Policy & Practice | April 2021

value of human services on improving the context and conditions in which people live and their major role in overcoming existing health inequities. Funders must also realign funding from a services-delivered mode to one that values and rewards outcomes achieved. Population-level health and well-being will only improve when systems leaders understand the critical role human services have on population health and well-being and invest in the capacity of organizations and their partners to appropriately measure and collectively advance toward shared outcomes. Editor’s Note: A version of this essay ran previously in The Imprint on January 14, 2021. Reference Notes 1. History of the settlement house movement. Retrieved from https://www.alliance1.org/ web/resources/center-engagement/history- settlement-house-movement.aspx 2. Addressing health disparities through the social determinants of health. Retrieved from https://alliance1.org/web/about/ health/sdoh/web/about/health/addressing- health-disparities-social-determinants- health.aspx?hkey=65988666-4c9d-4f20- 9094-235864b7e2d2 3. Artiga, S., &Hinton, E. (2018). Beyond health care: The role of social determinants in promoting health and health equity.

Retrieved from https://www.kff.org/racial- equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/beyond- health-care-the-role-of-social-determinants- in-promoting-health-and-health-equity/ 4. The national imperative: Joining forces to strengthen human services in America. Retrieved from https://www.alliance1.org/ web/community/strengthen-human- services/web/community/national- imperative-joining-forces-strengthen-human- services-america.aspx?hkey=6c8eb204- 9a8e-48b1-aa66-e9fca066be5c 5. The well-being in the nation—WIN network. Retrieved from https://winnetwork.org/ 6. Table 1: Outcomes typically targeted by two-generation programs. Ascend, Aspen Institute. Retrieved from https:// outcomes.ascend.aspeninstitute.org/ wp-content/uploads/outcomes_table.pdf 7. Association for Community Health Improvement. (2017). Community health assessment toolkit. Retrieved from https:// www.healthycommunities.org/resources/ community-health-assessment-toolkit 8. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Accountable health communities health-related social needs screening tool. Retrieved from https://innovation.cms.gov/ files/worksheets/ahcm-screeningtool.pdf 9. American Public Human Services Association. (2021). The human services value curve toolkit. Retrieved from https://aphsa.org/APHSA/Value_Curve_ Toolkit/Toolkit__Moving_through_the_ Value_Curve_Stage.aspx

Organizations also need to under- stand how SDOH directly affect community members at the individual level. Tools such as the CMS Accountable Health Communities Health-Related Social Needs Screening Tool 8 can help with this. The American Public Human Services Association’s Human Services Value Curve Toolkit 9 is also a helpful tool to assist human services workers and organizations to better understand our work through progressive levels of impact and shift our focus from a regula- tive program and organization-centric lens toward adopting the lens of impact for the people, families, and communi- ties we serve. Human Services Plays a Critical Role in Advancing Health Equity Since the 19th century, human services community-based organiza- tions have played a critical role in supporting the socioeconomic needs of individuals, families, and communities. Today, there is a clearer understanding about what factors influence health and well-being. Consequently, the human services ecosystemmust commit itself to investing in achieving and mea- suring outcomes that demonstrate the

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