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Overview: 
Systems navigation services provided by a designated provider or team have the potential to address health and social disparities. We conducted an environmental scan of navigation activities in a large urban Canadian community to identify and describe: service providers who engage in systems navigation; the clients who require systems navigation support and the issues they face; activities involved; and barriers and facilitators in providing systems navigation support to clients.
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 Using an online survey and convenience sampling, we recruited individuals who self-identified as community navigators or practiced systems navigation activities as part of their role. The majority of respondents (n¼145) were social workers, social services workers, or nurses. Clients of navigators struggled with mental health or addictions issues, disabilities, chronic diseases, and history of trauma or abuse. The most frequently reported activities of navigators were building professional relationships, managing paperwork, and communicating with relevant agencies or organizations. Barriers and facilitators are reported. 

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Co-author
Authors Names: 
Nancy Carter, Ruta Valaitis, Janice Feather, Laura Cleghorn, and Annie Lam
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Related Research Funding: 
Evaluation of a Community Nurse Navigator in a Priority Hamilton Neighbourhood