Databases of Best Practices

 

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.

Cochrane Collaboration

The Cochrane Collaboration reviews standards for healthcare interventions and appropriate treatments. The healthcare evidence is also available in Plain Language Summaries and in Spanish.

The Community Guide

The Guide to Community Preventive Services is a free resource to help choose programs and policies to improve health and prevent disease in communities. Systematic reviews are used to answer questions such as these: Which interventions have been proven effective? Are there effective interventions available that are right for my community? What might effective interventions cost and what is the likely return on investment?

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. This page has been archived and is no longer updated.

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 2030 Structured Evidence Queries

This site makes information and evidence-based strategies related to the Healthy People 2030 objectives easier to find. The National Library of Medicine has worked together to develop search strategies for selected Healthy People 2030 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, this database informs professionals and community members about documented approaches to improving community health and quality of life.

Kansas Health Matters 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.

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

The NACCHO Model Practices Program recognizes innovative and effective local public health practices across the U.S., sharing them in a database to help improve public health methods nationally. Awarded practices showcase evidence-based solutions addressing public health needs and are reviewed by a peer committee.

National Governor's Association Center for Best Practices

The National Governors Association's "Center for Best Practices" site offers resources for U.S. governors on addressing critical policy areas, including healthcare, cybersecurity, education, and workforce development. It provides research, case studies, and best practice frameworks to support innovative solutions for state-level governance challenges.

New Tactics in Human Rights Database

The "New Tactics in Human Rights" database offers a diverse set of over 250 documented tactics that have been used successfully worldwide to address human rights issues. It provides examples, resources, and practical tools to help activists build strategies in areas like advocacy, prevention, and protection across various regions and human rights topics.

 

Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center

Developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association (SAMHSA), the EBPRC is a searchable database of interventions for the prevention and treatment of mental and substance use disorders. It provides communities, clinicians, policymakers and others with the information and tools to incorporate evidence-based practices into their communities or clinical settings.

 

Sociometrics

Sociometrics offers a comprehensive library of social, behavioral, and health science resources, including evidence-based programs, datasets, and capacity-building tools for researchers, educators, and health professionals. The site focuses on improving community health outcomes by providing access to proven resources on topics like adolescent health, HIV/AIDS, mental health, and cultural competence.

 

Social Programs That Work

The "Social Programs That Work" site evaluates social programs based on rigorous research to identify those with proven, impactful outcomes. Programs are categorized by effectiveness levels in areas like education, health, crime prevention, and welfare. This resource helps policymakers and practitioners choose programs with strong evidence of success.

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 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.

 

What Works in Schools: Sexual Health Services. The CDC’s “What Works in Schools: Sexual Health Services” provides a guide for schools to connect students with essential sexual health resources. It includes best practices for offering on-site services or community referrals for testing, contraception, and counseling, with strategies to enhance accessibility and effectiveness. The resource also suggests school-wide campaigns, partnerships, and professional training to improve student health outcomes.

Youth.gov Teen Pregnancy Prevention Evidence Review. This searchable database lists Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Models or programs that have shown impacts on teen pregnancies or births, sexually transmitted infections, or sexual activity. 

 

CANCER

Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs (EBCCP). The Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs (EBCCP) database by the National Cancer Institute provides a collection of proven cancer control programs. It serves as a resource for public health practitioners and program planners to access materials for implementing evidence-based strategies in areas like screening, tobacco control, and nutrition. 

 

CHILD AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

 

Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). AMCHP's Innovation Station is a searchable database that provides emerging, promising, and evidence-based practices in maternal and child health, helping health organizations across the U.S. share and implement effective programs and resources to improve maternal and child health outcomes.

Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness. This clearinghouse, a collaboration between the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Defense, provides a comprehensive database of evidence-based programs and practices for military family well-being. It offers resources to help providers support the mental health and family needs of military members, including resources on intervention and program implementation.

Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomVEE). HomVEE reviews and evaluates research on home visiting programs aimed at families with pregnant women and young children. It systematically assesses each program’s effectiveness, guiding providers and policymakers in selecting effective family support interventions.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Model Programs Guide. The OJJDP's Model Programs Guide is a database of over 200 evidence-based programs designed to prevent juvenile delinquency and support youth development. Covering the continuum from prevention to reentry, this resource aids practitioners in implementing interventions for at-risk youth.

