Indigenous peoples, individuals with identify as LGBTQ+ and Francophones); and
The SNG uses three steps:
engagingindividiuals to better understand their needs;
matching individuals with the right service or support; and
provide individuals with the information they need to connect to services and/or assist with referrals.
An interactive, user-friendly website will be used by providers as a tool to support service matching and referral.
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Community consultations, including focus groups with over 60 service providers, persons with lived experience, and family members, helped to identify eight key priorities in Nipissing’s local mental health and addictions system, including culturally safe and competent care; hospital to community transition; knowledge and awareness of system and services; needs of older adults; peer support; relationships and collaboration; rural access; and trauma informed care.
Within each priority, multiple opportunities for improvement were identified, and the Service Collaborative decided to focus on implementing a tool to enhance system navigation. Link: Community Consultation in Nipissing
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The Nipissing Service Collaborative is supporting the development of the Nipissing Service Navigation Guide (SNG). The SNG is a provider-led navigation process that has been co-created with community stakeholders in Nipissing.
Communication resources, as well as plans for implementation, coaching, and evaluation are being developed with community partners to support the implementation of the SNG across Nipissing.
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In May 2018, 4-6 agencies in Nipissing will begin using the SNG. They will identify needed improvements to the SNG and determine if the SNG is making the desired impact. This process will last for approximately six months and information about implementation will be shared with community partners on a regular basis.
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The project has not yet reached this implementation stage.
How do we know it works?
The SNG was developed primarily based on the expertise of service providers and the lived experience of system clients and family members. It is focused specifically on the services and supports available in the District of Nipissing. Evaluation will take place throughout the implementation phase to support ongoing improvement of the SNG and to identify early outcomes.
“…hearing from the community, and especially from our clients, is so important to help develop tools that will achieve positive outcomes.”
– Alan McQuarrie, co-chair of the Nipissing Service Collaborative
“My hope is that the SNG makes it easier for anyone already seeking services to see everything available to assist in their recovery; it also makes it easier for anyone ashamed to see a community worker to see what is available to them and gradually reach out for help.”
– Moira – Service Collaborative Implementation Team/Person with lived experience
Who is involved?
A total of 34 agencies from 16 sectors are represented within the current Service Collaborative membership, including:
corrections
developmental disabilities
family services
peer support services
education and employment
housing and homelessness
culturally-based services
violence against women
justice
persons with lived experience
family services
funders
hospital
military/veteran services
community mental health and addictions.
Next Steps
Both the Service Collaborative Implementation team (SCIT) and the Service Collaborative are meeting regularly to develop and discuss implementation of the SNG.
To learn more about the SNG design process, read Partnering with the Community to Enhance Access to Nipissing’s Mental Health and Addictions System.
For more information, please contact:
Sandra Watson, Implementation Specialist
North Region
(705) 675-1195 ext. 78327