Promising Practices
The Promising Practices database informs professionals and community members about documented approaches to improving community health and quality of life.
The ultimate goal is to support the systematic adoption, implementation, and evaluation of successful programs, practices, and policy changes. The database provides carefully reviewed, documented, and ranked practices that range from good ideas to evidence-based practices.
Learn more about the ranking methodology.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases, Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
The goal of VOICES/VOCES is to increase condom use and prevent new STD infections.
Filed under Good Idea, Economy / Government Assistance, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
The goal of this program is to ensure that Washington's Social and Health Services are available and accessible to all Washington residents.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health, Older Adults
The WISE Program is a wellness and prevention program targeting older adults, which is designed to help them celebrate healthy aging, make healthy lifestyle choices and avoid substance abuse.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Women's Health, Women, Rural
The overall goal of WTW is to use technology to enhance the potential for rural women to more successfully adapt to their chronic illnesses through computer-based support and education research by providing support groups and health education via the Internet.
The WTW project shows that computer-based interventions can result in improved self-esteem, social support, and empowerment among rural women with chronic illness.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Community / Public Safety, Children, Teens, Adults, Families, Urban
The goals of this program are three-fold: first, to remove unwanted improperly stored guns from homes; second, to educate the community about the increased risk of gun-related injuries in the home and the importance of safe gun storage; and third, to identify individuals possessing improperly stored guns at home and provide them with safety information and alternatives.
This program shows a strong collaboration between health care providers and public safety offices and showcases a low-cost means of removing unwanted firearms from the community. Additionally, most participants felt their homes were safer after turning in their firearm(s).
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Social Environment, Children, Teens, Urban
Community Memorial Foundation's goal was two-fold: to decrease stigma surrounding youth depression and suicide and increase teen utilization of the Crisis Text Line.
An awareness campaign that incorporates age- and culturally-appropriate actors through various media can successfully increase teen and adolescent usage of a crisis text hotline.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders
The Zero Suicide Initiative is a comprehensive model of suicide prevention that challenges health and behavioral health care systems to strive for zero suicides among those in their care.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Built Environment, Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
The goal of Zoning for a Healthy Baltimore is to influence the final version of Baltimore’s new zoning code by informing stakeholders and decision-makers about the new zoning code’s potential to create healthy communities and decrease health disparities, with an emphasis on preventing obesity and crime.
Zoning for a Healthy Baltimore is an HIA of the Baltimore zoning code rewrite in order to maximize the potential to create healthier communities. Since publication, Baltimore has revised its zoning code to incorporate dispersal standards and other strategies related to placement of alcohol outlets.
A Population Health Approach to Clinical Social Work with Complex Patients in Primary Care (Portland, Maine)
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Other Conditions
Patients with the highest medical and social vulnerability require a population-specific social work intervention in primary care to achieve positive medical outcomes and to decrease inefficient use of services, especially inpatient admissions and ED visits.
The study exhibits promise in decreasing inpatient visits and cost. The evidence also supports population-specific social work interventions integrated in primary care.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Adults
To reduce weight in overweight and obese patients using mobile-based text and multimedia messaging.
At the end of a 4-month period, participants in the text-message based intervention showed greater weight loss than the control group.