PWN-USA is pleased to announce the second graduating class of our Policy Fellowship. These 2018-2019 fellows successfully completed a year-long fellowship to build the policy leadership bench for women, including women of trans experience, directly impacted by the epidemic and historically underrepresented in the federal health policy advocacy arena. As part of the program, the fellows created and completed a practicum project. Here are our graduating fellows:

Jessi Mona Cartwright (TX) – Attempted to create a policy work group on the Medicare Part D proposed rule, i.e. changes to the “protected class” protections. Following this experience, wrote a best practices guide, which outlines the reason for the work group and the lessons learned.

Shelia Crockett-Nwachi (TX) – The presentation focused on HIV-related health care in the correctional setting and linking to community-based care after release. It includes facts about HIV criminalization and two case studies of women living with HIV who experienced incarceration.

Roxie Glapion (TX) – This factsheet focused on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and work requirements. Specifically, it explains the program and outlines why work requirements are harmful.

Olga Irwin (OH) – This policy brief focused on Medicaid work requirements. Specifically, Ohio has been considering adding work requirements to their program, and the brief outlines why it is harmful policy using states that have enacted work requirements as a case study.

Marnina Miller (TX) – This factsheet explores the benefits of inclusive, comprehensive sexual health education with a specific focus on Texas.  

Kneeshe Parkinson (MO) – This practicum supported HIV Policy modernization efforts in Missouri. The fellow did educational outreach to encourage people living with HIV to participate in the Missouri HIV Justice Coalition and participated in an advocacy day and public testimony for two bills (HB 166 and HB 167).

Tana Pradia (TX) – The presentation focused on the right to access abortion as a reproductive health and reproductive justice issue in the US. It also includes concrete action that listeners can take to advance abortion access in Texas.

Meta Smith-Davis (LA) – This brief focused on the lack of employment discrimination protections based on gender identity in Louisiana. It includes information learned from a listening session with people of trans experience about their employment experiences in the state.  

LaDawn Tate (MI) – This fellow created a curriculum for the Michigan Learning, Empowerment, Advocacy and Participation (LEAP) Program to provide people living with HIV in the Detroit Metropolitan Area 20 hours of policy-related coursework.

Congratulations to our graduates!