A Transformative Learning Experience
This week, I had the incredible opportunity to shadow the Social Navigation team at Camino. Social Navigation is a department that helps patients overcome barriers to care by connecting them with resources both within and outside. The team serves as a critical bridge between medical care and the many social factors that impact a person’s well-being. I came in expecting to learn more about healthcare services, but what I gained was a deeper understanding of how true care means meeting people where they are—physically, financially, and emotionally. Continue reading to see what I learned…
What is Camino?
Camino is a non-profit organization that has been devoted to serving the Latino community for over 25 years. Camino devotes itself to removing any barriers preventing the Latino individuals and their families from accessing basic services. These barriers include language differences, lack of insurance, transportation challenges, limited educational opportunities, financial hardship, and many more. Through culturally competent care, community outreach, and a wide range of support services—including primary care, nutrition education, social navigation, and economic empowerment programs—Camino equips people to live healthy, hopeful, and productive lives.
What Is Community-Centered Care?
Community-centered care goes beyond the exam room. It’s about addressing the holistic needs of individuals and recognizing that health is deeply connected to housing, food, language access, transportation, employment, and more. This model emphasizes relationships, trust, and partnerships to truly uplift communities—and Camino embodies it in everything they do.
Where Social Navigation Fits In
The Social Navigation team at Camino plays a critical role in delivering community-centered care. They serve as advocates and guides, helping patients overcome barriers that extend far beyond clinical needs. Whether it’s navigating insurance issues, or locating food and clothing, Social Navigators ensure that each client receives personalized, wraparound support.
They don’t work alone. What makes their approach especially impactful is how closely they collaborate with trusted third-party organizations to expand their reach. For example, they partner with the Department of Social Services (DSS) and local shelters to assist with food access, housing, and benefits enrollment. Patients are referred to Care Ring for free medical visits and transportation—an essential resource for those who are uninsured or underinsured. For individuals struggling to afford medication, NC MedAssist provides free or low-cost prescriptions, especially for chronic conditions.
The team also connects survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault to Safe Alliance for immediate, trauma-informed support. Housing assistance efforts are bolstered through partnerships with Crisis Assistance Ministry, Good Fellows, and Good Friends of Charlotte, who help cover rent and utility bills during emergencies. And for clients in need of clothing, Lydia’s Love offers up to 20 free clothing items per person.
Understanding Camino Salud: A Clinic That Cares Beyond the Basics
As part of my shadowing, I was reintroduced to the many departments and services Camino offers, including Camino Salud. Camino Salud isn’t just a primary care clinic—it’s a comprehensive health hub designed to meet people where they are, both physically and in terms of their needs. In addition to offering general medical care, Camino operates a mobile clinic that travels to low-income neighborhoods across Charlotte and even to areas like Western North Carolina, where they recently supported families affected by Hurricane Helene. Beyond clinical visits, Camino Salud emphasizes preventative and educational care, with a registered nutritionist on-site hosting culturally relevant wellness classes each month. The clinic also supports mental and emotional health through pastoral counseling and plans to expand into psychological services. Additionally, their dental clinic, which accepts Medicaid and offers accessible options, ensures that oral health—often overlooked due to cost—is accessible to all. Together, these services reflect Camino’s commitment to treating the whole person, not just their symptoms.
Looking Back, Moving Forward
My time with the Social Navigation team gave me a powerful look at what community-centered care truly means. Camino doesn’t just treat illness—they treat the whole person. By integrating culturally responsive healthcare with strong community partnerships, they offer more than services—they offer hope.
One of the great things about Social Navigation is that they ensure each client is aware of the many additional services Camino offers across its campus. These internal resources further strengthen their holistic care model. For example, The Wearhouse is an affordable thrift store where all items are donated and 100% of proceeds go back to support Camino’s programs. For individuals and families in crisis, free clothing is also available upon request—making it an essential resource for those facing financial hardship.
Camino Arriba, another powerful initiative, serves as both a staffing agency and a bilingual economic empowerment program. It provides financial coaching, business workshops, and free English classes through a partnership with Central Piedmont Community College for individuals 18 or older—offering not just jobs, but long-term paths to self-sufficiency.
Lastly, Camino Church—although not affiliated with any denomination—offers spiritual support and community connection. Its food pantry, available by appointment from Tuesday to Friday, even provides delivery options for those unable to travel. The integration of faith, food, and fellowship adds a meaningful and human dimension to Camino’s vision of care.
What I witnessed at Camino is not just healthcare—it’s a model rooted in compassion, collaboration, and accessibility. I’m deeply grateful to have experienced it firsthand.
