Client Navigation

Client Navigation

The Client Navigator at Country Roads CHC is a designated team member who can assist you with finding services in your community to meet your health needs. The Client Navigator can link you with member of our team or some external partner services and works with you to help you with coordinating your care and services to help you stay as well and independent as possible. People are healthier when they are connected with social supports and resources in their communities. As housing, income, social support, education and employment can greatly impact your health, the client navigator will review these areas with you as well.

Social Prescribing

Social prescribing is a new spin on an old idea – that people are healthier when they are connected with social resources and supports in their communities. Social prescribing provides a structured way to address the social determinants of health and wellbeing for people accessing primary care. Although it looks different in different communities it often involves a referral from a provider, a supportive navigator who can connect and be with the client throughout, and a variety of health promotion and community development supports from the assets of both the centre and the community.

Country Roads Community Health Centre is participating in this innovative Social Prescribing Pilot with the Alliance for Healthier Communities, along with 10 other Community Health Centres (CHCs) across Ontario.

Social prescribing is a way of referring people to a range of non-clinical services at the Centre and in the community. It complements medical treatments and seeks to address people’s needs in a holistic way. This approach goes beyond treating illness and seeks to reduce social isolation and loneliness and increase overall physical and emotional well-being.

In the U.K., social prescribing shows promising results in achieving positive outcomes for clients, healthcare providers, and communities overall. Clients have improved mental health, are less isolated or lonely, and are more physically active. Communities are also seeing improvements in people’s sense of connectedness and belonging.

Our Social Prescribing team has allowed us to identify gaps and create solutions for our clients and community. Health Champions and the skills they possess allow us to effectively work alongside one another to accomplish goals with our clients. If you are interested in becoming a Health Champion or have a skill you would like to share, please contact Emily Beelen at: ebeelen@crchc.on.ca. If you have any questions or would like to know more about Social Prescribing please contact Marci Bruyere at mbruyere@crchc.on.ca.