NGA Center for Best Practices

The NGA Center for Best Practices teams and divisions develop innovative solutions to today’s most pressing public policy challenges. The center is the only research and development firm that directly serves the nation’s governors.

Latest

Strengthening Youth Mental Health: Training and Supporting Caregivers and Educators

Strengthening Youth Mental Health: Training and Supporting Caregivers and Educators

The fourth and final roundtable of the National Governors Association 2022-2023 Chair’s Initiative on Strengthening Youth Mental Health was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 18, 2023. NGA Chair New ...
Read More
Briefing on State Judicial Selection Processes

Briefing on State Judicial Selection Processes

On Tuesday, May 30, the National Governors Association hosted its monthly briefing for Governors’ legal counsel. The briefing discussed state judicial selection processes, including considerations for Governors when making judicial ...
Read More
Public Health and Green Spaces

Public Health and Green Spaces

Governors are leveraging the great outdoors to improve health outcomes and bolster state economies. Genetics play a role in one’s health; however, the environment in which one is raised and ...
Read More
Governors Leading on Skills-Based Hiring to Open Opportunity Pathways

Governors Leading on Skills-Based Hiring to Open Opportunity Pathways

Skills-based hiring is a method of recruiting employees that prioritizes a candidate's competencies over more "traditional" qualifications like degrees. This hiring strategy can remove barriers that currently screen out qualified ...
Read More

STRENGTHENING YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH

The United States faces a nationwide youth mental health crisis. The roots of this crisis existed before COVID-19, but the pandemic has both exacerbated and highlighted the scope of the challenges in addressing this issue. The time is right and the need has never been more apparent to discuss proven and innovative solutions for states.

Governor Phil Murphy’s 2022-2023 Chair’s Initiative will focus on four key pillars to address youth mental health:

  • Addressing Prevention And Resilience Building
  • Increasing Awareness And Reducing Stigma
  • Insuring Access And Affordability Of Quality Treatment And Care
  • Training And Supporting Caregivers And Teachers
Learn More

Program Areas

Center for Best Practices Library

The Role of Physician Assistants in Health Care Delivery

Physician assistants (PAs) play a broad and expanding role in the health care system, working in a variety of practice ...
Read More

Health Workforce Policy Academy Meeting Building a Transformed Health Care Workforce: Moving from Planning to Implementation

May 19-20, 2014| Washington, D.C. The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices hosted a meeting on May 19-20, 2014, ...
Read More

Reducing Prescription Drug Abuse: Lessons Learned from an NGA Policy Academy

As part of the National Governors Association’s (NGA) ongoing effort to help states reduce prescription drug abuse, findings from the ...
Read More

The Role of Dental Hygienists in Providing Access to Oral Health Care

Basic oral health is an important determinant of overall health, yet access remains a challenge for many Americans. Dental hygienists ...
Read More

Governor’s Guide to Mass Evacuation

Click here to read the Governor's Guide to Mass Evacuation written by the Homeland Security and Public Safety Division of the NGA Center ...
Read More

A Governor’s Guide to Early Literacy: Getting all Students Reading by Third Grade

Improving early literacy is essential to increasing high school graduation rates, success in postsecondary education and ensuring states have a ...
Read More
2012 Maternal and Child Health Update: The Changing Environment of Medicaid/CHIP Coverage for Children and Improving Birth Outcomes

2012 Maternal and Child Health Update: The Changing Environment of Medicaid/CHIP Coverage for Children and Improving Birth Outcomes

The 2012 Maternal and Child Health (MCH) update presents data gathered by the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best ...
Read More
Improving Birth Outcomes in Medicaid

Improving Birth Outcomes in Medicaid

Women who begin their pregnancies in poor health are more likely to have negative birth outcomes than healthy women, according ...
Read More

Effect of Provider Payment Reforms on Maternal and Child Health Services

States are actively pursuing reforms to enhance the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care services provided to pregnant women and ...
Read More

Building a Civilian Cyber Corps

Whenever a natural disaster strikes a community, dozens, if not hundreds, of volunteers flock to assist in any way they ...
Read More
State Sector Strategies Coming of Age: Implications for State Workforce Policymakers

State Sector Strategies Coming of Age: Implications for State Workforce Policymakers

This paper offers a snapshot of sector strategies today, an overview of what makes them different from traditional workforce and ...
Read More

The Role of Nurse Practitioners in Meeting Increasing Demand for Primary Care

One way states could increase access to primary care for their residents is to consider easing their scope of practice ...
Read More
NGA Center Staff
NGA Center Board
Application to Reproduce Materials

PAST NGA CHAIRS INITIATIVES