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, Health / Diabetes, Children, Teens, Adults, Families
Goal: The goal of the Rethink your Drink campaign is to prevent chronic diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease by reducing sugary drink consumption.
Impact: Rethink your Drink is increasing public awareness of the health effects of consuming sugary beverages.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Health Care Access & Quality
Goal: To evaluate the impact of rideshare-based medical transportation on the proportion of Medicaid patients attending scheduled primary care appointments.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Children
Goal: To create a sustainable school lunch program that incorporated healthier food items by leveraging the combined efforts of several school districts.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Adolescent Health, Teens, Urban
Goal: To provide housing to homeless youth aged 18 to 24 and provide comprehensive behavioral health services.
Filed under Good Idea, Economy / Housing & Homes, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The Red Feather Development Groups (RFDG) goal is to bring sustainable and affordable housing to Tribal Lands.
Impact: The Red Feather Development Groups (RFDG) community development work has seen promising results. In seven years, the organization has reached over 1,000 individuals and distributed over 700 "home health kits" to tribal land homeowners.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants, Children, Teens, Adults, Older Adults, Urban
Goal: SMURRF aims to mitigate the pollution affecting Santa Monica Bay from urban runoff and raise public awareness of Santa Monica Bay pollution. We have reviewed the SMURRF system and began an investigation of installing a RO system to produce potable water in the coming years. This goal is to contribute to the city’s new sustainable master water plan to become self-reliant on local water by 2020
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children, Teens, Adults
Goal: The goal of the program is to make a positive difference in the lives of children, primarily through professionally guided one-to-one relationships with caring adults, and to assist them in achieving their highest potential, as they grow to become confident, competent and caring individuals.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Literacy, Children
Goal: Schools of Hope aims to increase third-grade reading proficiency to 75% by 2015 and 90% by 2020.
Impact: Students tutored through Schools of Hope have an increased reading proficiency compared to other students.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Urban
Goal: The program aims to increase the consumption of local, healthy fruits and vegetables in SNAP participants.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Prevention & Safety, Older Adults
Goal: Stepping On aims to reduce the prevalence of falls among older adults. Falls are not a normal part of aging and the risk and/or prevalence of falls may be decreased by taking certain steps, including vision checks, medication management, strength & balance exercises, and home safety checks. Falls and/or the fear of falling often lead to a loss of independence.
Impact: This evidence-based program demonstrated a 31% reduction in falls among participants in an Australian trial. It reached a 50% reduction in falls among participants in a U.S. workshop.