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 Good Idea, Community / Crime & Crime Prevention, Teens, Urban
The primary goals of KNOW THE LAW! include: to improve young people's awareness of legal issues, including both their rights and responsibilities; to help them make positive decisions and resist negative peer pressure; to teach participants to use their bodies, voices, and imagination as actors; to help participants learn basic theatre vocabulary and stage directions; to improve participants' self-confidence, promote high self-esteem, and develop good work habits; and to encourage participants to look at themselves as positive role models for their peers, developing both leadership and collaboration skills.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Cancer, Women
The goal of this program is to make cancer screening more accessible for women with special needs.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Maternal, Fetal & Infant Health, Children
The goal of this program is to ensure that children never become lead poisoned.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use
The goals of this program are to prevent the next generation from becoming addicted to nicotine, to help those addicted to quit, and to reduce exposure to environmental tobacco smoke for all residents.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Children, Teens
The goal of the Lions Quest program is to promote healthy, safe, and drug-free behaviors in youth.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases, Women, Men
Eliminate or reduce sexual transmission risk behavior and to improve coping with the combined stressors of HIV infection and child sexual abuse.
LIFT intervention participants reported significantly fewer counts of unprotected vaginal and anal intercourse with all partners (p < .001) and with HIV-negative or unknown serostatus partners (p < .001), compared to support group participants.
Long-term Cost Effectiveness of Placing Homeless Seniors in Permanent Supportive Housing (San Francisco, CA)
Filed under Effective Practice, Economy / Housing & Homes, Women, Men, Older Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
To describe a new model of enriched supportive housing that not only improves the quality of life of seniors but also can provide a return on investment that reduces health care expenditures.
Housing chronically homeless adults reduces homelessness, improves health outcomes, and reduces health care costs. The greatest reduction in health care costs after placement in supportive housing is seen among chronically homeless adults and seniors.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Maternal, Fetal & Infant Health, Children, Women, Families
To increase daily fruits and vegetables servings by half in women served by WIC participants with the long term goal of reducing risk of cancer.
The Maryland WIC 5-A-Day Program shows that while multi-faceted community based interventions can effectively promote and sustain dietary change among low-income populations in order to reduce the risk of cancer, many obstacles remain in implementing such programs.
Filed under Good Idea, Economy / Employment, Teens, Adults, Urban
The goal of MatchBridge is to diversify the future's workforce and reduce poverty by helping youth develop the skills that they need to secure employment.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use
The mission of this program is to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by alcohol and other drug use through treatment, education, and research.
Matrix participants were 38% more likely to stay in treatment and 27% more likely to complete treatment compared to nonparticipants. Stimulant drug-use indicators were significantly reduced during treatment for Matrix participants. They also produced more drug-free urine samples compared to nonparticipants.