Strategies

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

212 Strategies
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Mass media campaigns against alcohol-impaired driving

Use mass media campaigns to persuade individuals to avoid drinking and driving or to prevent others from doing so; campaigns often focus on the negative consequences of alcohol-impaired driving
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Matched dollar incentives for saving tax refunds

Support programs that provide matched dollar incentives for low or moderate income individuals to place some or all of their tax refund in a savings account
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth

Societal Rules

  • Budgets

Medical marijuana legalization

Allow eligible patients to use marijuana for medical purposes; often called medical marijuana laws (MMLs)
Evidence Rating:
Mixed Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

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

Medication-assisted treatment access enhancement initiatives

Provide medications such as methadone to individuals diagnosed with opioid use disorder in outpatient, residential, and hospital settings, usually with counseling and behavioral therapies; often called MAT
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Alcohol and drug use

Mental Health First Aid

Provide an 8 or 12 hour training to educate laypeople about how to assist individuals with mental health problems or at risk for problems such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Safety and social support

Mentoring for new nurses

Pair new nurses with more experienced nurses who act as a resource and provide support as the new nurse establishes her or himself professionally
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Microfinance & microenterprise

Support programs that provide small loans, usually to individuals with lower incomes, to start or expand a small business, often with business development training and other technical assistance
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth

Minimum wage increases

Increase the lowest hourly, daily, or monthly compensation that employers may legally pay to workers
Evidence Rating:
Mixed Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Income, employment and wealth

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

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