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 Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Cancer, Adults
Goal: The goal of this program is to improve colorectal cancer screening rates among older adults.
Impact: Participants in the intervention group had significantly higher colorectal cancer screening attendance, as well as having more positive attitudes about screening and placing a higher priority on screening.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Public Safety, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The mission of the program is to develop cultural understanding and to forge relationships between police officers and citizens of Austin in order to provide better community service.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Adults, Urban
Goal: To engage patients who may benefit from early intervention and/or education about substance use disorders, and to direct the individuals toward treatment options at the most appropriate levels of care.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Crime & Crime Prevention, Teens
Goal: The mission of this program is to provide services that allow both victims and offenders to participate in a process where both parties have a sense of restored wholeness in their lives and in their communities. This wholeness is manifested when parties are feeling a sense of safety and trust in their communities and in their relationships with self and others. It is the goal of this organization to provide a sense of justice that repairs the damage done and restores relationships, both personal and communal, to their original state to the extent possible.
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.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Built Environment
Goal: The mission of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is to increase the sustainable use and conservation of native wildflowers, plants, and landscapes.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Wellness & Lifestyle, Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The mission is to provide affordable and accessible fitness and nutrition programs to people in low-income communities.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Women's Health, Women, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: The goal of the study was to prevent STDs in high-risk minority women through three culture-specific small group education and counseling sessions, delivered over time.
Impact: Reinfection rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea were significantly lower at each follow-up among participants in the small-group counseling sessions than in the control group. Integration of behavior-change theory with extensive qualitative data collected in target communities enabled the study to create culturally meaningful strategies to promote the recognition of risk and to stimulate motivation to effect personal change.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Air
Goal: The goal of this program is to inspire changes in driving behavior that will help clean up the air in Texas.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Cancer
Goal: The goal of this program is to improve the collection and utilization of cancer data in Texas.