Indigenous people are over-represented among people experiencing homelessness. The trajectories leading to homelessness are distinct, notably due to a higher prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorders associated with intergenerational trauma. While many barriers to access to care are present for Indigenous people experiencing homelessness, Indigenous navigation programs aim to facilitate this access by adopting a holistic approach to health centered on individual needs. Navigators are Indigenous people who reach out to people in the community and establish relationships of trust to promote support through care pathways. By being integrated into teams of health professionals, navigators, however, face barriers in their collaboration with them, such as a lack of understanding from their colleagues towards their role and discrimination. This research thus explores how indigenous navigators collaborate with the professionals of the teams where they are integrated. It uses a participatory approach and qualitative methods, focusing on an organization that has implemented such a program. The results will provide tools for community or health organizations wishing to integrate a navigation program.

This project is co-funded in partnership with Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Santé (FRQS).