The Wellstone Fellowship for Social Justice

The Wellstone Fellowship for Social Justice is designed to foster the advancement of social justice through participation in health care advocacy work that focuses on the unique challenges facing many low-income and minority communities.

Through this fellowship, Families USA hopes to expand the pool of talented social justice advocates from underrepresented economic, racial, and ethnic minority groups, including from the American Indian & Alaska Native, Asian American, Black/African American, Latino, and Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander communities. The Wellstone Fellow plays an integral role in the work of Families USA's Field and Minority Health Initiatives Departments.

The Wellstone Fellow's primary responsibilities include

• Assisting in the organization of conferences and trainings for advocates, community leaders, and journalists;
  
• Drafting talking points, blogs, policy briefs fact sheets, and other publications;
  
• Developing content for the Families USA website and email lists.
  

During the year, the Fellow will learn about health reform implementation, minority health, Medicaid, Medicare, and other important health policy issues. At the same time, the Wellstone Fellow will develop an understanding of the tactics and strategies used in state-based consumer health advocacy organizations and will work directly with our network of state consumer health advocates and organizations.

The ideal candidate must demonstrate

• An interest in health care policy as a tool for reducing racial and ethnic health disparities
  
• Ability to use organizing and advocacy skills to achieve social change
• A commitment to contributing to social justice advocacy following their year of hands-on experience as a fellow.

You can find more information, including a downloadable application form, on the Website: http://www.familiesusa.org/about/wellstone-fellowship.html

The application deadline for the Wellstone Fellowship is January 31, 2011.