Michal Klau-Stevens

UConn School of Social Work, Class of 2019

I was born in Hartford and grew up in Simsbury, CT. After graduating from Skidmore College with a BA in English and Spanish, I lived in locations around the country working as a make-up artist for television and film. After the births of my three children, I became an advocate for maternity care reform, and did community organizing work around the issue. I volunteered for six years as in various positions as a national board member of BirthNetwork National, and served as President for two years. That work connected me with people all over the country who have been affected by our nation’s maternity care, and I’ve listened to hundreds of birth stories. I’ve attended births as a doula for low income women as part of my training as a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, and I volunteer in my community on maternal/child health related-issues. I’m a healthcare consumer advocate who appears regularly on the WWLP-22 show Mass Appeal. I’m excited about working with UST because it will help me develop stronger, more understanding relationships with other healthcare workers to work together to solve problems in our healthcare system and better serve our communities. I plan to use my experience to work with agencies and corporations to create sound healthcare policies and practices that provide respectful, effective healthcare with good outcomes to families.