NavMAP Standards
NavMAP Standards: Guidance for Youth Mental Health and Addictions Navigation Programs
Youth mental health and/or addictions (MHA) navigation programs across Canada have varying practices and models. The NavMAP Standards synthesize existing evidence and promising practices to guide youth MHA navigation programs. These standards are a voluntary resource and their use will depend on the scope, local context, capacity, and other qualities of your youth MHA navigation program.
The NavMAP Standards are based on research conducted by Family Navigation Project from 2022-2024. A list of works cited can be provided upon request.
Summary of the NavMAP Standards
Service Delivery: Program determines and communicates service hours, eligibility criteria, method(s) of referral, duration of support, modalities of support, consent process, privacy and confidentiality processes, elements of navigation support provided, waitlists, etc.
Navigation Team composition and credentials:Program includes a multidisciplinary team with relevant credentials. Program offers staff onboarding training and ongoing learning opportunities.
Needs of Target Population: Program understands its local context to better address individual and systemic needs, barriers, and gaps.
Elements of Access to MHA Care: Program ensures accessibility of the navigation program itself for current and potential clients, and works to enhance access to care by addressing barriers clients face in the MHA system more broadly.
System Resource Options: Program helps clients access and transition through the MHA system and/or any system needed. Program maintains a database and/or file system with specific and relevant information about available services and resources.
Lived Experience and Outreach: Program values lived experience by actively promoting youth and family-centeredness, offering peer support, implementing and engaging with lived experience advisory councils, and spreading awareness about MHA and the MHA system in general.
Community Collaboration: Program identifies, builds, and maintains relationships with community services and service providers.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity: Program adopts and regularly reviews policies and practices that meaningfully promote equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility among program staff and youth/families.
Outcomes: Program gathers feedback from clients, community members, and service providers to determine the impact and effectiveness of the program. Feedback results are used to inform changes within the program.
Sustainability: Navigation program makes efforts to improve quality, build relationships across the MHA system, and secure and sustain funding for the program.
This work was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Catalyst Grant: Quadruple Aim and Equity – National Mental Health Service Standards FRN QA4 - 181022) Study titled: Navigation for youth mental health and addictions: A realist review and synthesis of approaches and practices (The NavMAP standards project)
