Internship Location: Madison, WI
Organization Type: State Government
Policy Areas: Health
I interned for the Bureau of Children’s Services. My first task was updating addresses for participants on Katie Beckett Medicaid. Since the state had stopped doing recertifications over the COVID-19 pandemic, we needed to contact families to have valid mailing addresses on file. This was a major step in “unwinding” certain processes from the pandemic. I was also part of the Racial Health Equity Workgroup in which we created the standard operating procedure to survey families within the state and executed the survey to determine racial differences during Medicaid enrollment. I assisted with a system update in which participants’ private health information is stored. We also evaluated certain tasks that were needed to remain in compliance with federal expectations. I also researched and compared the steps other states have made in policy related to caring for children with disabilities in the home. This research would guide the bureau in determining the next steps for policy in Wisconsin. I had a wonderful experience with them. The teamwork and collaboration across the entire bureau created such a safe learning environment in which I could apply the skills learned at the La Follette School. I greatly appreciate all the experience I gained interning with the Bureau of Children’s Services.