Essentials of Care Navigation Certificate

Care Navigation Certificate

This two part program is designed to prepare current students, incumbent healthcare workers and community stakeholders interested in care navigation (CN) and advocacy roles in the health and community services system. Students will explore the health and community services system in depth: healthcare legislation and policy, insurance, electronic medical records and HIPAA, trends, roles, and challenges that arise in the coordination of care. The emerging care navigation role will be explored in depth as it relates to the medical team, professionalism, and scope of practice. The patient and the patient experience become an even greater focus as students explore the diversity among patients and develop skills in cultural sensitivity and applying strategies to reduce barriers to care. Students will develop skills in communication, patient activation, decision support, accessing resources, and other critical skills with multiple simple and complex case studies and simulated practice opportunities. Students will refine and practice effective communication techniques used with vulnerable patients and patient care teams. This module focuses on identifying barriers to accessing healthcare and ways to navigate past them. Students learn behavioral change strategies, behavioral health concepts, phases of chronic disease and ways to facilitate access to care. Attention will be focused on the system, the patient, roles and processes, and the culture in which these exist. The course also covers community, financial, social, and physical resources that a navigator will use to improve patient care.

Required Courses

• AHCN 101: Introduction to Care Navigation 1 Cr
• AHCN 102: The Client Profile 1 Cr
• AHCN 103: Introduction to Chronic Illness 1 Cr
• AHCN 104: Communication Essentials 1 Cr
• AHCN 105: Health Coaching and Navigation 1 Cr

Total Credits 5