Skip to main content
  • Who We Are
    Mission Respectful & Helpful Ethics Team Board of Directors Funders & Supporters Annual Reports & Financials Careers
  • Impact
    Impact Stories How Solutions Journalism Rebalances the News
  • Programs
    Climate Democracy Youth Mental Health Addressing Health Disparities Africa Initiative Beacons Complicating the Narratives Educator Academies Student Media Challenge University Hubs
  • Learning Lab
    Toolkits & Guides Events Trainers All Resources
  • Directory
  • Solutions Story Tracker
  • What You Can Do
    Explore Our Programs See Upcoming Events & Opportunities Join the Directory Teach Solutions Journalism Become an Accredited Trainer Get Solutions Stories in your Inbox Amplify Solutions in Your Community
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Solutions Insights Lab
  • My Profile
  • Donate
sjweb-ci home
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Solutions Insights Lab
  • My Profile
  • Donate
  • Who We Are
    Mission Respectful & Helpful Ethics Team Board of Directors Funders & Supporters Annual Reports & Financials Careers
  • Impact
    Impact Stories How Solutions Journalism Rebalances the News
  • Programs
    Climate Democracy Youth Mental Health Addressing Health Disparities Africa Initiative Beacons Complicating the Narratives Educator Academies Student Media Challenge University Hubs
  • Learning Lab
    Toolkits & Guides Events Trainers All Resources
  • Directory
  • Solutions Story Tracker
  • What You Can Do
    Explore Our Programs See Upcoming Events & Opportunities Join the Directory Teach Solutions Journalism Become an Accredited Trainer Get Solutions Stories in your Inbox Amplify Solutions in Your Community
  • Who We Are
    Mission Respectful & Helpful Ethics Team Board of Directors Funders & Supporters Annual Reports & Financials Careers
  • Impact
    Impact Stories How Solutions Journalism Rebalances the News
  • Programs
    Climate Democracy Youth Mental Health Addressing Health Disparities Africa Initiative Beacons Complicating the Narratives Educator Academies Student Media Challenge University Hubs
  • Learning Lab
    Toolkits & Guides Events Trainers All Resources
  • Directory
  • Solutions Story Tracker
  • What You Can Do
    Explore Our Programs See Upcoming Events & Opportunities Join the Directory Teach Solutions Journalism Become an Accredited Trainer Get Solutions Stories in your Inbox Amplify Solutions in Your Community
  • Events
  • News
  • Blog
  • Solutions Insights Lab
  • My Profile
  • Donate

Create A New Collection

Collections are versatile, powerful and simple to create. From a customized course reader to an action-guide for an upcoming service-learning trip, collections illuminate themes, guide inquiry, and provide context for how people around the worls are responding to social challenges.

  • Name and describe your collection

  • Add Stories

  • Add external links at any time

  • Add to your collection over time and share!

1. Name your collection

Sorry, a Collection with that title already exists.

Sorry, a Collection must have a title.

2. Add Stories

Add stories to your collection from your list of Favorites below, or add stories directly to a collection from Search or Discovery. Anytime you see the collection icon you can add a story. Just click the icon and follow the instructions on your screen.

Add story from saved

You've selected a story to add to a collection

Which collection to you want to add this story to?

Successfully added!

Solutions Story Tracker®

Welcome to a curated database of rigorous reporting on responses to social problems.

15,700 stories produced by 8,900 journalists and 2,000 news outlets from 89 countries. The stories cover responses in 192 countries, in 17 languages. This resource is made possible because of a growing movement of journalists who use solutions journalism to illuminate both problems and evidence-based responses to them.

Learn more about the Solutions Story Tracker.


