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, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants, Children, Teens, Adults
To restore the Elizabeth River to the highest practical level of environmental quality through government, business and community partnerships.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Prevention & Safety
The goal of Emergency Department Means Restriction Education is to help parents and adult caregivers of at-risk youth recognize the importance of taking immediate action to restrict access to firearms, alcohol, and prescription and over-the-counter drugs in the home in order to lessen the risk of self harm.
The Means Restriction program shows that ED-based programs and provided practical information can help parents and adult caregivers of at-risk youth recognize the importance of taking immediate, new action to restrict access to dangers in the home.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants
The goal of the "Environmental Scorecard" is to compare the risks of different chemical releases through a combination of raw data on toxic releases and environmental and human health data.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Maternal, Fetal & Infant Health
The initiative’s goal is to reduce infant sleep-related deaths by promoting safe sleep environments and SIDS risk reduction techniques among healthcare professionals, childcare providers, and all individuals responsible for caring for infants.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Wellness & Lifestyle, Women, Men
The goal of Healthy Relationships is to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by people who know they are HIV-positive by reducing the frequency with which they have unprotected sex.
Healthy Relationships seeks to develop decision making and problem making skills to reduce the risk and transmission of HIV through behavioral intervention. An intervention study resulted in significantly less unprotected intercourse and greater condom use with lower estimated HIV rates post-intervention.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Community / Public Safety, Older Adults
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging offers this fall risk screening and prevention program to adults 50 years of age and older. The program is designed to raise awareness of falls, introduce steps on how to reduce falls, improve overall health, and provide referrals and resources.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases, Urban
The goals of the Holistic Health Recovery Program are to promote health and improve quality of life of injection drug users.
Implementation of the program resulted in a decrease in addition severity, a decrease in risk behavior, and significant improvement in behavioral skills and quality of life.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders
The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends targeted school-based cognitive behavioral therapy programs to reduce depression and anxiety symptoms among school-aged children and adolescents who are assessed to be at increased risk for these conditions.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Health Care Access & Quality
-To identify and provide early intervention for those with or at risk for untreated or uncontrolled hypertension
-To screen and identify those at risk for cardiovascular and renal disease
-To educate those found at risk for CVD
-To provide early chronic disease intervention
-To facilitate access for long term chronic disease care with partner sites