Promising Practices

Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Racial/Ethnic Minorities

Goal: To partner with local Mexican taqueria restaurants to promote healthy food options

Filed under Good Idea, Health / Adolescent Health, Teens, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban

Goal: The goal of Young Women on the Move is to help girls gain the knowledge, skills and personal power to become change agents in their lives and their communities. The mission of Teen Advocates for a Healthy KCK is to empower underserved, at-risk adolescent girls to live healthy lives filled with positive options with the vision that girls, when healthy in mind, body and spirit, will be strong leaders and advocates for thriving, healthy families and communities.

Impact: Teen Advocates for a Healthy KCK helped girls discover their personal power and develop skills and behaviors that led to healthier lifestyle choices.

Filed under Good Idea, Health / Adolescent Health, Teens, Adults, Families

Goal: The goal of TeenRehabCenter.org is to give parents the tools they need to be able to talk to their children and teens about drugs and alcohol. By providing these resources, it hopes to prevent more teens and young adults from substance abuse. It also aims to help those who are already struggling by furnishing recovery information that is tailored both for parents and for teens.

Impact: Time spent in treatment is forward progress, since the individual is removed from substance use and negative peer and environmental influences. At least half of teens who graduate from rehab will enjoy an extended period of sobriety. How they follow-up after rehab is over can play a massive role in how strong and stable these healthy habits become.

Filed under Good Idea, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders

Goal: Baylor Scott & White started TelePsych because many of its hospitals do not have any psychologists or psychiatrists on staff. The Hillcrest hospital in particular has seen an increase in patients needing acute mental health care. Its location next to the highway and the dearth of other trauma centers means that the hospital receives 1-2 patients per day with acute mental health needs. Hillcrest has licensed medical social workers in the Emergency Department but struggled without an actual psychologist or psychiatrist available. Their goal in implementing TelePsych was to move mental health patients through the continuum of care efficiently and with empathy.

Impact: The hospital staff at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest has been very impressed with the implementation and ease of use of the TelePsych process and system. Patient satisfaction has increased and staff are able to move patients through the next level of care more efficiently.

Filed under Good Idea, Health / Prevention & Safety, Children, Teens, Adults, Older Adults, Urban

Goal: The goal of the Backyard Initiative is to improve health and health care.

Filed under Good Idea, Community / Transportation

Goal: The goal of this project is to make the streets more pedestrian friendly and supportive of active living.

Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Heart Disease & Stroke, Racial/Ethnic Minorities

Goal: The goal of this program is to improve the health of the Cambodian population in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability, Urban

Goal: The CO2 Reduction Plan was officially adopted by the Chula Vista City Council in November 2002 and aims to reduce CO2 emissions to 80% of 1990 levels by the year 2010. Specific action measures include:

- Municipal clean fuel vehicle purchases
- Green power use and public education program
- Telecommuting and telecenters
- Enhanced pedestrian connections and increased housing and employment density near transit
- Bicycle lanes, paths, and routes
- Energy efficient landscaping
- Solar pool heating
- Traffic signal and system upgrades

Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Air

Goal: C2P2 aims for the following goals:
-Increase the use of coal fly ash in concrete by 43 percent, from 14 million metric tons per year in 2001 to 20 million metric tons by 2010.
-Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from concrete production by approximately 6 million metric tons by 2010.

Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability

Goal: To promote social change and environmental responsibility, reduce carbon output and enable local schools and centers to develop and maintain effective composting and vermiculture systems.