Strategies

What Works for Health includes evidence-informed strategies to create communities where everyone can thrive.

201 Strategies
Clear all

Trauma-informed juvenile justice systems

Support a trauma-informed juvenile justice system to recognize and respond to trauma’s impact on youth through staff training and broad adoption of trauma-informed practices and policies
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Safety and social support

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

Trauma-informed schools

Adopt a multi-tiered approach within schools to address the needs of trauma-exposed youth, including school-wide changes, screenings, and individual intensive support
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Education
  • Safety and social support

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

Treatment Foster Care

Place youth with mental, emotional, and behavioral health challenges in foster families that provide a structured, nurturing, therapeutic environment; also called Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC)
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Safety and social support

Unemployment insurance (UI)

Increase compensation provided to unemployed workers looking for jobs by expanding eligibility, amount, or duration of benefits
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies
  • Budgets

Unhealthy snack taxes

Increase the price of snack products high in sugar and fat by adding an excise or sales tax
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Universal basic income

Provide all individuals with regular cash transfers, without conditions, over their lifetimes
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies
  • Worldviews, culture and norms

Universal distracted driving laws

Prohibit all drivers from texting or talking on a cell phone while driving
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Safety and social support

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Universal firearm background checks

Require both licensed firearm dealers and unlicensed (i.e., private) firearm sellers to conduct background checks of potential firearm purchasers; also known as comprehensive background checks
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Safety and social support

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Universal school-based alcohol prevention programs

Provide all students with the information and skills to prevent alcohol use; programs can be delivered via a specific curriculum or as a component of classroom behavior management
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Urban agriculture

Support food-producing and income-earning activities in urban environments (e.g., edible landscapes, front yard or rooftop gardens, window farming, hydroponics, livestock, etc.)
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise
  • Climate
  • Civic and community resources