Navigating Services — Clinician dialogue

Invite and obtain permission

Offer: "Would it be useful to explore navigating services using an ordinary or fictional example? We can adapt it, observe, or stop." Ask what the person wants from the conversation.

Elicit before teaching

Ask: "How does this show up, if at all, in your own words?" Offer this idea tentatively: Knowing roles and routes can reduce the burden of seeking help. Ask what fits and what does not.

Guide the task

Create a map of providers, peer services, scheduling contacts, and questions about eligibility or cost. Ask for permission before giving an example. Use this fictional illustration if useful: Casey is unsure which service handles a referral.

Reflect and check accuracy

Reflect only what was offered: "I heard you describe ___. What did I miss?" Ask: Who can clarify the next step without making you tell the whole story again? Avoid assigning motives or interpreting silence as agreement.

Respond to a mismatch

If the person rejects the frame, say: "Thank you for correcting it. What would be more useful?" Return to their language or choose a different approach.

Close with agency

Ask which observation, question, or support request the person wants to keep. Confirm a manageable ending and appropriate follow-up; do not turn a tentative possibility into a homework obligation.

Prompts for this resource

1. Readiness, permission, cultural context, and access needs to check:
2. Who can clarify the next step without making you tell the whole story again?
3. What would tell me to adapt, stop, or seek supervision?