Databases of Best Practices | Community Tool Box

Comprehensive Resources

Explore best practices for promoting community health and development. (See below for resources by issue.)

Campbell Collaboration (C2)

The Campbell Collaboration disseminates systematic reviews of existing interventions. Its topics include crime, social welfare, and education.

Canadian Best Practices Portal

This portal provides you with resources and solutions to plan programs for promoting health and preventing diseases in your community. The site consolidates multiple sources of credible information in one place.

Cochrane Collaboration

The Cochrane Collaboration reviews standards for healthcare interventions and appropriate treatments.The healthcare evidence is also available in Spanish. Cochrane is a site that offers training and other services.

Community Guide (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

This guide provides evidence based recommendations of what is known about effectiveness, economic efficiency, and feasibility of interventions to prevent disease and promote health in a variety of public health concerns including substance abuse, violence, and nutrition.

Community Problem-Solving

A list of links to sites from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that include best practices.

A Compendium of Proven Community-Based Prevention Programs

This report from the Trust for America's Health highlights 79 evidence-based disease and injury prevention programs that have saved lives and improved health.

Database of Interventions

The CDC Community Health Improvement Navigator (CHI Navigator) Database of Interventions is a tool that helps you identify interventions that work in four action areas—socioeconomic factors, physical environment, health behaviors, and clinical care. It provides leaders and stakeholders with options to consider when making decisions about how to invest in their community and address its health needs.

Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Coordinating Center (EPPI-Centre)

The EPPI-Centre provides review of evidence-based policy and practice related to social interventions.The site engages researchers in discussion of how to make research more relevant and how to use findings in many areas including education and health promotion.

Healthy People 2020 Structured Evidence Queries

This site makes information and evidence-based strategies related to the Healthy People 2020 objectives easier to find. The National Library of Medicine has worked together to develop search strategies for selected Healthy People 2020 subject areas. These one-click strategies search PubMed, a database of the National Library of Medicine that provides access to over 11 million citations from MEDLINE and additional life science journals. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related sources.

Healthy Communities Institute's Promising Practices Database

Available through several healthy communities websites (in this case, Healthy Nashville), this database informs professionals and community members about documented approaches to improving community health and quality of life.

Michigan State University Best Practice Briefs

This archive gives access to over 30 short but informative articles on best practices in various areas.

Model Practice Database From National Association of Country and City Health Officials (NACCHO)

A guide to model / promising practices that is searchable by state, type, year, or keyword.

National Governor's Association Center for Best Practices

The NGA Center for Best Practices helps policy staff develop and implement innovative solutions to challenges facing their states.It provides comprehensive information about best practices in emerging issues including: education, health, homeland security and technology, environment, energy, and workforce programs.

New Tactics in Human Rights Database

A searchable tactics database of over 200 examples from advocates and their organizations around the world who have successfully used tactics to address the wide range of human rights and development issues facing their communities. In addition to the main database, this site also offers Tactical Notebooks, in-depth case studies from 49 practitioners that provide a step-by-step guide of how they implemented a significant change, and New Tactics in Human Rights: A Resource for Practitioners, a book features 100 brief, inspirational stories from around the world (all available to download for free from the website), categorized by a) intervention tactics; b) prevention tactics; c) restorative tactics; and d) promotional tactics (building human rights cultures and institutions).

NREPP: National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices

NREPP is a searchable database of interventions for the prevention and treatment of mental and substance use disorders. SAMHSA has developed this resource to help people, agencies, and organizations implement programs and practices in their communities.

Program Archives (Sociometrics)

Programs Archives profiles outstanding prevention programs in key health areas (sexuality, health and adolescence, HIV/AIDS, youth substance abuse and prevention).It aims to facilitate the implementation of proven and cost effective initiatives.

Resource Center: Effective Practices

This database offers Effective Practices, or “good ideas, successful strategies, and studied findings to help programs thrive”, for the categories of Service Activities, Volunteer, Member and Staff Management, and Program, Financial and Grant Management. They are searchable by Topic, Group, or Special Collections.

