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, Community / Social Environment, Children, Teens, Adults, Families, Urban
Goal: The Janice Mirikitani Family, Youth and Childcare Center provides award winning childcare, after-school programs, and parenting resources to low-income and homeless families.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Cancer, Children, Families
Goal: To increase sun protection behaviors in early childhood.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders, Children, Teens, Urban
Goal: The overriding treatment goal of Kartini Clinic is to secure lasting remission of eating disorder symptoms, allowing patients and their families to return to their own communities. Using a holistic approach, embracing medical as well as psychological and social interventions, patients are treated with the belief that parents do not cause eating disorders and children do not choose to have them.
Impact: Since 1998, Kartini Clinic has treated more than 2,000 patients and their families for a range of eating disorders.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Teens
Goal: Keepin' it REAL aims to reduce adolescent alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco use.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Teens
Goal: Given the increased prevalence among youth of obesity and Type II Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in the last 25 years, the goal of Kids N Fitness is to reduce risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome in overweight youth through a family-oriented lifestyle intervention.
Impact: These positive health outcomes indicate that a family-centered lifestyle intervention can improve metabolic health among youth.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Social Environment, Families
Goal: The program aims to provide information and resources to kinship caregivers (grandparents, relatives, foster parents, and others) in New York State.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Crime & Crime Prevention, Teens, Urban
Goal: The primary goals of KNOW THE LAW! include: to improve young people's awareness of legal issues, including both their rights and responsibilities; to help them make positive decisions and resist negative peer pressure; to teach participants to use their bodies, voices, and imagination as actors; to help participants learn basic theatre vocabulary and stage directions; to improve participants' self-confidence, promote high self-esteem, and develop good work habits; and to encourage participants to look at themselves as positive role models for their peers, developing both leadership and collaboration skills.
Filed under Good Idea, Art & Recreation / Libraries & Museums, Families
Goal: This program aims to educate library staff and train workers how to best serve library patrons with autism and their families.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Children, Teens
Goal: The goal of the Lions Quest program is to promote healthy, safe, and drug-free behaviors in youth.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Heart Disease & Stroke, Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: The goal of the program is to identify and follow underserved adult residents with undiagnosed or untreated high blood pressure, cholesterol or glucose, provide education to encourage healthy lifestyle changes and encourage them to seek treatment – anyone without a primary care physician is referred to a participating FQHC.
Impact: Among those participants who were followed over time and were able to be reached by phone, there were significant increases in healthy food consumption as well as significant decreases in smoking, fat consumption, and fast food frequency.