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Courses - September 2023

Level 1

Course details

Professional Communication in Systems Navigation
COMM8530

Description:

Professional communication is at the core of systems navigation. As systems navigators, students will be expected to be able to communicate clearly and effectively with a variety of clients as well as in diverse professional contexts. In this course students will learn how to communicate across audiences, situations, and modalities to ensure effective and streamlined services that meet the client's needs.

  • Hours: 56
  • Credits: 4
  • Pre-Requisites:
  • CoRequisites:

Conestoga 101
CON0101

Description: This self-directed course focuses on introducing new students to the supports, services, and opportunities available at Conestoga College. By the end of this course, students will understand the academic expectations of the Conestoga learning environment, as well as the supports available to ensure their academic success. Students will also be able to identify on-campus services that support their health and wellness, and explore ways to get actively involved in the Conestoga community through co-curricular learning opportunities.
  • Hours: 1
  • Credits: 0
  • Pre-Requisites:
  • CoRequisites:

Health and Social Systems Navigation
HEAL8240

Description:

Health and social systems are complex, interrelated, and often fragmented. In this course students will learn about health and social systems in Ontario, including primary care, community care, elder care, mental health care, refugee support, child welfare, social welfare, law and justice and other social and health systems. Using a system thinking lens, students build an understanding of how systems function, the potential impact of systems on clients, and approached to systems navigation to support effective and appropriate care.

  • Hours: 56
  • Credits: 4
  • Pre-Requisites:
  • CoRequisites:

Strength-Based Approaches to Systems Navigation
HEAL8250

Description:

Recognizing the client's right to choice and self-determination is at the core of systems navigation. Students will learn approaches and frameworks to systems navigation that place client autonomy, self-determination and empowerment at the core. By examining concepts such as patient-centeredness, systems integration, choice, and interdisciplinary practice, students will learn how to position their work within complex health and social systems with the client's optimal outcome as the primary focus.

  • Hours: 42
  • Credits: 3
  • Pre-Requisites:
  • CoRequisites:

Health Equity and Quality
HEAL8260

Description:

Health inequities have a profound impact on access and quality of care across social and health systems. By examining various factors such as income, race, employment status, gender, education, and sexual orientation, students will develop an understanding of how social inequities impact access to quality services. Students will learn to apply a health equity lens to a variety of contexts to support equitable service delivery.

  • Hours: 42
  • Credits: 3
  • Pre-Requisites:
  • CoRequisites:

Client Advocacy and Culturally Responsive Service
HEAL8270

Description:

Client advocacy is one of the core domains of systems navigation practice. By examining the advocacy role, students will learn to work between systems, negotiate across various services, and meet the needs of clients. Students will examine the concept of culturally responsive service and its applications to their practice with diverse client populations.

  • Hours: 42
  • Credits: 3
  • Pre-Requisites:
  • CoRequisites:

Mental Health and Addictions in Systems Navigation
HEAL8280

Description:

In this course students will examine the mental health and addictions systems and their interplay with other social and health systems. Students will examine the close inter-relationship between mental health and access to services, examine navigational pathways within the mental health and addictions services, and learn to identify factors that may impact their clients with mental health and addictions concerns to access timely and effective care.

  • Hours: 42
  • Credits: 3
  • Pre-Requisites:
  • CoRequisites:

Level 2

Course details

Interprofessional Collaboration in Health and Social Systems
HEAL8290

Description:

Successful systems navigation depends on the collaboration between professionals across various systems of care. In this course students will learn how to build progressive relationships with health and social service professionals. By understanding scopes of practice and various roles within the systems of care, students will develop a set of approaches to ensure effective and seamless communication with other health and social service professionals to support care.

  • Hours: 56
  • Credits: 4
  • Pre-Requisites:
  • CoRequisites:

Intake, Assessment, and Case Management
HEAL8300

Description:

In this course, students will embark on the essential journey of ensuring client success by comprehending their unique needs. This course will also provide you with the skills and knowledge needed to proficiently conduct intake interview, enabling you to uncover the core issues and design a tailored client journey. Throughout the course, you will master a range of techniques for conducting thorough intake assessments, explore efficient methods of documentation management and delve into the art of effective case management strategies.

  • Hours: 56
  • Credits: 4
  • Pre-Requisites:
  • CoRequisites:

Systems Navigation Practice
HEAL8310

Description:

In this course students will apply their knowledge and skills in systems navigation to simulated client scenarios across primary care, community care, elder care, mental health care, refugee supports, child welfare, social welfare, law, and justice systems. Students will practice supporting clients in navigating through various systems based on clients' needs and apply their foundational knowledge to client care.

  • Hours: 56
  • Credits: 4
  • Pre-Requisites:
  • CoRequisites:

Systems Navigation Capstone
HEAL8320

Description:

In this course students will select a specific system of health or social care based on their professional education and domain of interest. Students will engage in an in-depth examination of the chosen system to deepen their knowledge of the system, including operations, finance, scope of practice, and care pathways. Working in teams with representatives from different systems, students will then apply their knowledge to collaboratively creating navigational pathways for specific clients.

  • Hours: 84
  • Credits: 6
  • Pre-Requisites:
  • CoRequisites:

Legal and Ethical Foundations of System Navigation
LAW8320

Description:

Students will learn the legal and ethical foundations underpinning the practice of systems navigation. By examining ethical and legal responsibilities and their impact on their professional practice, students will learn how to promote a client-centric, supportive, and strength-based approach to client care.

  • Hours: 42
  • Credits: 3
  • Pre-Requisites:
  • CoRequisites:

Program outcomes

  1. Build progressive relationships with clients, families, and health and community serviceprofessionals to support seamless client services
  2. Adhere to professional, legal and ethical standards of practice to advance equitable health and community services
  3. Consult with diverse clients to assess existing supports and to establish goals for personal wellness that supports a client’s self-determination while navigating health and social systems
  4. Implement support plans for individuals designed to align with client strengths and identifiedwellness goals
  5. Assist clients and advocate on their behalf using social justice theories and social determinates of health so the client can engage proactively with health and community professionals/services
  6. Maintain documentation and databases to facilitate seamless client service and enhance systems operations.