National Approaches to Whole-Person Care in the Safety Net

An individual’s health is greatly influenced by the social and economic conditions in which they live, work, and play. Safety-net populations often experience a multitude of physical and behavioral health issues stemming from or amplified by psychosocial challenges such as housing instability, unemployment, and food insecurity, which influence access to care and health outcomes. There is a growing interest in better coordinating social services, behavioral health, health services, and public health in the safety net to create models of “whole-person care,” recognizing that vulnerable individuals often have unmet needs spanning multiple systems.