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 Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders
The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends targeted school-based cognitive behavioral therapy programs to reduce depression and anxiety symptoms among school-aged children and adolescents who are assessed to be at increased risk for these conditions.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders
The CPSTF also recommends Targeted School-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Programs to Reduce Depression and Anxiety Symptoms for students who are assessed to be at increased risk for these conditions, and group and individual CBT to reduce psychological harm from traumatic events among children and adolescents.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Weight Status
The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends multicomponent interventions to increase availability of healthier foods and beverages in schools. This finding is based on evidence that they reduce or maintain the rate of obesity or overweight.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Educational Attainment, Children, Rural
The goal of this program is to help at-risk youth and young adults to finish high school, take college-level classes, and have structured work experiences that will lead to successful transitions to adulthood.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children, Teens, Urban
The primary goal of the School Lunch Initiative is to transform the way Berkeley public school students eat lunch and to educate children about food, health, and the environment.
Three years after its conception, the program successfully eliminated nearly all processed foods from the school district dining halls and introduced fresh and organic foods to the daily menu. There was evidence that greater exposure to the School Lunch Initiative was significantly associated with higher nutrition knowledge scores among fourth graders and seventh graders. Furthermore, elementary school students from the schools with highly developed School Lunch Initiative components clearly expressed a higher preference for fruits and vegetables.
Filed under Good Idea, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children, Teens
The goal of See You in School is to improve the grades, self confidence and engagement of high school students through mentor/mentee relationships. Decreasing the dropout rates in Whatcom County is a long term goal that begins with the mentor/mentee relationship and a network inside the schools.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Teens, Urban
The goal of the TACOS program was to use an environmental intervention to increase the availability and consumption of lower-fat foods in a la carte areas of secondary school cafeterias.
The TACOS program successfully increased both the availability and sale of lower-fat foods in a la carte areas of secondary school cafeterias.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children, Urban
The goal of the "walking school bus" is to increase children's rates of active commuting to school and physical activity.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders, Children, Teens, Families, Rural
The goal of the ACCESS program is to reduce barriers to mental/behavioral health and wellbeing for children in Belton by providing quality care through free school-based therapy services (provided by licensed therapists, using evidence based practices) for our BSD students and educate our community about mental health and wellbeing to reduce stigma.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Cancer, Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
The goal of the Cancer SOS provider education program is to increase cancer screening in primary care settings serving disadvantaged populations.