Strategies

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

8 Strategies matching mental health
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Community health workers

Engage professional or lay health workers to provide education, referral and follow-up, case management, home visiting, etc. for those who experience barriers in accessing health care; also called promotoras(es) de salud or community health representatives
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Financial incentives for health professionals serving underserved areas

Expand incentives such as scholarships and loans with service requirements and loan repayment or forgiveness programs for health care providers who practice in rural or other underserved areas
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Budgets

Group prenatal care

Provide prenatal care in a group setting, integrating health assessment, education, and support
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Health literacy interventions

Increase patients’ health-related knowledge via efforts to simplify health education materials, improve patient-provider communication, and increase overall literacy
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

Medical-legal partnerships

Integrate legal services into health care settings to address legal issues that affect health (e.g., housing, food, utilities); services provided by private practice lawyers, law students, etc.
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

Mobile health for mental health

Deliver health care services and support to individuals with mental health concerns via mobile devices using text messaging or mobile apps
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Preconception education interventions

Provide birthing people with information about the risks and benefits of behaviors that affect their health before, during, and after pregnancy
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Telemental health services

Provide mental health care services (e.g., psychotherapy or counseling) via telephone or videoconference
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care
  • Climate

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices