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, Education / Literacy, Teens
Goal: Youth Speaks aims to empower youth and effect change through written and oral literacy.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Social Environment, Teens
Goal: Youth Villages helps children and families live successfully.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Built Environment
Goal: The goal of this initiative was to pinpoint community conditions that were detrimental to health in the Planada, California community.
Impact: The Student Education Empowerment Development Squad (SEEDS), with the help of the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program (CCROPP), addressed community issues through a youth-led process using Prevention Institute’s Tool for Health and Resilience in Vulnerable Environments (THRIVE).
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Built Environment, Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: 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.
Impact: 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.
Discovering Previously Unidentified Foodborne Illness Risks through Discussion (Olmstead County, MN)
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Food Safety
Goal: The goal of this program was to promote the active management of food borne illness risk factors by food service operators. Its objectives were to: shift the food safety program's focus from counting violations to evaluating food safety risks and systems, use an assessment process based on discussion of foodborne illness risks with the manger/operator, and develop the ability to track assessment results toward the Healthy People 2010 goals.
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Family Planning
Goal: The TPP/SVAT was formed to:
- Decrease isolation of persons working on teen pregnancy and sexual violence issues in Ramsey County communities.
- Increase their access to best practice information and culture-specific resources.
- Increase public understanding of teen pregnancy and sexual violence issues and effective prevention.
- Improve public policy related to teen pregnancy and sexual violence issues.
The program's objectives include:
- Developing and continuing to expand a community coalition for members' capacity building and leadership development.
- Increasing use of culture-specific practices.
- Increasing community awareness and understanding of teen pregnancy and sexual violence issues.
- Promoting teen health services.
- Encouraging schools to implement effective comprehensive sexuality education.
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Adolescent Health, Families
Goal: The goal of Shoulder to Shoulder is to reach parents of teens with good advice about parenting their adolescents and help parents adopt strategies that are proven to reduce risky behaviors.
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases, Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: The goal of the Coalition to Reduce HIV in Broward County is to eliminate disparities in HIV disease in Broward County.
Impact: Disparities in new diagnoses of HIV among Hispanic residents of Broward County were eliminated and cut in half among non-Hispanic residents.
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability
Goal: San Bernardino County’s goal in 2001 was to reduce its energy use by 10 percent.
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Oral Health, Children, Urban
Goal: The goal of the KC Kids Oral Health Program was to provide no-cost dental services to children who lived between 250% and 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.