See Latest Stories
Advanced filters

Search Results

You searched for:  -

There are 1867 results  for your search.  View and Refine Your Search Terms

  • Chicago organization uses predictive analytics to identify young people who may be headed for trouble

    Shepard Smith
    2021-08-06 14:55:14 UTC
    0

    August 04, 2021 |

    CNBC |

    Broadcast TV Talk Show |

    3-5 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

    Eddie Bocanegra of READI Chicago describes his group's gun-violence-prevention model. Data from police and hospitals, plus community intelligence, identify those people most at risk of committing or being victimized by gun violence. Then, providing those at highest risk with cognitive behavioral therapy, job-finding help, and other social services has been shown to reduce this group's victimization by nearly one-third and its likelihood of arrest for gun violence by 80%.

    Read More

    • 13685

    Go to Original Story
  • Mental illness driving homeless 'disaster'

    Mary Clarkin
    2022-02-21 23:47:18 UTC
    0

    August 02, 2021 |

    The Active Age |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Topeka, Kansas

    Community mental health centers have been strained in Kansas ever since the state changed its approach to mental health treatment by reducing hospital beds in the 1990s. The intended shift to a community mental health approach didn’t go as planned, and as a result, available inpatient behavioral health beds have drastically decreased, leaving more people in hospitals and often on the streets.

    Read More

    • 14386

    Go to Original Story
  • This city de-funded the police. Here's what happened next

    Richard Hall
    2021-08-06 19:28:32 UTC
    1

    July 29, 2021 |

    The Independent |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Rochester, New York

    Less than a year after Rochester experienced its own version of the George Floyd case, when a clash with police led to the death of Daniel Prude, a man in a mental health crisis, Rochester diverted money from the police to fund a Person In Crisis team to respond differently to such crises. Two mental health and social workers accompany police on relevant calls 24/7, about 100 calls per week. Their presence can de-escalate potentially violent encounters and get people the help they need without an arrest.

    Read More

    • 13687

    Go to Original Story
  • The Path Forward: Decriminalizing addiction through diversion

    Ryan Lowery
    2021-09-03 18:34:42 UTC
    0

    July 29, 2021 |

    Las Vegas Optic |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Alamosa, Colorado

    In Alamosa County, law enforcement officers who believe drug abuse is at the root of a person's criminal behavior can refer that person to treatment and other services, rather than arresting and jailing them. The Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, used in multiple places around the country, has helped the county jail fewer people and send more into treatment. It also has caused a large drop in arrest warrants, because case workers help people make their appointments in court and elsewhere. Now, San Miguel County, N.M., is working to adopt LEAD, though it needs more treatment facilities.

    Read More

    • 13799

    Go to Original Story
  • More Mini-Parks Mean Better Mental Health

    Nora Macaluso
    2022-02-01 04:48:20 UTC
    0

    July 29, 2021 |

    Next Avenue |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    PHS LandCare, with support from the city, develops small vacant lots into mini-parks that bring people out of their homes and engage with their community. A 2018 study found that people living near LandCare lots reported a decrease in feelings of depression and a reduction in feelings of poor mental health. The city's role is important to the program’s success, especially in providing money to hire contractors to maintain the green spaces, especially local residents and formerly incarcerated people. Sites must be in low-income neighborhoods and near business areas, schools, and recreation centers.

    Read More

    • 14313

    Go to Original Story
  • Leaving Behind Uniforms And Sirens, Summit County Sheriff Expands Crisis Response

    Leigh Paterson
    2021-08-12 19:41:20 UTC
    0

    July 26, 2021 |

    KUNC |

    Radio |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Frisco, Colorado

    The Summit County, Colorado, sheriff's office runs SMART (Systemwide Mental Assessment Response), which pairs armed deputies with clinicians to respond to mental health crises. In 2020, the two teams took hundreds of calls but made only one arrest. Instead, most people are helped on the spot or referred to services that can help. The county plans to expand the service to 24/7 with two more teams, plus one mobile crisis until to handle suicide threats, staffed only by civilian mental health professionals. This report discusses the range of models used nationwide with and without police involvement.

    Read More

    • 13716

    Go to Original Story
  • NYC is sending social workers instead of police to some 911 calls. Here's how it's going.

