Provider Hub

EdNavigator provides expert guidance and coaching for parents and caregivers as they navigate school-related challenges. We help families:

• Enroll their children in public schools
• Navigate the special education / IEP process
• Access school-based mental health services for their children
• Get support for students learning English
• Support their child’s return to school after illness or injury

We support families of children aged 2.5 to 18 and focus on those covered by public health insurance (Medicaid / CHIP).

No, we focus exclusively on supporting families who are interacting with public schools, from preschool through 12^th grade.

It varies depending on the healthcare institution you work for. In most cases, you can use our secure online referral form. Ask your local program coordinator or contact support@ednavigator.org if you aren’t sure, or if you need help setting up an account.

After making a referral, it is assigned to one of our Navigators. Navigators include former teachers, special education coordinators, and other education experts. Within two weeks (typically much sooner) the Navigator will reach out to the family by phone and/or text message to learn more and set clear support goals. They continue working closely with the family until their referral issue has been resolved.

Navigators use tools that families are already comfortable with: phone, text messaging, and email. Occasionally, they also use virtual meeting platforms like Zoom.

You can expect to receive periodic email updates during the support process. Navigators will also let you know if a referred patient is unresponsive to their outreach or declines support. When a referral is completed, the Navigator will provide a final update on the support that was offered and the outcomes for the patient.

Sometimes we receive referrals for issues that fall outside our areas of expertise (for example, helping a family select a specialized or therapeutic school). In other cases, a referral may involve especially complicated dynamics that make it difficult for us to provide effective assistance (like bullying- or attendance-related issues). Referrals that we CANNOT support and consider “out of scope” include:

• Bullying
• Attendance / Absenteeism
• In-home Therapy
• Adult Learning Programs
• Day Care Programs
• Specialized School Programs
• Summer or After-school Programs

Whenever we mark a referral as out of scope, we always notify the referring provider and try to provide alternative resources or suggested next steps where possible.

We take families’ privacy and data security seriously. All referral information is stored in an encrypted and auditable case management system that requires multi-factor authentication to access and conforms to global privacy laws and regulations including GDPR and CCPA/CPRA.

We measure our success based on a range of indicators, including the outcomes of the goals we set for every referral, our case closure rates, responses to post-support surveys we send to families, and survey responses from healthcare providers about their experiences.

EdNavigator provides parent-friendly tips and how-to articles on a wide range of school-related topics through The Busy Family’s Guide to School. We also offer free informational flyers and posters that can be shared with families or posted in clinic waiting areas, in English and Spanish, and periodic trainings for providers on topics such as understanding the special education process. Contact Nelida Garcia if you have questions or are seeking a specific resource: Nelida.garcia@ednavigator.org.