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, Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases
Goal: The goal of HealthSentry is to meet the challenge of linking public health organizations to reliable clinical data without burdensome manual data collection and reporting.more timely and accurate reporting.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children, Teens
Goal: The goal of this program is to strategically connect resources in schools in order to help young people learn, stay in school, and prepare for life.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Teens
Goal: The goal of CMCA is to change policies and practices of major community institutions to reduce underage access to alcohol.
Impact: CMCA intervention significantly and favorably affected drinking behavior of 18- to 20-year olds and also significantly and favorably affected the practices of establishments serving alcohol. Alcohol merchants increased age-identification checking and reduced their sales to minors. Older teenagers (18 to 20 years old) reduced their provision of alcohol to other teens and were less likely to try to buy alcohol or drink in a bar. Arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol declined significantly among 18- to 20-year-olds.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The mission of Communities Putting Prevention to Work: Cherokee Nation is to promote healthy eating, physical activity and increase tobacco cessation throughout the tribe’s jurisdictional boundaries.
Impact: Communities Putting Prevention to Work: Cherokee Nation works to prevent obesity and tobacco use through various programs including chronic disease screenings, farm-to-school programs, and smoking cessation classes available to all Cherokees in the service area.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children, Urban
Goal: The goal of the Community Asthma Prevention Program is to provide a community-driven asthma management program in order to increase asthma awareness and knowledge, and to increase the quality of life of those living with asthma.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Urban
Goal: Isles, Inc., is a nationally recognized nonprofit community development and environmental organization with the mission to foster more self-reliant families in healthy, sustainable communities.
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, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders, Teens, Adults, Older Adults
Goal: CredibleMind helps surface resources with scientific validity to empower community members to take control of their mental health and spiritual well-being.
Impact: CredibleMind is available to the public and is also available as a customizable solution for community coalitions, health departments, hospitals, health plans, employers and other professional organizations to connect users to local services and resources.
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.