    Ryan W. Miller
    2021-07-28 14:16:38 UTC
    0

    July 23, 2021 |

    USA Today |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York, New York

    A pilot project in three New York Police Department precincts of Harlem showed in its first month that it can divert some mental-health crises away from hospitalization and toward other forms of help. Teams of medics and social workers took about one-quarter of such calls, sometimes at NYPD invitation. They sent about half of the people in crisis to a hospital, significantly less often than the police do in such cases. The goal in replacing police is to avoid needless violence and arrests in non-violent, non-criminal emergencies.

    Read More

    • 13634

    Go to Original Story
  • Eugene, Oregon, Police Chief: Sending Unarmed Crisis Specialists On Mental Health Calls Saves Lives

    Robin Young, Allison Hagan
    2021-07-23 14:20:37 UTC
    0

    July 22, 2021 |

    WBUR |

    Radio Talk Show |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, Eugene, Oregon

    The police chief in Eugene, Ore., home of the CAHOOTS program, which other communities see as the model for finding alternatives to policing, supports the program because it saves lives and saves the city money. Sending unarmed medics and social workers on calls involving behavioral health problems, mental health crises, and substance-use psychotic episodes automatically de-escalates many situations because of the lack of a police presence.

    Read More

    • 13623

    Go to Original Story
  • NYC's Non-Police Mental Health Pilot Increasing Rate of Those Getting Aid, Data Show

    Darlene Rodriguez
    2021-07-23 12:52:01 UTC
    1

    July 22, 2021 |

    WNBC-TV |

    Broadcast TV News |

    Under 3 Minutes

    Response Location: United States, New York, New York

    In its first month as a pilot project in a part of Harlem, New York's Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division (B-HEARD) handled one-quarter of 911 calls for mental health crises. Despite fears of danger to the teams of social workers and paramedics, police backup was needed only seven times out of 110 cases. More people accepted help from the non-police teams than in the past from teams of police and paramedics. And that help depended half as often on hospital visits. People got helped on the scene or went to community centers for services. The city plans to expand the program.

    Read More

    • 13621

    Go to Original Story
  • Can ‘Bad Men' Ever Change?

    Amelia Schonbek
    2021-07-22 15:52:14 UTC
    0

    July 21, 2021 |

    The Cut |

    Text |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

    Among the many restorative justice programs in the U.S., the Domestic Violence Safe Dialogue program was one of the few to arrange face-to-face dialogue between survivors and men who had violently abused women. This form of surrogate dialogue – the pairings are between strangers – helps two people who want to change but can't do it alone. After extensive preparation and led by a facilitator, the meeting gives survivors a way to hear they were not to blame for the harm done to them, and for the men to admit responsibility and help someone else in ways that traditional punitive justice often cannot.

    Read More

    • 13612

    Go to Original Story
    PREV … 28 29 30 31 32 … NEXT
Please sign in via My Profile before submitting a story. This will allow you to view the status of your submission and get notified if the story is added to the Solutions Story Tracker®.
Filter your search by the language of the story. As the Solutions Story Tracker grows, we are working to include more stories in more languages. Your story submissions can help! Submit stories here.
These factors identify the ways communities overcome the big challenges and help you see the insights. Learn more about the Success Factors here.

Solutions Journalism Around the World

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit quisque faucibus.

Solutions In Focus

Discover curated content about themes that matter to you, exclusively from the Solutions Story Tracker. Explore collections, resources and more.

  • Climate Solutions

  • Advancing Democracy

  • Youth Mental Health


Go to All Solutions in Focus

More Options

  • magnifying glass

    Video Tutorials

    Learn how to find what you need in the Solutions Story Tracker in español and in français.

  • paper and pen

    Submission Guidelines

    This database is powered by user submissions. Submit a story.

