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, Environmental Health / Air
Goal: The goal of Climate Leaders is to aid companies in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Health Care Access & Quality, Children, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: This initiative strives to alleviate nursing shortages in underserved areas.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Teens, Rural
Goal: The goal of this program is to prevent substance abuse among youth.
Filed under Good Idea, Education / Literacy, Families
Goal: The program's goal is to provide school readiness activities for families with children, from birth to five years old, who live in isolated and under-served areas of Marin County.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Economy / Poverty, Adults, Women, Men, Families, Urban
Goal: The goal of the Family Peer Support program is to increase family economic and social self-sufficiency, and to connect parents to needed physical health, behavior health, and educational resources for their child. Family peer support programs generally focus on fostering encouragement of personal responsibility and self-determination, improving family health and wellness, and supporting engagement and communication with providers and systems of care. Research shows that peer support programs promote empowerment and self-esteem, self-management, engagement and social inclusion, as well as improving the social networks of families who receive these services. Research evidence qualifies peer support services as evidence-based through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality guidelines.
Salzer MS, Schwenk E, Brusilovskiy E: Certified peer specialist roles and activities: results from a national survey. Psychiatric Services 61:520–523, 2010.
Repper J, Carter T: A review of the literature on peer support in mental health services. Journal of Mental Health 20: 392–411, 2011.
Cook JA: Peer-delivered wellness recovery services: from evidence to widespread implementation. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal 35:87–89, 2011
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants, Urban
Goal: The goal of this program was to reduce energy usage by 10 to 20 percent.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability
Goal: The goal of this project was to reduce energy consumption in La Mesa, California.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability
Goal: Napa's goal was to save up to 15 percent in electricity usage in 2001.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability, Urban
Goal: The objectives of the program were to reduce energy consumption (kWh) and maximize energy savings through approved incentive programs administered by the CEC and SMUD and through employee/public education.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability
Goal: The energy goals of the committee were to save money, reduce energy usage and to "stay on" during blackouts to avoid sending employees home.