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 / Children's Health, Children
Goal: The goal of the SHAKE program is to use elementary school-based programming to promote childhood health and fitness.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants
Goal: The goal of this project is to identify environmentally preferable building materials and products, to specify them in HOK's own projects, and to guide others in the profession in doing the same.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Air, Urban
Goal: The goal of the Sustainable Skylines Initiative (SSI) is to achieve measurable emissions reductions and promote sustainability in urban environments within three years of implementation.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Community / Social Environment, Children, Adults, Families
Goal: The goal of this program is to provide parents with the necessary skills to improve their parent/child communication and overall family functioning.
Impact: STEP has been implemented in more than 1,000 schools, agencies, churches, and mental health treatment facilities since 1976, reaching more than 4 million parents. Outside the US, STEP has been implemented in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Romania, and South Korea.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults
Goal: TCARE supports Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) by strengthening agencies' abilities to support family caregivers through its Evidence-Based software and protocol.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Teens
Goal: The goal of this program is to educate students about alcohol and to prevent alcohol abuse.
Impact: Evaluations showed significant gains in alcohol-related knowledge, significantly better attitudes toward drinking and driving, and reductions in alcohol consumption.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Adolescent Health, Teens
Goal: The program aims to develop healthy behaviors, life skills, and a sense of purpose in order to prevent problem behaviors.
Impact: Studies have shown that adolescents in the Teen Outreach Program are at 52% lower risk of school suspension, 60% lower risk of course failure, and 53% lower risk of teenage pregnancy.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Adults
Goal: To facilitate behavior change among overweight adults that leads to sustained weight loss.
Impact: Those who use Text4Diet are exposed to customized advice regarding healthy behavior changes. Participants on average saw an average 6-pound weight loss during a four-month use period. This is a statistically significant difference from weight loss in the usual care comparison group.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Social Environment, Adults, Older Adults, Families, Urban
Goal: The 16th Avenue Tiled Steps Project was a neighborhood effort to create a mosaic running up the risers of 163 steps.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Older Adults, Adults, Older Adults
Goal: The Ambulatory Integration of the Medical and Social (AIMS) model aims to address social and environmental factors patients face that may prevent them from following their plan of care, thus impacting their health.
Impact: The AIMS model helps create better supported, less stressed, and better informed consumers and caregivers. There is also evidence to suggest that this model reduces ED usage and 30-day readmissions in participants.