Top Tier Evidence - Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy

This validated resource helps you find research-proven social programs.

What Works for Child and Youth Development: Tools for Improving Services to Children and Youth (Child Trends)

Child Trend’s “What Works” guide provides interactive tables which illustrate what works and what does not work in improving outcomes for children and adolescents.

What Works for Health - County Health Rankings and Roadmaps

Developed by experts at the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, What Works for Health is an online tool that you can use to find effective policies and programs to improve the many factors that affect your health. Because evidence matters when it comes to developing and implementing solutions to problems that affect communities, each of the programs included in What Works for Health is given an evidence rating. The highest-rated programs and policies have been shown to work. What Works for Health is easy to use – just choose a health factor of interest (i.e. tobacco use, employment, access to health care, environmental quality, etc.) and browse through the evidence ratings for particular programs, policies, or system changes that address the particular health factor of interest.

What Works Wisconsin: Effective Prevention and Intervention Programs

What Works Wisconsin is a project of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Human Ecology and the University of Wisconsin-Extension’s Family Living Program. Initiated in 2004, the What Works project focuses on distilling the latest scientific knowledge on effective policies, practices, and programs, including “evidence-based programs,” for youth and their families, schools, and communities. It provides practitioners and policymakers with the tools to develop effective programs and evaluate and improve existing programming based on state-of-the-art knowledge of what makes programs effective.

Categorical Web-Based Resources for Best Practices by Issue

ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY

Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). AMCHP’s “Innovation Station” is a searchable database of emerging, promising, and best practices in Maternal and Child Health from across the nation.

Why It Matters (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy). The Campaign translates research on teen-pregnancy prevention into user-friendly materials.

What Works for Health – Resources on Sexual Activity. Browse through the evidence ratings for particular programs, policies, or system changes that address sexual activity – part of the What Works for Health database.

CANCER

Cancer Control P.L.A.N.E.T (National Cancer Institute). The research-tested intervention programs present knowledge related to the prevention and treatment of cancer in a user-friendly database.

CHILD AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Model Programs Guide. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Model Programs Guide (MPG) is designed to assist practitioners and communities in implementing evidence-based prevention and intervention programs that can make a difference in the lives of children and communities. The MPG database of over 200 evidence-based programs covers the entire continuum of youth services from prevention through sanctions to reentry.

Pathways Mapping Initiative (Harvard University and the Annie E. Casey Foundation). The Pathways Mapping Initiative provides a map of indicators for school readiness and family economic success that contribute to child and youth outcomes.

Period of Purple Crying (Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Program). The Period of PURPLE Crying program is the name given to the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome’s evidence-based prevention program, which includes a full color 11-page booklet and a 10-minute DVD intended to be given to parents of new infants. The Period of PURPLE Crying program helps parents and caregivers understand the frustrating features of crying in normal infants that can lead to shaking or abuse. The program provides the opportunity for parents to learn about the crying characteristics from over 25 years of research on normal infant crying conducted by Ronald G. Barr, MDCM, and other scientists worldwide.

Promising Practice Network on Children, Youth, and Families. The Promising Practices Network site highlights programs and practices and research evidence about what works in improving outcomes for children and youth.

What Works for Health – Resources on Family and Social Support. Browse through the evidence ratings for particular programs, policies, or system changes that address family and social support programs – part of the What Works for Health database.

CHRONIC DISEASE

Canadian Best Practices Portal for Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention. The primary goals of the Canadian Best Practices Portal are to develop and disseminate best practices information for chronic disease prevention and control interventions, provide decision makers with a comprehensive and standardized resource about best practices for chronic disease prevention and control, and to create awareness of the overall Canadian Best Practices System through communication and marketing activities targeted to key audiences (decision makers in practice, decision makers in policy development, decision makers in research).

