In brief
- Navigation, not adjudicationCISAMN provides navigation coaching, preparation, and warm handoffs. We do not determine eligibility or advise on protected domains.
- Warm handoffs, not cold referralsWe help people prepare for real-world connection attempts and transfer them to appropriate local resources with follow-through.
- Capability transfer, not dependencyOur default interaction pattern is accompaniment. The goal is to strengthen a person's ability to navigate systems, not create reliance on CISAMN.
- Minimum data, maximum cautionWe collect the least information needed to route support. We do not store sensitive details that create surveillance or liability risk.
Purpose
CISAMN exists to close the gap between available resources and completed connections. We help residents and partner organizations move through encounters, referrals, and next steps with more clarity, dignity, and follow-through.
These boundaries are not disclaimers added at the end of the work. They are part of the operating model that protects participants, partners, and staff while keeping CISAMN focused on what it can do reliably.
What CISAMN does
- Navigation coaching that helps people understand steps, timelines, and likely decision points
- System mapping to identify realistic entry points into services and institutions
- Script and document preparation so members can ask better questions and show up more ready
- Warm handoffs that replace cold referrals with preparation, transfer, and follow-up
- Accompaniment that supports capability transfer instead of passive dependency
What CISAMN does not do
CISAMN personnel do not provide advice or determinations in domains that require licensed, regulated, or adjudicative authority.
- Eligibility determinations for benefits, services, or legal outcomes
- Legal or immigration advice, including guidance about legal status
- Medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations
- Clinical mental health counseling
- Benefits advice that tells someone what they qualify for or should claim
Capability transfer and member agency
CISAMN is built around accompaniment. We support people as they prepare for decisions and connection attempts, but the member remains the decision-maker. Our work should leave a person more capable of navigating the next step, not more dependent on us.
Data and privacy boundaries
CISAMN practices extreme data minimization. We collect evidence of learning and follow-through, not evidence of trauma. We honor the story. We just do not store it.
Examples of information CISAMN does not collect or retain as part of routine navigation workflows include:
- Social Security numbers or full identity numbers
- Dates of birth used for age or identity verification
- Immigration status details, passport numbers, or similar status records
- Medical details, diagnoses, prescriptions, or treatment narratives
- Trauma narratives, abuse details, or other sensitive story content beyond what is needed to refer out safely
When something falls outside scope
If a request crosses into a prohibited domain or raises an urgent safety concern, CISAMN pauses, avoids probing for more detail, and connects the person to the appropriate professional or crisis resource. That escalation approach is described in the Safeguarding Policy.
Questions
Questions about CISAMN's scope or operating boundaries can be sent through Contact CISAMN.