Period of Purple Crying (Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Program). This program, by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, educates parents on infant crying patterns to prevent shaken baby syndrome. It includes research-backed materials like a booklet and video to help caregivers understand normal infant crying and reduce frustration.

Proven and Promising Responsible Fatherhood and Family Strengthening Initiatives - Evidence Review, 2010-2012. This initiative reviews programs serving low-income fathers and families, assessing program effectiveness to strengthen family relationships and support responsible fatherhood practices.

U.S. Department of Education What Works Clearinghouse. The What Works Clearinghouse reviews research on a range of education topics, including students with disabilities, dropout prevention, education technology, school organization and governance, student behavior, and teacher and leader effectiveness. The site includes a searchable research directory of interventions that can be filtered by topic/outcome domains, grade, effectiveness rating, extent of evidence, and the delivery method.

USAID YouthPower — What Works. YouthPower.org is the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) website that promotes a Positive Youth Development approach to empower young people to become agents of their own development. The What Works section provides available evidence on what works in youth and peace-building, what works in youth and health, and what works in youth and agriculture, food security, and nutrition.

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 2030 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 2030 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).

 

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND VOLUNTEERING

Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) Evidence Exchange CNCS’ Evidence Exchange is a digital repository of research, evaluation reports, and data focusing on national service, social innovation, civic engagement, and volunteering. The types of evidence included in the repository range from impact and implementation evaluations to outcome reports and case studies.

 

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Healthy People 2030 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.

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

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

CDC HIV/AIDS Prevention Research Synthesis The PRS Project identifies evidence-based HIV behavioral interventions (EBIs) to help HIV prevention planners and providers in the United States select interventions most appropriate for HIV prevention within their communities.

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.”

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.

What Works for Health – Resources on Sexual Activity. Browse through the evidence ratings for particular programs, policies, or system changes that address sexual activity, including interventions to prevent the spread of HIV and other STDs – part of the What Works for Health database.

 

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH

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.

 

SUBSTANCE USE

Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness. The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness is the result of a collaboration between the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Defense. The Clearinghouse helps providers identify, select, and implement evidence-based programs and practices to address wide-ranging family and mental health issues. The searchable database includes effective and promising intervention programs as well as resources and strategies to ensure the welfare of military families.

Healthy People 2030 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.

SAFE Solutions, part of the SAFE (Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic) project, is designed for communities to freely search a compendium of research, educational materials, innovative approaches, and best practices curated by national subject matter experts to address local challenges pertaining to mental health and substance use disorders.

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.

 

SUICIDE PREVENTION

Center for Disease Control’s Suicide Prevention Resource for Action. The CDC’s Suicide Prevention Resource for Action outlines evidence-based strategies to reduce suicide. It highlights various programs, practices, and policies that can be tailored to community needs, focusing on prevention, intervention, and postvention efforts.

Indian Health Service’s Suicide Prevention Best Practices. The IHS’s Suicide Prevention Best Practices outlines various suicide prevention programs tailored for American Indian communities. These programs include school-based curriculums, gatekeeper training, community education, and mental health first aid, all aimed at reducing suicidal behavior and improving protective factors. Each program is customized to meet the cultural and community needs of different tribes.

National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention outlines a comprehensive, 10-year plan to address suicide through collaboration across various sectors. It includes 15 goals focused on prevention, support, research, and equity, with over 200 federal actions planned for the next three years. The strategy emphasizes the importance of partnerships and the involvement of people with lived experience. 

Suicide Prevention Resource Center Best Practices Registry (BPR). The BPR is a comprehensive library of suicide prevention programs and interventions. It incorporates best practices, national frameworks, and culturally relevant approaches to help prevent suicide across various settings and specific populations.

World Health Organization’s LIVE LIFE: An implementation guide for suicide prevention in countries (pdf). This guide by the World Health Organization provides a comprehensive framework for suicide prevention, detailing four evidence-based interventions and six cross-cutting pillars essential for implementation. It includes case studies from various counties to illustrate successful strategies and emphasizes the importance of multisectoral collaboration and community involvement. The complete guide is also available in Chinese, French, Korean, and Spanish and the executive summary is available in Arabic and Russian. These translated versions can be downloaded here.