Dublin residents who struggle to find the right doctor, afford prescriptions or access food assistance now have a single point of contact at the Dublin Community Recreation Center.
The city announced Aug. 6, the official launch of its Community Wellness Navigator program, placing a dedicated professional at the DCRC to meet one-on-one with residents and connect them to healthcare, mental health support, food assistance, transportation and insurance enrollment services.
No referral is needed.
"By bringing these resources together in one place, we are making it simpler for residents to find support," City Manager Megan O'Callaghan wrote in her Dublin Life magazine column previewing the program in May. "This program reflects a coordinated, community-wide approach to health and wellness."
The pilot program grew out of Dublin's Community Health Needs Assessment, which identified expanding access to community-based support as a central priority. Dublin City Council formalized that direction Jan. 5 when it adopted "Foster Community Connection and Well-Being through the Dublin Wellness Alliance" as one of its four official goals for 2026 under Resolution 01-26. Council Member Dr. Greg Lam was appointed liaison to the Wellness Alliance Advisory Committee.
How it works
The navigator is described as an experienced professional who understands both the health system and the community. Residents can walk into the DCRC during scheduled hours or reach the navigator by phone and email. Specific contact details and hours had not been published as of Thursday.
Services include help finding doctors and dentists, understanding insurance enrollment, connecting to prescription assistance programs, locating food assistance and overcoming transportation barriers.
Syntero, a nonprofit mental health organization, operates the navigator in partnership with the city. Syntero CEO Sara Harrison Mills and Dublin Recreation Administrator Molly Steiner explained the program on the city's "Link Ahead" podcast in an episode published Aug. 5.
Builds on existing partnerships
The navigator is not Dublin's first collaboration with Syntero. Shannon Black-Dotson, Syntero's public safety services liaison, is already embedded with Dublin Police to connect individuals and families to mental health services after a crisis call. The city also runs the Forever Dublin Navigators program through the same partnership.
The Wellness Navigator extends that model from crisis response to everyday access. Rather than waiting for a 911 call or a police referral, any resident can walk in and ask for help.
The Dublin Wellness Alliance held a formal meeting April 6 to align public, private and nonprofit partners around shared goals, according to O'Callaghan's column. The city has not announced a timeline for evaluating the pilot or whether it will become permanent.