Healthy People 2020 Evidence-Based Recommendations for Physical Activity. Released in 2008, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PAG) is the first-ever publication of national guidelines for physical activity. The Physical Activity objectives for Healthy People 2020 reflect the strong state of the science supporting the health benefits of regular physical activity among youth and adults. Regular physical activity includes participation in moderate and vigorous physical activities and muscle-strengthening activities.

Preventing Chronic Disease. Preventing Chronic Disease is a peer-reviewed electronic journal focusing on the link between applied prevention research and pubic health practice in preventing chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular diseases).

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Healthy People 2020 Evidence-Based Recommendations for Community-Based Interventions. This database provides evidence-based community interventions from the Guide to Community Preventive Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health status and related health behaviors are determined by influences at multiple levels: personal, organizational/institutional, environmental, and policy. Because significant and dynamic interrelationships exist among these different levels of health determinants, educational and community-based programs are most likely to succeed in improving health and wellness when they address influences at all levels and in a variety of environments/settings.

Knowledge Plex. The Knowledge Plex database consists of relevant research, case studies, best practices, and other material in the fields of affordable housing and community development.

MOST (UNESCO) Clearinghouse of Best Practices. Best practices in urban and community development.

What Works for Health – Resources on Community Safety. Browse through the evidence ratings for particular programs, policies, or system changes that address improving community safety – part of the What Works for Health database.

What Works for Health – Resources on Improving the Built Environment of Your Community. Browse through the evidence ratings for particular programs, policies, or system changes that address improving the built environment of a community – part of the What Works for Health database.

What Works for Health – Resources on Environmental Quality. Browse through the evidence ratings for particular programs, policies, or system changes that address improving environmental quality – part of the What Works for Health database.

World Bank Report - Land Policies for Growth and Poverty Reduction. Best practices for land use administration and policy.

EDUCATION

What Works Clearinghouse (U.S. Department of Education). Provides scientific evidence of what works in educational programs, practices, products, and policies through easily accessible databases and reports.

What Works for Health – Resources on Education. Browse through the evidence ratings for particular programs, policies, or system changes that address education – part of the What Works for Health database.

HEALTH CARE

AHRQ Healthcare Innnovations Exchange. Innovations and tools to improve quality and reduce disparities.

Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, Putting Prevention Into Practice. PPIP clinical intervention materials are based on research-tested interventions for improving the delivery of services in primary health care settings.

RTI-UNC Evidence-based Practice Center. The RTI-UNC EPC provides summations of scientific evidence for a variety of healthcare topics. It is one of thirteen EPCs sponsored by the US Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

What Works for Health – Resources on Quality of Care. Browse through the evidence ratings for particular programs, policies, or system changes that address improving quality of health care – part of the What Works for Health database.

HEALTH IMPROVEMENT

NREPP: SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) is a searchable database of interventions for the prevention and treatment of mental and substance use disorders, including violence prevention. The purpose of this registry is to assist the public in identifying approaches to preventing and treating mental and/or substance use disorders that have been scientifically tested and that can be readily disseminated to the field.

What Works for Health – Resources on Diet and Exercise. Browse through the evidence ratings for particular programs, policies, or system changes that address improving overall health, focusing on healthy eating and physical activity – part of the What Works for Health database.

HEALTH PROMOTION

Intervention MICA - Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Intervention MICA is an evidence-based intervention planning system to support community stakeholders and public health practitioners. It provides tools for needs assessment, priority-setting, intervention design, implementation, and evaluation.

HIV/AIDS

Compendium of HIV Prevention Interventions with Evidence of Effectiveness (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). A set of effective science-based HIV/AIDS interventions created in response to requests from prevention service providers and others.

Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions project (DEBI) (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). A national-level strategy bringing “science-based, community-and group-level HIV prevention interventions to community-based service providers and state and local health departments.”

