224705 Public Health Policy to Support Sexual Minority Youth of Color: A Mixed-Methods Study of the Policy-Making Process

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 : 2:45 PM - 3:00 PM

Jason A. Smith, MTS, JD , Division of Public Health Law and Bioethics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT
Jacob Yang , Massachusetts Asians & Pacific Islanders for Health, Boston, MA
Zita Lazzarini, JD, MPH , Division of Public Health Law and Bioethics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
The multiple streams theory of policy-making is particularly useful to describe policy situations where there is (1) policy ambiguity and (2) temporal pressures. It suggests that in these situations, the policy-making process is not rational but is reflective of policy networks and policy manipulation. This study used legal records, public records requests and interviews with policy makers to identify key variables in the policy environment that impact policy-making and to describe how policy subsystems interact. Policy networks and influences are described and new methodological approaches are developed to apply qualitative analysis techniques and tools to legal analysis. Using deductive and inductive coding techniques, the researchers explore possible causes for the failure of Massachusetts to successfully implement explicit policy to reduce health disparities focusing on GLBT youth of color. Understanding the policy process and the translation of policy into effective health outcomes is key both for good public health but also for social justice and is key to understand the implementation of policy to reduce health disparities based on race and ethnicity.

Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
1. Define the multiple streams policy model 2. Describe the difficulties in using public records to model public policy-making 3. Discuss the role of social networks in public policy-making 4. Identify barriers to implementing policy to reduce disparities among sexual minority youth of color

Keywords: Health Law, Public Health Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am conducting the research that it is based upon and am a professor and researcher in public health law.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.