CHRT Policy Fellowship Equips Health Nonprofits to be Advocates

Nonprofits are vital resources for addressing community health challenges, and many nonprofit staff are experts in understanding and responding to the needs of people they serve. Applying this knowledge to help shape health policy is a pathway to a deeper, sustained impact.

But policy work takes specialized skills. Nonprofits often need additional training, resources, and understanding of the legislative process to effectively advocate for structural changes that will reduce health disparities and improve the health of their communities. Support to bridge these gaps can help them secure essential funding, shape legislative priorities, and amplify the voices of the communities they serve within the policymaking process.

That’s why the Health Fund supports the Center for Health and Research Transformation (CHRT) Health Policy Fellowship at the University of Michigan, which prepares leaders to become effective policy advocates.

BUILDING POLICY EXPERTISE AND LEADERSHIP FOR LASTING IMPACT

The CHRT Fellowship was created to enable researchers and policymakers to enhance their understanding of health policy through an engaging, hands-on curriculum. Over four months, fellows learn through interactive group discussions and seminar-style presentations, addressing critical public health issues and health policy challenges.

Since 2020, the Health Fund has collaborated with CHRT to broaden the fellowship to include nonprofit leaders (past and current Health Fund grantees) across Michigan. This expansion equips these leaders with tools and knowledge to strengthen their policy work, translate policy into practice, enhance their leadership skills, and develop sustainable strategies for their organizations.

In addition to local sessions, fellows travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with policymakers to gain firsthand insights into the federal process. Additionally, they engage with professionals in Detroit and Lansing to explore health policy and its impacts on community from a local perspective.

Participants benefit from the expertise of senior health researchers, top health policy experts, and influential stakeholders from organizations statewide. The wide-ranging curriculum spans the evolution of health insurance, advocacy techniques, cost and quality strategies for providers, business approaches, media engagement, and emerging trends in clinical research.

INNOVATIVE POLICY PROPOSALS FROM NONPROFIT FELLOWS

In addition to learning opportunities, the fellowship offers nonprofit leaders a wide network of new partners, as well as a platform from which to develop and launch new collaborative policy-focused initiatives.

Fellows engage in a comprehensive process to create and refine policy proposals, develop well-supported arguments, and gain media exposure for their ideas. Proposals foster personal and professional growth, but also encourage a collaborative approach to policy development, with an emphasis on addressing systemic issues that affect marginalized communities. Below are examples of policy proposals that have emerged from this program:

• • Fix the Ambulance Transportation Gap for Cost-Effective Behavioral Health Crisis Care
    Addressing gaps in ambulance transport for behavioral health crises could ensure faster, more affordable crisis care.
  • Michigan Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Plan
    Michigan’s HCBS ARPA plan aims to improve services and workforce support for seniors and people with disabilities to live independently.
  • Innovative Thinking for Philanthropies: Focusing on Equity to Make a Difference in Michigan’s Future
    Philanthropic efforts centered on equity can drive long-term positive change across Michigan’s communities.
  • Michigan Community Coverage Model Offers Solution for National Affordability Crisis
    Michigan’s community coverage model addresses health care affordability by expanding access at the local level.
  • Medicaid Reimbursement Updates are Needed for Skilled Lactation Professionals
    Updating Medicaid reimbursement for lactation support can improve access to skilled breastfeeding assistance for new mothers.

These projects highlight the innovative, solutions-driven proposals developed by fellows to tackle critical policy issues within their communities and throughout the state. From improving behavioral health crisis care to expanding access to lactation support, these initiatives demonstrate how nonprofit expertise can help shape state and national policy.

SPOTLIGHTING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF CHRT FELLOWS

Since 2012, more than 130 fellows have completed the program, including program directors for leading public sector organizations, chiefs of staff for senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle, and professors in various fields (e.g., dentistry, internal medicine, and social work). Meanwhile, this program has also been a transformative experience for nonprofit fellows, as reflected in the quote below from one of the 2022 fellows:

“The CHRT Fellowship provided me an opportunity to build relationships and learn from and alongside policymakers, researchers, and other nonprofit professionals. Understanding the history of health care legislation, how it’s influenced our health care system today, and exploring and developing tools to influence state health policy for tomorrow was absolutely invaluable. I continue to reap the rewards from the education, experience, and exposure due to ongoing connections with fellows years later.” — Elise Bur, Director, Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health