Strategies

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

40 Strategies matching mental health

Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS)

Match disadvantaged or at-risk youth with volunteer mentors in school or community settings
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Safety and social support
  • Education

Broadband initiatives for unserved and underserved areas

Expand broadband availability and adoption in unserved and underserved areas through initiatives that address infrastructure and cost barriers
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth
  • Civic and community resources

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Community gardens

Establish and support land that is gardened or cultivated by community members via community land trusts, gardening education, zoning regulation changes, or service provision (e.g., water or waste disposal)
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise
  • Climate
  • Civic and community resources

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

Crisis lines

Provide free and confidential counseling and service referrals via telephone-based conversation, web-based chat, or text message to individuals in crisis, particularly those with severe mental health concerns
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Safety and social support

Cross-age youth peer mentoring

Establish an ongoing relationship between an older youth or young adult and a younger child or adolescent, usually an elementary or middle school student
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Safety and social support
  • Civic and community resources

Debt advice for tenants with unpaid rent

Offer debt advice from trained providers to tenants with unpaid, overdue rent to help repay debt and increase financial literacy
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth
  • Housing and transportation

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

Provide confidential worksite-based counseling and referrals to employees to address personal and workplace challenges
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth
  • Safety and social support

Fentanyl test strip distribution programs

Provide free fentanyl test strips to detect the presence of fentanyl in different kinds of drugs and drug forms
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

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