New World Survival · Long-term recovery

Recovery Navigation Program Workbook

Define the navigation role, verify resources, protect household information, make warm referrals, report unmet needs and close responsibly.

Program boundary

1. Define information, navigation and non-scope

Authorizing institution

Program lead

Recovery partner

Privacy lead

Service promise

No eligibility decisions or guarantees
No legal, financial, medical or benefits advice
No disaster case management unless separately qualified and authorized
No collection or copying of anyone's documents
No aid conditioned on religious activity
No filing an application or an appeal in another person's name
No keeping Social Security numbers, bank details or passwords

Referral sheet: verified resource directory

2. Record enough to make a usable referral

Program and owner	Service and geography	Access and eligibility source	Language or accessibility	Verified

Correction and expired-program process

Navigation script

3. Explain choices without promising an outcome

Step	Approved prompt	Information permitted
Clarify the requested result
Screen urgent danger
Explain verified options
Obtain permission for a warm referral
Confirm connection and next step

Referral and outcome log

4. Record the connection, not the household's story

Record ID	Date	Requested result	Referral	Consent method	Outcome or correction

This log is anonymous
It carries no name, phone number, address or other contact detail. Use a Record ID that does not identify the person. Describe what was asked for in a few words, not the household's circumstances.

Deadline card

5. Keep a date, with consent, and nothing else

First name	Phone	What is due	Date on their letter	Card destroyed on

Read the date from the person's own letter
Deadlines and amounts change with each disaster. Never write one from memory. No application numbers, Social Security numbers or copies of letters go on this card. Destroy the line when the date passes or the person asks.

Urgent escalation

6. Route immediate risk through approved channels

Condition	Contact	Hours	Navigator action	Documentation rule
Immediate life safety
Safeguarding concern
Medical or mental-health crisis
Unsafe housing or displacement
Fraud or exploitation concern

Unmet-needs pattern report

7. Inform the recovery structure without identifying households

Observed gap	Approximate frequency	Affected access group or area	Evidence source	Partner notified

Patterns are not promises.

Reporting a gap does not create a benefit, priority or guarantee. Say who has authority to act.

Durable recovery role

8. Join the local recovery system

VOAD, recovery committee or LTRG

Authorized representative and backup

Meeting and reporting rhythm

Information-sharing agreement

Institutional contribution and limits

Closure and transfer

9. End the service without abandoning open requests

Public closing date and alternate contact are announced.
Open referrals have a responsible destination and consented handoff.
The resource directory is transferred or archived.
Remaining deadline cards are destroyed, and the anonymous referral log is archived or destroyed under policy.
Partner contacts and outstanding corrections have owners.
Staff and volunteers receive demobilization and support.
Program results and unmet-needs patterns are reported.

Closure authority

Closure date

Receiving program

Record disposition approval

Exercise and approval

10. Test a referral, correction, escalation and closure

Test	Expected result	Finding	Correction owner	Retest
Warm referral
Closed program correction
Urgent safeguarding escalation
Accessible alternative
Service closure and transfer