Navigators

One of the most imposing barriers facing residents of the region is the challenge of navigating support systems. Understanding what step to take next, how to fill out a form correctly, or who to call for help can be extremely difficult for many people, and especially lower income individuals.[1] For immigrants these problems may be compounded by a lack of familiarity with local systems, language challenges, and a cultural or societal fear of being seen as causing problems. Some immigrants may simply avoid seeking services instead of dealing with the potential for failure and humiliation.

Hiring additional navigators, especially at organizations or government departments that regularly serve immigrant communities, can be an extremely beneficial way to improve engagement with local populations. Navigators are individuals employed or hired by service providers to assist community members with accessing services. The best navigators are those that are trained in the requirements of service systems and that come from the communities they serve, providing them with the language and cultural knowledge to effectively help. These navigators can leverage trust and relationships within immigrant communities to make sure that a greater number of people are able access important services.

Excellent examples of valuable immigrant navigators already exist within Dubuque. These include community health workers at Crescent Community Health Center, paraprofessionals at the Dubuque Community School District, family navigators at Child Health Specialty Clinics, and staff at the Northeast Iowa Community College. Many other organizations, such as institutes of higher education in the area, also have staff that, while not navigators, frequently serve a navigator role. Several navigator positions were also created as a result of collaborations connected with this research, including the Guatemalan Mentor program and the Marshallese community connector at the Visiting Nurse Association (see Projects and Accomplishments Connected with the Community Assessment section). This is by no means an exhaustive list of navigators in the region but is meant to be provide examples of existing navigators who are members of local immigrant communities.

While hiring navigators is an undoubtedly powerful tool for helping improve access to services for immigrant populations, this role should not be seen as a substitute for capacity and power building. Navigators are meant to move forward the mission of the organization they work for and follow the direction of their (usually non-immigrant) managers and bosses. This is a very valuable and necessary part of how service organizations in our region work, and navigation plays a critical role in helping to provide equitable access to systems. That said, it should not be seen as a replacement for advocacy and power building within immigrant communities.

An example of previously recommended program that can fulfill some of the roles of a navigator position is the Natural Helper program. While this is not a substitute for having a paid staff position dedicated to navigation, training, and compensating immigrant volunteers to help members of their communities navigate systems can increase access to services. The Natural Helper program is described in more detail in the Capacity and Power Building section.

To read about how cultural events can build connections with immigrant communities, click here.

To read more about capacity and power building and find recommendations, click here.

For a discussion of how local organization can improve outreach, click here.

To return to the section on building connections with immigrant communities, click here.

To return to the Immigration Community Assessment welcome page, click here.