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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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Social Decision Making / Problem Solving (New Jersey)

Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Social Environment, Children

Goal: The goal of this program is to help students acquire social and decision-making skills and to develop their ability to effectively use those skills in real-life and academic situations.

Social Skills In Pictures, Stories, and Songs

Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Childcare & Early Childhood Education, Children

Goal: The program’s goal is to help young children learn the social and emotional skills necessary for school readiness and success.

SOS Signs of Suicide Program

Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders, Teens

Goal: The program's primary objectives are to educate teens that depression is a treatable illness and to equip them to respond to a potential suicide in a friend or family member using the SOS technique.

South End Neighborhood Housing Initiative (Boston, MA)

Filed under Effective Practice, Economy / Housing & Homes, Urban

Goal: The goal of this program is to create affordable rental and home ownership opportunities for families and to protect current residents from displacement.

SpeakOut (San Francisco, CA)

Filed under Good Idea, Art & Recreation / Art, Children, Teens, Adults, Older Adults, Urban

Goal: SpeakOut allows individuals to share their personal stories, through song, poetry, and music, and enjoy a sense of camaraderie and love with their listeners.

Special Diabetes Program for Indians (USA)

Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Diabetes, Racial/Ethnic Minorities

Goal: The goal of the Special Diabetes Program for Indians is to provide diabetes education and services to Native Americans and Alaska Natives.

Specialisterne USA

Filed under Good Idea, Economy / Employment, Adults

Goal: Specialisterne provides training, education and employment for people with autism and similar challenges.

Impact: Specialisterne seeks to enable one million jobs worldwide for a target population that would otherwise face substantial barriers to employment.

Spectrum Vocational Services (Downers Grove, IL)

Filed under Good Idea, Economy / Employment, Adults

Goal: Spectrum Vocational Services provides individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities the opportunity to achieve career and personal goals.

Sponsor-A-Mind® (USA)

Filed under Effective Practice, Education / School Environment, Children, Teens

Goal: The mission of the Sponsor-A-Mind® program is to supply underprivileged school children and classrooms in less affluent neighborhoods with the basic materials needed to exist and thrive in education.

STARS (Start Taking Alcohol Risks Seriously) for Families (Florida)

Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Children, Teens

Goal: The goal of this program is for youths to postpone alcohol use until adulthood.

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.
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