  • newspaper with an exclamation point

    Custom Story Alerts

    Get notified when new stories match your interests by setting up custom story alerts in My Profile.

two people are surrounded by question marks

Solutions Story Tracker® FAQ

  • Solutions journalism…
    • Describes a response to a problem and how it works.
    • Seeks to draw out insights that explain success or failure.
    • Presents the available evidence about the effectiveness of a response.
    • Explains the shortcomings or limitations of the response.
    Learn more.
  • The Solutions Story Tracker® is a curated, searchable database of solutions journalism stories — rigorous reporting about responses to social problems. We vet and tag every story in the Story Tracker, which offers an inspiring and useful collection of the thousands of ways people are working to solve problems around the world.

  • You can learn more about how we source, vet, and tag stories here, as well as how we share them. We also have video tutorials in Spanish and French that show how to use the Solutions Story Tracker to find what you need.

  • Story collections are curated by our staff or other partners to explore a theme, pattern, or trend via selected solutions stories and external resources. Some story collections focus on an in-depth exploration of a topic with solutions journalism; others highlight journalists and how they report on topics. Certain story collections include discussion questions and notes, so that educators and community discussion leaders can lead learners to fully engage with the stories.

  • The Solutions Story Tracker® is powered by user submissions. We encourage submissions from journalists, as well as from anyone who has an eye for solutions journalism. Click here to submit. (Why submit? So many reasons!)

  • You can submit a story directly on the Solutions Story Tracker®. You will be prompted to register or log into the Solutions Journalism Network website, if you are already logged in. (It is free to register!) Logging in allows you to track the status of your submissions under My Profile, as well as save your favorite stories, create story collections and story alerts, and access other helpful features of our website.

  • After you submit a story to us and assign it a topic, it is sent to one of our Solutions Story Tracker team members. Our team member evaluates the story for the four qualities of solutions journalism, and on the basics: The story must come from a news outlet and have a date and a byline. If the story meets our criteria, our team tags it accordingly and adds it to the database. If the story falls short of the mark, our team will include the reason why. We include stories in the Story Tracker that meet our standards of solutions journalism. Inclusion does not mean we support the initiatives, policies, organizations or approaches featured in those stories.

    Discover common reasons why a story may miss the mark for inclusion in the Solutions Story Tracker®.

    Learn more about the history of the database.

  • Solutions Journalism Network features these stories in the searchable database making them publicly accessible to anyone who wants to search for rigorous reporting on solutions to social problems. Any story that is added has the potential to make more impact than its original purpose. Added stories are used in journalism trainings, school curricula, research projects, and independent analysis on issue area trends. This now includes artificial intelligence tools, which are applied for educational value to find stories and support story vetting, as well as to extract insights from the stories. SJN has digital products and newsletters that give new life and exposure to the stories meeting people where they are at. Story data also is used to develop innovative tools to reach the general public with solutions journalism as well as some specific research projects requested by researchers. If you have any questions or concerns about our use of story data or added stories, please contact Lita Tirak.

  • News outlets determine whether all users can access their stories — and some limit the number of stories that anyone can view, or require a subscription. The majority of stories in the database can be accessed for free.

  • We work with journalists, academic researchers and others who feel that our database will support their research. We are especially interested in research that seeks to develop new insights about solutions journalism and its spread and its impact on social problems. Please complete all sections of the Data Request Form, and we will contact you to discuss your request in greater detail.

  • We do not fact-check the stories in the Solutions Story Tracker®. We do ensure that each story comes from a credible news source that has its own editorial infrastructure.

  • We worked with Tara Pixley and Jovelle Tamayo of the Authority Collective, who developed a guide for using equitable visuals. We follow this guide when choosing images for our website.

  • We welcome your feedback and additional questions. Please use this form to get in touch.

Site logo

  • BlueSky
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • The Whole Story
  • Flipboard
  • Instagram
  • Contact Us
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
© 2025 Solutions Journalism Network. All rights reserved.

Share

  • share on facebook
  • share via email
  • Copied!