About 10% of Americans over the age of 60 experience elder abuse (EA), but EA is frequently under detected. As the primary responders for alleged EA cases, Adult Protective Service (APS) caseworkers are ideally positioned to improve detection and intervention. The Opening the Door (OTD) training was developed in a multidisciplinary setting and designed in collaboration with APS workers to enhance their engagement skills in potential EA cases and thus maximize the possibility of disclosure. Rooted in a relational approach and utilizing adult learning theory, it is divided into three main topics: Preparing for Engagement, Engagement Practice, and Processing Engagement. The eight-hour training was piloted with three groups of urban APS caseworkers with a wide range of work experience. Pre- and post-tests and case reflections indicate a positive impact on caseworkers' sense of self-efficacy, while focus groups indicate the necessity for ongoing provision of trainings and development of additional supports for APS caseworkers. Future work could further explore the efficacy of the training and expand its reach.

中文翻译：

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“打开大门”：在纽约市开发和试点测试成人防护服务工作者的参与培训。

在60岁以上的美国人中，约有10％遭受了老年人虐待（EA），但是EA经常被发现。作为涉嫌EA案件的主要响应者，成人保护服务（APS）案件工作者处于理想的位置，可以提高发现和干预的水平。开门（OTD）培训是在多学科环境下开发的，并与APS工人合作设计，以提高他们在潜在EA案件中的参与技能，从而最大程度地公开信息。扎根于关系方法并利用成人学习理论，它分为三个主要主题：参与准备，参与实践和处理参与。为期八小时的培训是由三组具有广泛工作经验的城市APS案例工作者进行的。测试前，测试后和案例反映表明对案例工作者的自我效能感有积极影响，而焦点小组则表明需要持续提供培训并为APS案例工作者提供更多支持。未来的工作可能会进一步探索培训的有效性并扩大其范围。