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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.

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Healthy Hawks (Kansas City, Kansas)

Filed under Good Idea, Health / Children's Health, Children, Families, Urban

Goal: The program aims to reduce childhood obesity by using a three-stage approach to identifying root causes of the issue, developing and implementing behavioral strategies for weight management, and involving both the children and their families in adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY): Palm Beach (Palm Beach County, FL)

Filed under Good Idea, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children, Families, Urban

Goal: HIPPY programs empower parents as primary educators of their children in the home and foster parent involvement in school and community life to maximize the chances of successful early school experiences.

Integrated Watershed Management (Massachusetts)

Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants

Goal: Addressing environmental issues on a watershed basis requires the cooperation and participation of many different people. This initiative aims to facilitate partnerships between state agencies, NGOs and civil society in order to yield better environmental results.

Interfaith Housing of Western Maryland (Maryland)

Filed under Effective Practice, Economy / Housing & Homes, Families

Goal: Interfaith Housing Alliance strengthens families, builds communities and promotes human dignity and economic justice by providing decent, affordable housing for those with lower incomes. Through education, advocacy and the creation of new jobs, they foster economic growth and overcome the effects of shelter poverty.

Jamaica Service Program for Older Adults (Jamaica, NY)

Filed under Good Idea, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults

Goal: The Jamaica Service Program for Older Adults mission is "a total community working together to provide services to, and develop skills in, older adults in order to promote independence and enhance their quality of life."

James D. Pfluger, FAIA, Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge (Austin)

Filed under Good Idea, Community / Transportation, Children, Adults, Families, Urban

Goal: The goal of the bridge project was to improve safety for pedestrians and address automobile traffic congestion on the Lamar Boulevard Bridge.

Job Link (Cleveland, OH)

Filed under Effective Practice, Economy / Employment, Children, Teens

Goal: LEAP's mission is to "empower people with disabilities in making significant life choices and changes to enhance their employment and independent living opportunities." The Job Link program aims to assist students in making a successful transition from school to employment and adult community life.

Keepin' it R.E.A.L. (Refuse, Explain, Avoid, Leave) (Phoenix, AZ)

Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Children, Teens, Urban

Goal: The objective of this program is to increase life skills such as risk assessment, decision-making and drug resistance, while enhancing anti-drug norms and attitudes.

Impact: Evaluation findings suggest that Keepin' it R.E.A.L. succeeded in decreasing substance use, in reducing negative attitudes/behaviors, and in improving positive attitudes/behaviors.

Keepin' it REAL (USA)

Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Teens

Goal: Keepin' it REAL aims to reduce adolescent alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco use.

KIP (Knowledge Is Power) Program (Washington County, NY)

Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Other Conditions

Goal: The goals of the KIP Program are to instill in the inmate community the knowledge and power to make healthy decisions and try to incorporate risk and harm reduction ideas into inmate lifestyles.

An Effective Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success and/or promise in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures of improvement in outcome of interest (i.e. increase in voter registration, not just delivery of voter registration drive) and/ or the outcome measure is increased or improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant.

A Good Idea meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program funding source, program implementation steps and outcomes.
  2. The program evaluation is limited to descriptive measure(s) of success/accomplishment (i.e., program participation rates, number of services/education sessions/radio messages provided). Note: oftentimes, the program has been newly implemented and a program evaluation has not yet been conducted. Programs that have not yet been evaluated, but which show promise in improving health or quality of life, are classified as Good Ideas until an evaluation is conducted.

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.