System Navigation

System Navigation What is it? What does it mean for community members?

Hope House has a great way to find the resources that are available to you.
Connecting community members to the resources they need is key in supporting autonomy and self-sufficiency. It can be confusing… there are a lot of resources out there and there is no centralized application or distribution, so the responsibility of accessing these resources falls on the shoulders of community members, who may already be stretched to their limits. How do you research what resources are available to you in the Guelph-Wellington area when you’re working one or more jobs, caring for one or more children or older adults, and/or managing one or more health conditions, for example? Hope House has put together a tool to help you find the supports you need

The “system” in Guelph refers to the multitude of resources that are available at no- or low-cost to community members. These are public resources provided by government organizations or private resources provided by local outreach and not-for-profit organizations. All together they create a safety-net “system” to catch vulnerable community members when they are falling, and support them as they climb to health and stability.

How does System Navigation work?

During the System Navigation process, we listen to your needs and concerns. 
We then help you find and connect to the appropriate resources. 

At Hope House, our support workers are here to conduct System Navigation whether it’s via phone, email or in-person. 
If you wish to do this via phone, please call (519) 265-4299 ext. 23 and speak with Sarah.
By email, send an email to support@hopehouseguelph.ca.
Alternatively, visit us in-person at 10 Cork Street East (downtown Guelph) and one our support workers will be happy to assist you! 

Meet one of the support workers here at HOPE House

Meet one of the support workers here at HOPE House

Hi my name is Sarah and I’m the new Ongoing Support Worker at Hope House. My preferred pronouns are She/Her. 
Although this job is a new one, I used to volunteer at Hope House years ago in the food market as a volunteer supervisor. I also worked on the Hope House farm as the community garden agriculturalist.  I studied at the University of Guelph and have a Honours Bachelor’s degree in International Development with an emphasis in Gender Studies.  
My passion is community development which is why I love working at Hope House. I truly believe that our approach to immediate relief programs and system navigation can help those in need and bring people in our community together. 

What kind of resources are available through the System Navigation Tool?

Navigating all the resources available to you can be confusing and overwhelming. The good news is that this is because there are tons of resources out there for you to access. The Guelph System Navigation Tool has categorized the resources available to make it a bit simpler for you to connect with resource providers in the area. But it’s still SO MANY categories. Don’t fret, there’s no rush. None of these resources are going anywhere. When you have time and space to reach out, they will all still be right here for you.

What if I just want quick information? Is that available?

The ongoing support team has put together a System Navigation Slide Deck, which assists those who want a more hands-on approach to finding the information they need. While we do our best to ensure all information is up-to-date, please keep in mind that the information provided is mostly 3rd party related. 

The slide deck is extremely user-friendly. All you have to do is click the button below, scroll down to the slide deck and click where it says “learn more.” You will than be brought to a table of contents – just locate and select your topic of interest and away you go.
At any time you can can return to the home slide by clicking the home button, or go back to the table of contents by hitting “back”