Implementing Legislative Policy Intervention Into Long-Term Care Practice Settings

Abstract

Purpose: Authors discuss program theory and the crafting of long-term care based educational trainings, derived from implementing New Jersey’s mandated legislative policy. Method: This article applies program theory to explain how trainings were designed and implemented, thereby illustrating how sometimes change mechanisms may not be the intervention itself but the response that the activities generated. Results: Program created activities triggered desirable mechanisms to occur which then led to desired educational outcomes. In brief, university social work educators observed the paucity of research on LGBT+ older adults, ran focus groups at senior centers and nutrition sites, and responded to legislation passed in March 2020. Conclusion: Social work researchers, expert in HIV/AIDS, combined efforts via a multi-university collaboration and developed trainings based on local and national research to meet requirements of the S2545 NJ bill. Trainings were created and offered by both a for-profit organization and university collaboration and evaluation measures have been considered.