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.
Effect of a housing and case management program on emergency department visits and hospitalizations among chronically ill homeless adults: a randomized trial (Chicago, Illinois)
Filed under Effective Practice, Economy / Housing & Homes, Adults, Women, Men, Older Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: To assess the effectiveness of a case management and housing program in reducing the use of urgent medical services among homeless adults with chronic medical illnesses.
Impact: For every 100 homeless adults offered the intervention, the expected benefits over the next year would be 49 fewer hospitalizations, 270 fewer hospital days, and 116 fewer ED visits.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Teens, Families
Goal: EFFEKT seeks to reduce teenage alcohol use by changing the attitudes of their parents. Information is disseminated to the parents at school meetings at the beginning of each semester and through regular communications.
Impact: EFFEKT seeks to reduce teen drinking by changing parental behaviors through structured presentations at their child’s school. Working with parents proved to be an effective way to reduce underage drinking as well as teen delinquency.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults
Goal: The goal of the Elder Farmers' Market Nutrition Program is to help low-income elders improve their nutrition through access to fresh produce that they may not otherwise be able to afford.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children, Teens, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: Elev8 brings together schools, families and the community in low-income areas to ensure that students succeed in school and in life.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants, Children, Teens, Adults
Goal: To restore the Elizabeth River to the highest practical level of environmental quality through government, business and community partnerships.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability, Families
Goal: The goal of this program is to reduce energy usage in order to save on energy costs, increase energy reliability, prevent greenhouse gas emissions, and improve national energy security. It is also an essential strategy for reducing natural gas prices and ensuring a balanced energy future in a growing economy.
Enhanced Patient-Based Referral for Sexually Transmitted Infection Notification (New York (Brooklyn))
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: The goal of this intervention is to promote patient referral among patients with a recent STI diagnosis.
Impact: Program participants were more likely to report sexual partner notification at 1 month and were more likely to report no unprotected sexual intercourse at 6 months.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Crime & Crime Prevention, Teens, Families
Goal: ERP’s main objective is to provide therapeutic services to youth in the juvenile justice system and their families while maintaining a commitment to public safety.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults
Goal: The goal of EnhanceWellness is to improve the health and functioning of older adults.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants
Goal: Environmental Health Faculty Champions Initiative seeks to create a network of environmental health champions at medical and nursing schools, knowledgable about the benefit of prescribing outdoor activity to children.