Organizational Summary
Upstream USA is a growing, national nonprofit committed to ensuring that equitable, patient-centered contraceptive care is made available to any patient and is fully integrated into the health system as part of basic health care. We envision a future where all patients are screened for their contraceptive needs and offered patient-centered contraceptive counseling that’s free from bias, noncoercive, trauma-informed, and delivered by knowledgeable providers and support staff following best medical practices and evidence-based guidelines.
We believe all patients should be able to access the contraceptive service of their choice – when they want it and where it is convenient for them to get it. We do this by partnering with healthcare organizations to provide them with free training, education and technical assistance – from urban to rural, from large hospitals to small clinics. We know patients and providers want options that meet their individual needs, and our team of practice change experts work hand-in-hand with healthcare organizations to uplift contraceptive care services and drive exceptional patient outcomes, all at no cost to them. Across the nation, there are challenges to accessing the high-quality, patient-centered contraceptive care patients deserve.
To meet this growing need, Upstream is in the midst of a national expansion to transform contraceptive care. We began by partnering with a single healthcare organization in 2014, when Upstream was founded; today, we have partnered with more than 150 across the nation, and we’re on a path to serving 5 million patients by 2030. Upstream is funded primarily through philanthropic individuals and foundations, and does not accept funding from pharmaceutical companies. Upstream’s budget has grown from $1.7 million just six years ago to approximately $60 million in 2024. Upstream’s work has also garnered attention from many leading publications, including Harvard Public Health, Bloomberg,MedPage Today, and Politico.
Position Summary
As an intern on the State Policy and Government Affairs team, you will have the opportunity to support Upstream’s efforts to advance state policies that expand access to contraception. Under the supervision of the Director of State Policy and Government Affairs, you will help analyze legislation, state laws, and regulations, conduct policy landscape research, and develop policy materials and resources to support Upstream’s broader policy agenda. Availability to commit between 20 to 40 hours per week for the duration of the internship (12 weeks) is preferable.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Research and track state reproductive health policies and practices that impact the Upstream program within states, and recommend appropriate next steps.
- Conduct research, analyze policies and produce education materials that aid in furthering Upstream’s policy goals among states.
- Create cross-state comparisons of policies impacting contraceptive access and care.
- Maintain a library of healthcare and policy landscape documentation to guide Upstream policy work.
- Conduct background research to support external meetings with policymakers, advocacy groups, and government stakeholders.
- Attend coalitions calls as needed to stay informed on the latest developments in contraceptive access nationwide.
- Other duties and special projects as assigned by Director of State Policy and Government Affairs.
Required, Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Ability
Experience working in public policy, public health, reproductive health, and/or with mission-driven and public sector organizations is highly preferable.
- Experience working in service of communities facing health disparities and inequities is highly preferable.
- Skilled writer and researcher of public policies.
- Some experience in and knowledge of policy and advocacy (state and/or local level) is preferable.
- Strong project manager. Ability to manage multiple competing deadlines.
- Goal oriented. Demonstrated ability to operate with a high-degree of self-motivation and a commitment to high-quality work.
- Commitment to Upstream’s mission and to mission driven work.
- Ability to effectively deliver and receive both positive and constructive feedback.
- Proficiency with Google and/or Microsoft Suites.
- Sense of humor.
- Works effectively in remote, virtual, and/or hybrid environments.
Other Upstream Staff Expectations
- Upstream USA’s COVID-19 Vaccine Policy requires employees to have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series unless a medical or religious exemption is approved. As a condition of employment, newly hired employees must provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination or, if applicable, request a medical or religious exemption.
- All Upstreamers must also be able to attend work-related in-person meetings and functions as needed.
- In our hybrid work environments, there is a basic expectation that our Upstreamers will ensure that their work from home setups will have reliable access to phone and Internet to ensure connectivity to their teams.
Attributes
The ideal candidate will embody and embrace our core values which serve as our operating principles:
- We keep our mission at the center; Upstream's mission is to ensure that equitable, patient-centered contraceptive care is basic healthcare
- We trust each other; we are reliable, empathetic, compassionately direct, and confident in each others’ ability to do the same
- We work every day to build an equitable, diverse and inclusive culture; we respect the backgrounds contexts and experiences of individuals, teams and partners in our interactions
- We bring joy to our work; we create opportunities to celebrate, connect and strengthen relationships with one another.
Travel Requirements
While air travel is not expected for this role, occasional local travel is expected if the intern is based in Boston, Seattle, or San Diego. Upstream will cover all related expenses if any work-related travel is requested of the intern by Upstream.
Hiring Range
The hourly rate for this internship is $20 - $30/hour, commensurate with experience.
Hiring Process
Candidates who advance in our preliminary review process will have an opportunity to discuss the position, their employment background and lived experience with a member of our talent acquisition team by telephone. Those who advance to subsequent steps in our interview process may participate in up to three rounds of meetings by Zoom or in person and in a thought exercise/case study assignment. Each round could consist of multiple meetings with various Upstreamers.
EDI Vision Statement
Internally, we envision promoting equity by reducing disparities in the Upstream talent lifecycle and engagement, cultivating a diverse workforce and inclusive culture, and fostering power sharing when we make decisions.
EDI Guiding Principles
Through Equity, both in the workplace and in contraceptive care, we address root causes that enable disparities to occur, acknowledge that different resources and opportunities may be needed to reach fairer outcomes, and implement systems-level changes that are sustainable over time.Through Diversity, we acknowledge, respect, and celebrate the collective mixture of differences and similarities of Upstreamers and our community partners. At Upstream, we value the diversity of identities at all intersections, while at the same time centering racial diversity.Through Inclusion, we succeed at creating a culture of belonging that embraces differences in identities and experiences by building trust, joy, and psychological safety.
We cherish and elevate these differences through power-sharing in how things get done internally and in service of our mission.
Communities of Belonging
Serving as employee resource groups for Upstreamers, Communities of Belonging assist in advancing our equity, diversity, and inclusion journey. They assist in instilling organizational values in our work and support our EDI vision. Open to all employees, Communities of Belonging create opportunities for leadership development, community engagement, support, and resource mobilization.
Upstream Careers
At Upstream, we embrace diversity. We nurture it and we thrive on it because it benefits our organization, our partners, and our community. Our goal is to attract, develop and retain exceptional people, and to create a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. Upstream is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, genetic information, gender identity or Veteran status.
We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know. Learn more about working at Upstream, our values, and our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Upstream USA participates in E-Verify.Upstream Headquarters2 Oliver Street, Suite 402, Boston, MA 02109www.upstream.orgNo phone calls please.
Be advised that we do not ever conduct hiring interviews via text or email.
Please protect yourself by learning more about our hiring practices and common red flags to look out for.
