About the Community Partners Program
MassHealth’s 1115 demonstration provides an opportunity to emphasize value in care delivery and better meet members’ needs through more integrated and coordinated care. As part of the 1115 demonstration, in 2018, MassHealth has created the Community Partners Program.
Community Partners are community-based entities that provide care coordination supports to MassHealth Members with behavioral health (BH) and long-term services and supports (LTSS) needs. The MassHealth Community Partners team sits within the agency’s Office of Accountable Care and Behavioral Health (ACBH). The goal of the Community Partners program is to support and coordinate services across the continuum of care for members in the Commonwealth with significant Behavioral Health and Long-Term Services and Supports needs. Community Partners will partner with ACOs and MCOs to facilitate integration of Members’ care, including medical, Behavioral Health, social, Long-Term Services and Supports, and other needs.
The Community Partners Policy team is a core unit within the Community Partners Team and part of MassHealth’s Office of Accountable Care and Behavioral Health (ACBH). Under the general direction of the Deputy Director of Policy, Community Partners Program, the Policy intern will work directly with the CP Policy team to support the current CP Program, and contribute to the CP Program’s new policy as part of MassHealth’s Next 1115 Demonstration Extension Waiver application. This is an opportunity to gain direct, hands-on experience with Medicaid policy development and implementation.
Core Duties
The intern will work directly with members of the Community Partners policy team to:
- Assist with a broad set of activities that support MassHealth policy development and implementation;
- Prepare written summaries and reports of policy and data analyses and provide input to written reports and other materials in easily understood formats for both internal and external distribution. Prepare charts, graphs, tables, and presentations. May draft written reports.
- Perform policy analysis, and when applicable data analyses, of health care and human services topics and issues, which will typically require an understanding of the project’s goals, the policy context, and the ability to combine and synthesize data and information from multiple sources.
- Attend meetings with various teams within PDCI (ACO Policy Team, Finance, Quality, Legal Team), take notes, and synthesize feedback and discussions to advance policy decisions;
- Complete research tasks as assigned, such as conducting literature reviews and background research; finding, organizing, and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data; and preparing memos, briefs, reports, and presentations.
- Other administrative duties as assigned.
Skills and Qualifications
We’re looking for undergraduate Juniors/Seniors or graduate students interested in the intersection of public policy, healthcare (particularly Medicaid), behavioral health, and long-term services and supports. The ideal candidate will possess:
- Demonstrated knowledge of or experience working in state or national policy and advocacy, assistance in developing federal/state policies and processes, or within the public health and/or healthcare field.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Strong quantitative skills, in particular, skills organizing, analyzing and presenting data in Microsoft Excel.
- Experience managing projects from start to finish.
- Strong organizational skills, Strong attention to detail, a collaborative attitude, and ability to manage multiple tasks and competing priorities.
- Thrives in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
- Maintains professionalism and discretion when handling confidential matters.
- Strong computer skills, including proficiency in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
- Must be authorized to work in the United States for any employer.
Time Commitment
Duration: Two Policy Internship Time Periods:
- Summer 2025: May/June to end of August 2025, with possibility for extension into the Fall Semester
- Fall Semester 2025: September to December 2025
Number of Internships Available:
- Summer 2025: 2 positions
- Fall Semester 2025: 1 position
Hours per week: 25-40 hours per week
Location: Hybrid
Compensation: This is an unpaid internship, unless other resources provided to the student are used.