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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.

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WISEWOMAN Michigan (Lansing, MI)

Filed under Good Idea, Health / Cancer, Women

Goal: The goal of this program is to reduce barriers to exercise and increase the likelihood that people will engage in physical activity.

Women Alive Coalition (Los Angeles, CA)

Filed under Good Idea, Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases, Women, Urban

Goal: The goal of Women Alive is to help women with HIV/AIDS connect with each other and exchange treatment information, and to take charge of their lives, their care, and their destiny.

Women and Work

Filed under Good Idea, Economy / Employment, Women

Goal: The Women and Work project works to build women’s equity and increase women's economic security by expanding their occupational choices.

Impact: The Women and Work project increases resources and opportunities for women in non-traditional jobs through a variety of policy and programmatic initiatives.

Women Take PRIDE in Managing Heart Disease (Albany, NY)

Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults

Goal: This project seeks to demonstrate the effectiveness of both providing the intervention and recruiting participants in a community setting.

Wood Stove Changeout Campaign (USA)

Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Air

Goal: The goal of a wood stove changeout campaign is to reduce the usage of inefficient wood stoves in order to improve air quality.

Work Advancement and Support Center (USA)

Filed under Effective Practice, Economy / Employment, Families

Goal: The goal of the work Advancement and Support Center is to provide services to help low-wage workers increase their family income and well-being through the use of existing work supports.

Work Resource Center High School/High Tech Program (Cincinnati, OH)

Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Educational Attainment, Children, Teens

Goal: The objective of this program is for students to complete high school and be prepared to enter postsecondary education or employment.

Workplace Implementation of Act in Time (Montana)

Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Heart Disease & Stroke, Adults

Goal: The goal of the Act in Time campaign is to increase awareness to the signs and symptoms of heart attack and the need to call 911 for emergency medical services.

WorkWell (Thurston County, WA)

Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Adults

Goal: The goal of the WorkWell Intiative is to recognize and support local employers in Thurston County, WA who make a commitment to address workforce health issues.

YIELD the Power (Chicago, IL)

Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Disabilities, Children

Goal: The purpose of Access Living's Y.I.E.L.D. (Youth for Integration through Education, Leadership and Discovery) the Power Project was to increase the participation of youth with disabilities in mainstream workforce development activities through a variety of youth-led systems change initiatives. Specific goals included the following:

-Train 100 youth with disabilities to become leaders in the disability community and other sectors of their communities

-Witness and document systems change in at least 10 WIA (Workforce Investment Act)-assisted youth programs in Chicago through trainings and focused one-on-one technical assistance

-Provide paid and unpaid work experiences for youth with disabilities.

An Effective Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success and/or promise in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures of improvement in outcome of interest (i.e. increase in voter registration, not just delivery of voter registration drive) and/ or the outcome measure is increased or improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant.

A Good Idea meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program funding source, program implementation steps and outcomes.
  2. The program evaluation is limited to descriptive measure(s) of success/accomplishment (i.e., program participation rates, number of services/education sessions/radio messages provided). Note: oftentimes, the program has been newly implemented and a program evaluation has not yet been conducted. Programs that have not yet been evaluated, but which show promise in improving health or quality of life, are classified as Good Ideas until an evaluation is conducted.

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.