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 / Diabetes, Adults, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: The goal of the Project DIRECT was to reduce the burden of diabetes and its impact on the African-American community through partnerships with the community in Raleigh, NC.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The goal of Project Dulce is to improve the lives of people with diabetes through culturally appropriate, community-based diabetes management, education, and support programs.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Women
Goal: The goal of this program is to improve health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women with substance abuse problems and their infants.
Impact: Improvement in birth weight and gestational age, and reduction in admittance to neonatal intensive care unit and positive infant toxicology screens.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Physical Activity
Goal: The goal of the study was to evaluate a community-based food support intervention in the San Francisco Bay Area for people living with HIV and/or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and potential impact of the intervention on nutritional, mental health, disease management, healthcare utilization, and physical health outcomes.
Impact: Comprehensive, medically appropriate food support is feasible and may improve multiple health outcomes for food-insecure individuals living with chronic health conditions.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Civic Engagement, Teens, Older Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: The goal of Project SHINE is to build strong, healthy, and sustainable communities by fostering positive growth and relationships among its participants.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases, Adults
Goal: The goal of Project START is to reduce sexual risk behavior of young men re-entering the community after incarceration.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Teens
Goal: The goal of this program is to decrease alcohol, tobacco, and drug use and to decrease violence and weapons-carrying among high school students.
Impact: At 2-year follow-up, students in Project TND schools were about half as likely to use tobacco when compared with students in control schools. Students in Project TND schools were about one-fifth as likely to use hard drugs relative to similar students in control schools.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Urban
Goal: To promote water consumption with an educational and environmental intervention in elementary schools of deprived urban areas to prevent overweight.
Impact: This program shows that environmental and educational, school-based interventions can have effective impact in the prevention of overweight among children in elementary school, even in a population from socially-deprived areas.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Cancer, Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The goal of this provider intervention is to increase provider recommendation and patient adherence to colorectal cancer screening in publicly-funded health centers.
Filed under Good Idea, Art & Recreation / Music, Children
Goal: The program aims to provide an outlet for inpatient pediatric cancer patients to express their emotions through composing and performing music.