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 / Civic Engagement
Goal: The goal of Rock and Wrap It Up! is to collect leftover food from large events and donate it to local agencies.
Filed under Good Idea, Economy / Housing & Homes, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The Red Feather Development Groups (RFDG) goal is to bring sustainable and affordable housing to Tribal Lands.
Impact: The Red Feather Development Groups (RFDG) community development work has seen promising results. In seven years, the organization has reached over 1,000 individuals and distributed over 700 "home health kits" to tribal land homeowners.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Built Environment
Goal: Safe Routes to School programs aim to make it safer for students to walk and bike to school and encourage more walking and biking where safety is not a barrier.
Safe STEPS (Safe and Successful Transition of Elderly Patients Study) Intervention Program (PA, MD, NC)
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults
Goal: The goal of the program is to ensure effective discharge of patients from the hospital back to their homes, and to reduce 30-day hospital readmission.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Children's Health, Children, Teens, Families
Goal: The goal of the community education, training and baseline testing component of the SCORE Concussion Program is to improve community understanding of concussions and response post-injury.
Impact: In 2012, The SCORE Concussion Education and Baseline Testing Program provided baseline testing and student athlete education to 1,522 children, lead 32 parent and coach education sessions, and conducted workshop training in more than 30 schools.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults
Goal: Both local and state governments face huge challenges in providing senior populations access to public, agency, professional and family caregivers, and community services that allow seniors to remain independent. The complex maze of constantly changing program and service eligibility rules challenge even the most knowledgeable senior service providers. Fragmentation within senior service agencies further results in duplication of services, unnecessary waiting lists, and caregiver and volunteer burnout. This resource attempts to address those problems by providing quick and easy access to a variety of programs.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Health Care Access & Quality
Goal: This study sought to examine whether Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and benefit levels are associated with reduced subsequent hospital and emergency department utilization in low-income older adults
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Childcare & Early Childhood Education, Children
Goal: The program’s goal is to help young children learn the social and emotional skills necessary for school readiness and success.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Teens
Goal: The goal of SPARK is to promote physical activity among youth through school-based programs.
Impact: A health-related physical education curriculum can significantly increase physical activity for students in physical education classes.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Older Adults
Goal: To determine whether the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which addresses food insecurity, can reduce health care expenditures.