Alignment Framework: Health, Economic Outcomes, and SENT’s Integrated Model

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This blog intentionally aligns five complementary frameworks into a single, organized structure that shows how SENT translates evidence and policy into measurable, neighborhood‑level outcomes while partnering across institutions with a shared commitment to healthier Kansas communities:

Each organization named below—including SENT—develops its own guiding documents to align internal strategy, priorities, and measurement. As SENT continues to partner with state agencies, local collaboratives, health systems, funders, and peer organizations, we are intentionally using this framework to surface alignment across those distinct documents, making shared purpose visible and reducing fragmentation across systems.

The aligned frameworks include:

  1. The Economic Case for Health (Kansas Health Foundation / Kansas Health Institute)
  2. KDHE Title V Maternal and Child Health State Action Plan (2026–2030)
  3. Shawnee County Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), 2026–2028
  4. Kansas Food Is Medicine Initiative (KFIMI) Core Metrics
  5. SENT’s Theory of Change, Funding Priorities, and Measurement Matrix

Executive Takeaway

This blog demonstrates that SENT’s work is not a collection of disconnected programs, but a coordinated economic strategy. By intentionally aligning housing, food access, behavioral and maternal health, physical health, education, and workforce supports, SENT converts public and philanthropic dollars into compounding returns across sectors that rarely capture value in isolation. SENT’s model directly addresses the well‑documented “wrong pocket” problem—where the entity that pays for health and stability does not realize the economic benefit—by coordinating investments so that schools, employers, health systems, courts, and local governments all experience measurable gains. In short, SENT functions as a cross‑sector return mechanism, turning fragmented spending into shared economic and community prosperity.

Rather than treating these as parallel documents, this framework groups like elements together under each Strategic Impact Goal, creating a clear line of sight from:

Economic Evidence → State Priorities → Local Priorities → SENT Strategy → SENT Measurement

This structure is designed to be funder‑ready, evaluator‑ready, and policy‑ready, while remaining grounded in dignity, lived experience, and practical implementation.

Foundational Evidence: The Economic Case for Health

Source: Kansas Health Foundation & Kansas Health Institute
Document: The Economic Case for Health: A Rapid Scoping Literature Review (2024)

This report reviews 61 high‑quality studies and makes an evidence‑backed case that health is not just a social good, but an economic strategy. Across the literature, investments in population health consistently drive stronger outcomes in four domains: macroeconomic growth, public finance, business performance, and household stability.

Core Findings

  1. Health drives economic growth
    • Healthier communities experience higher GDP growth, stronger labor force participation, and increased competitiveness.
    • A ~10% reduction in mortality or disease burden is associated with ~10% long‑term GDP gains.
    • Improvements in life expectancy are linked to higher property values and stronger local tax bases.

What GDP means in everyday terms: GDP reflects how much economic activity happens in a community in a year: paychecks earned, rent paid, groceries bought, child care provided, and services delivered. When people are healthier, communities earn and circulate more income.

  1. Poor health is expensive for employers
    • Productivity losses from poor health often cost 2–4× more than direct medical spending.
    • Mental health conditions and chronic disease drive absenteeism, presenteeism, and workforce drop‑out.
    • Employers that foster a culture of health often see better productivity and, in many cases, stronger financial performance.
  1. Health‑supportive policies pay off
    • Policies such as smoke‑free laws, nutrition incentives, and preventive health strategies do not harm local economies.
    • Many generate long‑term income gains, productivity increases, and public savings, especially by reducing chronic disease.
  1. Health shapes household economic mobility
    • Poor health increases debt, bankruptcy risk, and long‑term income loss.
    • Preventive care, healthy environments, and early‑life interventions improve employment stability and lifetime earnings.
    • Environmental harm and neighborhood disinvestment reduce mobility, especially for children.

Bottom line: Treating health as an economic investment rather than a cost creates stronger families, stronger businesses, and long‑term community prosperity.

SENT Strategy and Cross‑Framework Alignment by Strategic Impact Goal

Each section below follows the same structure:

This repetition is intentional and supports auditability, reuse, and clarity.