Healthy People 2020 Evidence-Based Recommendations for HIV Prevention. This database provides clinical recommendations from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

REP+, Replicating Effective Programs plus other related resources (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). A site dedicated to identifying HIV/AIDS prevention programs which have been tested to work in the real world. These science-based intervention packages are translated into everyday language.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Healthy People 2020 Evidence-Based Recommendations for Substance Abuse Prevention. The following clinical recommendations come from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). This database provides approaches for reducing alcohol abuse, and offers a separate section on preventing tobacco use.

Preventing Underage Drinking: Using Getting to Outcomes with the SAMSHA Strategic Prevention Framework to Achieve Results. For in-depth information on some Evidence-Based Environmental Strategies to prevent underage drinking, see p. 29-37 of this manual:

Preventing Underage Drinking: Using Getting to Outcomes with the SAMHSA Strategic Prevention Framework to Achieve Results. Imm P, Chinman M, Wandersman A, Rosenbloom D, Guckenburg S, Leis R. (2007). Preventing Underage Drinking: Using Getting to Outcomes with the SAMHSA Strategic Prevention Framework to Achieve Results, RAND, TR-403-SAMHSA. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.

SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) is a searchable database of interventions for the prevention and treatment of mental and substance use disorders. SAMHSA has developed this resource to help people, agencies, and organizations implement programs and practices in their communities.

What Works for Health – Resources on Alcohol and Drug Use. Browse through the evidence ratings for particular programs, policies, or system changes that address preventing alcohol abuse – part of the What Works for Health database.

What Works for Health – Resources on Tobacco Use. Browse through the evidence ratings for particular programs, policies, or system changes that address preventing tobacco use – part of the What Works for Health database.

VIOLENCE PREVENTION

Blueprints for Violence Prevention. These Web pages provide information and resources from Blueprints for Violence Prevention, a project of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado, which identifies truly outstanding violence and drug prevention programs that meet a high scientific standard of effectiveness. In doing so, Blueprints serves as a resource for governments, foundations, businesses, and other organizations trying to make informed judgments about their investments in violence and drug prevention programs.

Crime Solutions: All Programs and Practices. The Office of Justice Programs' CrimeSolutions.gov shares what works in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services. The site provides easily understandable research on the effectiveness of various programs and practices.

Healthy People 2020 Evidence-Based Recommendations for Injury and Violence Prevention. This database provides evidence-based community interventions from the Guide to Community Preventive Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Violence Prevention. The purpose of this website is to provide a violence prevention resource for policy makers, practitioners and others working to tackle and prevent violence. The website includes an Evidence Base (abstracts of systematically reviewed literature providing evidence of measures that can work to prevent violence), Resources (key publications and resources on violence and prevention), and other tools.

YOUTH VIOLENCE

Measuring Violence Related Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors Among Youths: A Compendium of Assessment Tools: Second Edition. This compendium provides researchers and prevention specialists with a set of tools to assess violence-related beliefs, behaviors, and influences, as well as to evaluate programs to prevent youth violence. Many of the measures included in the first edition of the compendium focused on individual violence-related attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. These types of measures are included in this edition as well and may be particularly useful for evaluating a school-based curriculum or a community-based program designed to reduce violence among youths

Paving the Way for Project Safe Neighborhoods: SACSI In 10 U.S. Cities. This report presents the main findings of a national assessment of the Strategic Approaches to Community Safety Initiative (SACSI). The targeted crimes included homicide, firearms violence and violations, rape, sexual assault, violent crime among 15- to 24-year-olds, and violent crime among youth under 18 years. The study found that the SACSI approach, when implemented effectively, is associated with reductions in targeted violent crimes.

World Report on Violence and Health: Chapter 2: Youth Violence. This report chapter, which focuses on youth violence, is from the World Report on Violence and Health. This report provides a review of the problem of violence on a global scale – what it is, whom it affects, and what can be done about it. The goals of the report are to raise awareness about the problem of violence globally and to make the case that violence is preventable and that public health has a crucial role to play in addressing its causes and consequences.