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 / Older Adults, Older Adults
Goal: The goals of the program are to help participants learn how to view falls and the fear of falling as controllable, set realistic goals for increasing activity, change their environment to reduce fall risk factors, and exercise to increase strength and balance.
Impact: After completing the program, 97% of participants are more comfortable in talking about falls, 95% have made environmental changes, and 99.5% plan to continue exercising.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Teens
Goal: The goal of the A Matter of Degree program is to reduce student drinking and driving after drinking.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Built Environment, Children, Teens, Adults, Women, Men, Older Adults, Families, Urban
Goal: The goal of the Active Design Guidelines is to provide architects and urban designers with tools to create healthier buildings, urban spaces, and outdoor places based on current academic research and best practices.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Alternative Medicine
Goal: The mission of Acupuncturists Without Borders is to help alleviate suffering of people worldwide through community acupuncture treatment and training.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Civic Engagement, Older Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The Adopt a Native Elder program was established to build bridges between cultures and between individuals through the native tradition of adoption.
Filed under Good Idea, Education / Literacy
Goal: ALMA’s mission is to help adults gain basic reading, writing, and math skills they need to achieve their educational, career, and personal goals.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Older Adults, Adults, Older Adults, Urban
Goal: Shepherd's Center Central is a local leader in the regional effort to ensure that all people can age successfully with dignity, security, and respect.
Impact: In 2016, Adventures in Learning experienced attendance of 80 members per week and offered a total of 520 classes during the four 10-week sessions available.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders, Children, Women, Urban
Goal: The mission of Sheffield Place is "to empower homeless mothers and their children to heal from their trauma and help them become self-sufficient." The goal of the Aftercare program is to provide continuing supportive services once the families have transitioned from the residential program to permanent housing in the community. In this way, the families receive the support they need to maintain or increase income, maintain or improve mental health functioning, and maintain permanent housing.
Impact: This program provides vital supportive services for formerly-homeless families in recovery. Sheffield Place grew from serving just 20 families in 2010 to serving 132 families in 2017 (102 in residential and 30 in aftercare).
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders, Children, Teens
Goal: The goal of ART® is to improve social skill competence, anger control, and moral reasoning.
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.