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, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Teens, Adults, Older Adults, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: The Community Market Farms program transforms vacant land into market farms and public spaces in order to grow and distribute organic affordable food with and for the community.
Filed under Good Idea, Education / School Environment, Children, Urban
Goal: The goal of the program is to build sustainable, local, urban gardens, in order to deliver more reliable and better nutrition to today’s youth and urban communities.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Built Environment
Goal: The overall mission of the Civano Community is:
- To create a sense of place that fosters community and connects people to one another and their natural environments
- To tread lighter on the land through innovative design, and
- To introduce sustainable construction materials and new technologies to advance the quality of life.
Specific performance targets include:
- Reduce energy consumption by 75%
- Reduce potable water consumption by 65%
- Reduce landfill-destined solid waste by 90%
- Reduce internal vehicle trip miles by 40%, and
- Create one community job for every 2 residences.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants
Goal: The goal of the program is reduction of public health risk by informing and empowering citizens through the cooperation, communication, collaboration, and coordination of government agencies and the private sector.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Adults
Goal: To reduce the number of heroin overdose deaths in the community and to provide immediate peer support to those in crisis.
Impact: COAT peers counselors are able to provide immediate response and support to help individuals achieve long-term recovery.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Social Environment, Urban
Goal: The goal of the Community Planning Program is to provide underserved communities with the tools and support they need to be able to shape equitable, safe, and vibrant neighborhoods throughout San Francisco, CA.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Crime & Crime Prevention, Adults, Urban
Goal: The mission of Community United Against Violence is to prevent and respond to violence against and within LGBTQQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning) communities.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Maternal, Fetal & Infant Health, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The goal of the program is to decrease African American infant mortality through raising awareness of racial health disparities, encouraging safe and healthy lifestyle practices, and providing correct perinatal health education.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Transportation
Goal: The goal of this program is to provide affordable, reliable, and flexible transportation to low-income residents of Burlington.
Comparative Cost Analysis of Housing and Case Management Program for Chronically Ill Homeless Adults Compared to Usual Care (Chicago, Illinois)
Filed under Effective Practice, Economy / Housing & Homes, Adults, Urban
Goal: To assess the costs of a housing and case management program in a novel sample: homeless adults with chronic medical illnesses.
Impact: Compared to usual care, the intervention group generated an average annual cost savings of (−)$6,307 per person (95 percent CI: −16,616, 4,002; p = .23). Subgroup analyses of chronically homeless and those with HIV showed higher per person, annual cost savings of (−)$9,809 and (−)$6,622.