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.
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Teens, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Rural
Goal: The goal of the Bicultural Competence Skills Approach is to prevent substance abuse by Native American adolescents.
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Families, Urban
Goal: The goal of this program is to prevent parents who are addicted to drugs from relapsing, and to prevent substance abuse among their children.
Impact: Although studies evaluating the effectiveness of this program on the behaviors of drug-using parents and their children showed some positive findings, the overall evidence suggested no effects.
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Education / Childcare & Early Childhood Education, Children, Rural
Goal: The goal of the PAVEd for Success program is to improve the literacy outcomes of children.
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Children
Goal: The goal of this program is to prevent alcohol, tobacco and drug use.
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Cancer, Women, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The goal of this program is to reduce disparities in breast and cervical cancer screening and outcomes between African American and white women through the use of community advisors.
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children, Teens
Goal: The goal of this program is to enhance the resiliency of children in order to promote positive development and prevent them from engaging in high-risk behaviors such as substance use, early sexual activity, or violence.
Impact: Studies of the program showed that participants' reactions to situations involving drug use and their attitudes toward school, the future, and elders were significantly better than those without the intervention. Students in the program also had fewer days absent from school than nonparticipants.
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Teens
Goal: The goal of this program is to help girls in middle school (ages 11-14) acquire knowledge, skills, and support systems to avoid substance abuse.
Impact: In 2016, independent evaluation of PEERsuasion failed to find evidence that Friendly PEERsuasion was effective in delaying or reducing girls’ use of ATOD or changing girls’ attitudes toward ATOD use and their associations with peers who use substances.
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Children, Teens, Urban
Goal: The goal of this program is to help youths identify and resist peer and other social pressures to smoke, drink, and engage in sexual activity.
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Community / Social Environment, Children, Teens, Families, Rural
Goal: The goal of this project was to prevent substance abuse among high-risk youth in Arizona.
Impact: Participants in the experimental group experienced significant differences in family relations, significant decrease in alcohol and other drugs, and also a significant decrease of alcohol use by family members. Participants of the control group did not experience similar impacts.
Note: This practice has been Archived.
Filed under Good Idea, Education / Educational Attainment
Goal: The major focus of this program is on empowering classroom instructors with the knowledge, time, and compensation needed to design, implement, and evaluate 231 program activities. These activities are designed to increase and improve access for students and allow them to move through the program to reach their goals.