Strategic Impact Goal 1: Housing and Food Stability

Economic Case for Health

  • Stable housing improves health, and improved health increases productivity, earnings, and neighborhood value.
  • Nutrition access reduces chronic disease, which lowers employer costs and supports consistent workforce participation.

Title V Alignment

  • NPM 18: Safe and stable housing – Increasing the percentage of children who live in safe and stable housing environments.
  • NPM 13: Food security and nutrition – Improving food security and access to nutritious foods for women, children, and families.

Shawnee County CHIP Alignment 

  • Priority Area: Neighborhood Safety and Housing
    • Goal 1: Coordinate systems and services to decrease homelessness.
    • Goal 4: Increase equity and access to housing opportunities.
    • Objective 4a: Reduce cost‑burdened households by increasing affordable housing options.
  • Priority Area: Healthy Food Access
    • Goal 1: Improve access to nutritious, culturally relevant foods.
    • Objective 1b: Increase the number of food pantries using the client‑choice model.

KFIMI Alignment 

  • Household food security status
  • Nutrition security and diet quality (fruit/vegetable intake)
  • Food self‑efficacy and cooking confidence

SENT Theory of Change Element

  • Increase resident stability by amplifying capacity to meet basic needs through dignified housing and food access.

SENT Measurement Indicators

  • Number of housing units produced or stabilized
  • Percent of households stably housed at 12 and 24 months
  • Reduction in housing cost burden
  • Food security screening results
  • SNAP/WIC enrollment and nutrition behavior change

Why this matters economically
Housing and food are not safety‑net costs; they are economic infrastructure that stabilizes families, protects workforce participation, and strengthens neighborhood tax bases.

Strategic Impact Goal 2: Education, Workforce, and Economic Mobility

Economic Case for Health

  • Poor health is a leading driver of absenteeism, presenteeism, and workforce exit.
  • Healthier adults experience greater employment stability and higher lifetime earnings.

Title V Alignment

  • Life Course Framework: Economic stability is a protective factor that supports healthy development for children and families across the lifespan.

Shawnee County CHIP Alignment

  • Priority Area: Health Equity
    • CHIP identifies education, employment, and economic stability as upstream drivers of health outcomes and equity.

KFIMI Alignment

  • Nutrition status as a contributor to workforce readiness, stamina, and cognitive functioning

SENT Theory of Change Element

  • Expand options and choices for youth and adults to pursue education, careers, and entrepreneurship.

SENT Measurement Indicators

  • Workforce program enrollment and completion
  • Job placement and retention rates
  • Credential attainment and skill progression

Why this matters economically
Workforce development is strengthened when health and nutrition barriers are removed, allowing people to fully participate in education and employment pathways.

Strategic Impact Goal 3: Physical, Behavioral, and Maternal Health

Economic Case for Health

  • Mental health conditions and preventable chronic disease are among the largest drivers of productivity loss.
  • Preventive care and early intervention reduce long‑term public and employer costs.

Title V Alignment

  • NPM 14: Maternal mental health – Improving the mental health of women before, during, and after pregnancy.
  • National Outcome Measures: Improved child and family well‑being.

Shawnee County CHIP Alignment

  • Priority Area: Behavioral Health
    • Goal 1: Improve behavioral health for residents of Shawnee County.
    • Goal 2: Decrease the rate of suicide in Shawnee County.
    • Goal 3: Decrease substance use among Shawnee County residents.
  • Priority Area: Health Equity
    • Goal 1: Improve maternal and infant health outcomes.

KFIMI Alignment

  • Biomarkers: A1C, blood pressure, weight
  • Mental health screening (PHQ‑9)
  • Self‑rated health, vitality, and flourishing

SENT Theory of Change Element

  • Promote access to and awareness of physical, behavioral, and maternal health resources.

SENT Measurement Indicators

  • Number of medical, mental health, and SUD visits
  • Preventive care utilization
  • Behavioral health screening outcomes
  • Maternal and infant health indicators

Why this matters economically
Protecting mental and physical health reduces productivity loss, stabilizes families, and lowers long‑term public costs.

Strategic Impact Goal 4: Model Documentation and Scaling

Economic Case for Health

  • Coordinated investments across sectors generate compounding economic and health returns.

