Aligning Nutrition, Behavioral Health, and Community Systems

We help States, Tribes, and Community Partners connect what already exists – behavioral health, public nutrition assistance programs, healthcare, and community systems – into a coordinated, prevention-first ecosystem.

Offerings:

• State/Tribal or regional systems strategy development
• Systems landscape and opportunity scan analysis to identify existing assets, gaps, and alignment opportunities across behavioral health, public nutrition assistance programs (WIC, SNAP, school meals, food banks…), healthcare, education, agriculture, and community systems
• Identification of alignment opportunities across existing investments
• Positioning of Food is Medicine within a broader nutrition + behavioral health ecosystem, ensuring alignment with existing federal nutrition programs, local agriculture, and community infrastructure
• Policy and funding blending and braiding both strategies and capital
• Integration of nutrition into behavioral health workflows and care pathways
• Identification of place-based strategies (e.g., therapeutic gardens, farm-to-community models, nutrition education) that align with existing systems and community priorities, and can be scaled

Deliverables:

• Strategic roadmap
• Systems integration framework
• Opportunity map (near-term + long-term)
• Stakeholder alignment plan

Best for: States seeking to move from siloed programs to coordinated systems

Translating Strategy into Scalable, Real-World Models

We design and test integrated models that demonstrate how aligned systems can operate in practice – using existing infrastructure wherever possible.

Offerings:

• Co-design of place-based pilot models across sectors
• Integration of nutrition into prevention, treatment, and recovery settings
• Alignment with existing systems (WIC, SNAP, schools, local ag, food banks, community providers, healthcare)
• Design of Food is Medicine models that are integrated into behavioral health and community systems, rather than operating as standalone programs
• Implementation planning that prioritizes feasibility, sustainability, and scale

Deliverables:

• Program blueprint grounded in real systems
• Implementation and operations plan
• Partnership and workflow design
• Pilot evaluation framework

Best for: Communities ready to operationalize strategy and generate proof points

Scaling Alignment Across Sites and Systems

We support multi-site and statewide efforts to adopt, adapt, and sustain integrated approaches through structured learning and continuous improvement.

Offerings:

• Design and facilitation of learning collaboratives across agencies and sectors
• Ongoing implementation coaching and technical assistance
• Quality improvement processes (PDSA cycles, shared metrics, learning loops)
• Cross-site peer learning and problem solving
• Design of rural-responsive learning collaboratives, tailored to workforce capacity, geographic dispersion and existing infrastructure

Deliverables:

• Collaborative structure and curriculum
• Implementation tools and templates
• Shared measurement framework
• Progress tracking and adaption support

Best for: States, Tribes, or regions scaling integrated approaches across systems

Equipping the Workforce to Deliver Integrated Care

We build the capacity of existing workforces to recognize and act on the connection between nutrition, behavioral health, and community conditions.

Offerings:

• Foundational orientation sessions (“primers”) that build a shared understanding of the connection between nutrition, behavioral health, and community systems across diverse stakeholders
• Cross-sector training for behavioral health, public health, education, and community providers
• Practical guidance on integrating nutrition into daily workflows and decision-making
• Support for embedding concepts into organizational practice and culture

Deliverables:

• Customized training sessions and materials
• Practical tools and workflow guides
• Ongoing learning supports

Best for: Immediate capacity building within existing systems

Centering Community Voice as Core Infrastructure

We ensure systems are informed and shaped by the communities they serve – recognizing lived experience and cultural knowledge as essential to effective design.

Offerings:

• Facilitation of community listening and engagement processes
• Engagement of youth, families, and cultural knowledge holders
• Design and facilitation of State, Tribal, and/or regional summits to convene cross-sector partners, build shared understanding, and catalyze coordinated action
• Co-design of strategies, programs, and tools
• Co-design of culturally relevant, place-based strategies (e.g., gardening, food traditions, local food access models)
• Development of equitable engagement and compensation approaches

Deliverables:

• Community insight and synthesis reports
• Co-designed program and strategy elements
• Engagement frameworks for ongoing partnership

Best for: Communities prioritizing equity, trust, and long-term sustainability

Building the Case for Integrated Systems Change

We help partners define what success looks like, capture meaningful data and insights, and translate learning into action, policy, and sustained investment.

Offerings:

• Development of evaluation and learning frameworks aligned with systems-level goals
• Identification of practical, partner-driven metrics across behavioral health, nutrition, and community systems
• Design of data collection approaches that reflect real-world implementation (minimizing burden on partners)
• Support for capturing insights on Food is Medicine approaches as part of broader systems change efforts
• Synthesis of partner, provider, and community insights to inform continuous improvement
• Development of white papers, briefs, and strategic communications to support policy and funding alignment
• Coordination with external research and evaluation partners, when deeper analysis or formal study is needed, including peer reviewed publication whenever possible

Deliverables:

• Evaluation and learning plan
• Metrics framework and data collection tools
• Insight summaries and implementation learnings
• Reports, briefs, and thought leadership materials
• Coordination plan for external evaluation and formal publication partners (when applicable)

Best for: States, Tribes, and partners seeking to demonstrate impact, strengthen funding cases, and build long-term policy support

Positioning Integrated Work for Sustainable Funding

We help partners align strategy with funding opportunities and build competitive proposals that reflect integrated, cross-sector approaches.

Offerings:

• Grant strategy aligned with Federal, State, Tribal, and Foundation priorities
• Narrative development that reflects systems alignment and innovation
• Cross-partner coordination and concept development
• Budget framing that supports blended, braided and/or sustainable funding

Deliverables:

• Proposal narratives and supporting materials
• Strategic positioning guidance
• Budget frameworks and justification support

Best for: Securing resources to advance and sustain integrated systems