Title V Alignment

  • Emphasis on systems coordination, shared accountability, and data‑informed improvement.

Shawnee County CHIP Alignment

  • CHIP monitoring and evaluation framework supporting shared learning and continuous improvement.

KFIMI Alignment

  • Implementation fidelity
  • EPIS framework for adoption, implementation, and sustainment

SENT Theory of Change Element

  • Document, evaluate, and share SENT’s holistic, place‑based model.

SENT Measurement Indicators

  • Evaluation outputs and learning briefs
  • Presentations, publications, and replication partnerships

Why this matters economically
Visibility of outcomes ensures that economic and health returns are recognized, sustained, and scaled.

Strategic Impact Goal 5: Organizational Capacity and Sustainability

Economic Case for Health

  • Sustained, coordinated investment is required to protect long‑term economic and health returns.

Title V Alignment

  • Infrastructure that supports durable systems change.

Shawnee County CHIP Alignment

  • Reliance on strong anchor organizations to convene, coordinate, and sustain community action.

KFIMI Alignment

  • Data integrity, reporting consistency, and evaluation capacity

SENT Theory of Change Element

  • Build internal capacity to sustain long‑term impact.

SENT Measurement Indicators

  • Financial sustainability and revenue diversification
  • Data quality and reporting reliability
  • Staff retention and organizational capacity

Why this matters economically
Organizational strength protects the return on investment for communities, funders, and public systems over time.

Visual Crosswalk: SENT Strategic Impact Goals and Cross‑Framework Alignment

SENT Strategic Impact Goal Economic Case for Health (Key Finding) Title V (Exact Measure / Language) Shawnee County CHIP (Priority → Goal / Objective) KFIMI Core Metrics (if applicable) SENT Theory of Change Element SENT Measurement Indicators
1. Housing & Food Stability Healthier communities see higher GDP growth; stable housing and nutrition improve productivity, earnings, and neighborhood value. NPM 18: Safe and stable housing; NPM 13: Food security and nutrition. Neighborhood Safety & Housing: Goal 1 (decrease homelessness); Goal 4, Obj. 4a (reduce cost‑burdened households). Healthy Food Access: Goal 1, Obj. 1b (client‑choice pantries). Food security status; diet quality; food self‑efficacy. Increase resident stability by meeting basic needs through housing and food access. Units stabilized/produced; housing retention (12/24 mo); cost‑burden reduction; food security screening; SNAP/WIC enrollment.
2. Education, Workforce & Mobility Poor health drives absenteeism and workforce exit; better health improves employment stability and lifetime earnings. Life Course Framework: Economic stability as a protective factor across the lifespan. Health Equity: Education, employment, and economic stability as upstream drivers of health. Nutrition as a contributor to stamina, cognition, and workforce readiness. Expand options for youth and adults to pursue education, careers, and entrepreneurship. Workforce enrollment/completion; job placement & retention; credential attainment.
3. Physical, Behavioral & Maternal Health Mental health and chronic disease are among the largest drivers of productivity loss; prevention reduces long‑term costs. NPM 14: Maternal mental health; NOMs: Child and family well‑being. Behavioral Health: Goals 1–3 (mental health, suicide prevention, substance use). Health Equity: Goal 1 (maternal & infant health). Biomarkers (A1C, BP, weight); PHQ‑9; self‑rated health; flourishing. Promote access to physical, behavioral, and maternal health resources. Medical/behavioral/SUD visits; preventive care use; screening outcomes; maternal & infant indicators.
4. Model Documentation & Scaling Coordinated, cross‑sector investments generate compounding economic and health returns. Systems coordination; shared accountability; data‑informed improvement. CHIP monitoring & evaluation framework; shared learning and continuous improvement. Implementation fidelity; EPIS adoption, implementation, sustainment. Document, evaluate, and share SENT’s holistic model. Evaluation outputs; publications; replication partnerships.
5. Organizational Capacity & Sustainability Sustained investment protects long‑term economic and health returns. Infrastructure that supports durable systems change. Reliance on strong anchor organizations to convene and sustain action. Data integrity and reporting consistency. Build internal capacity to sustain long‑term impact. Financial sustainability; data quality; staff retention and capacity.

Sources

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