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Entrenamientos de Doula

If you have financial need, you may qualify for free or reduced cost training through our work-study program.

 

How does It Work?

We provide all the classroom requirements and mentoring for completing DONA birth doula certification = STUDY. 

Participants provide birth doula support to 2-3 BirthWell Partners clients = WORK.

 

It's a Win-Win!

Participants receive classroom training, mentoring and hands-on experience with clients, while BirthWell's under-resourced clients get the support of a trained and compassionate doula.  

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Summer Training Timeline 

  • Deadline to apply: April 20th 

  • Interviews: April 29th, 30th, May 1st, 2nd

  • Provisional acceptances given: May 9th

    • Final acceptances given after background check is complete​

  • Admin fee due: May 25th

Work Study priority areas for 2023 and 2024 include:

  • Residents of the City of Birmingham, AL

  • Residents of rural counties of Alabama

  • Certified Recovery Support Specialists in Alabama. 

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Please note that starting in 2025, all approved work-study participants will have to pay a $75, non-refundable administration fee. This fee signals your commitment to follow
through with the program and covers associated costs including your background check.

Nota: Nos reuniremos en un espacio al aire libre; un patio techado o espacio interior bien ventilado. Todos usaremos máscaras en todo momento y nos mantendremos físicamente distantes excepto cuando practiquemos técnicas prácticas. El lavado de manos será frecuente. Cada persona tendrá UNA persona con la que se emparejará para las actividades prácticas. Los participantes serán responsables de NO asistir si tienen algún síntoma (incluso muy leve) o si han estado expuestos a alguien con Covid-19.

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¿Quién debería tomar este curso?

- Doulas y doulas en formación

Capacitación para defensores de la salud perinatal

  • We Look at a Range of Applicants:  We want to make doula training and DONA certification widely accessible. 

  • We Look at a Range of Financial Need:  We have full and partial work-study options. This approach allows us to spread our limited resources to more applicants.  

  • All Work-Study Program Participants Agree to Attend Births for BirthWell Partners: After training and orientation, participants agree to provide doula services (prenatal visits, labor support and postpartum visits) to 2-3 clients that we match them with (number of clients depends on whether it is a full or partial work study). Services provided in the state of AL.

  • All Work-Study Program Participants Document Services Provided: Doulas document services provided and de-identified client outcomes via data collection forms.

  • Work-Study Participants Receive Mentoring: All participants can take advantage of mentoring from staff, who are experienced doulas.

  • Work-Study Participants are not prohibited from taking private clients while fulfilling your work-study commitment: In fact, we encourage establishment of a private doula practice as soon as one feels ready.

The work-study commitment

BirthWell Partners Agrees to Provide:

  • A comprehensive Birth Doula Workshop that fulfills the Introduction to Childbirth + Birth Doula

      Training Workshop requirements for doula certification through DONA International

  • Reimbursement for attendance of Breastfeeding Basics for Doulas online webinar through DONA

       International ($65 fee is paid by trainee and reimbursed after trainee submits certificate of
       attendance)

  •  A Perinatal Health Advocate Training

  •  An Orientation to working with BirthWell Clients

  • Meetings and continuing education to assist you with meeting certification requirements through

      DONA International

  • Mentoring and support from experienced doulas

  • Reimbursement for a one-year DONA membership and certification application fees when work-

      study recipient has attended client births and submitted all required paperwork in a timely

      manner.

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Work Study Participant Agrees to:

  • Pay a $75, non-refundable administration fee. This fee signals your commitment to follow
    through with the program and covers associated costs including your background check
    • Attend the Introduction to Childbirth Education for Doulas course
    • Attend the Doula Training Workshop
    • Attend the Breastfeeding Basics for Doulas online webinar through DONA International within 2
    weeks of attending the Birth Doula Workshop (Note: this training costs $65 and will be reimbursed
    after you present proof of completion)Attend the Perinatal Health Advocate Training
    • Attend the Doula Orientation
    • Follow the DONA Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice for Birth Doulas (Attachment A)
    • Check and respond to messages (email, phone, or text) within a 24-hour period of time, and
    stay in regular communication with program staff.
    • Update staff regarding contact with doula clients and promptly notify staff if client loses
    contact or a situation arises in which doula is unable to fulfill a commitment to a client.
    • Provide birth doula services to the required number of BirthWell Partners’ clients (3 for
    full work-study/2 for partial work-study) within 12 months of attending the classroom
    training. Services include 2 prenatal visits, birth support, and 2 postpartum visits.
    • Abide by the BirthWell Partners Primary Labor Support and Backup Protocol for
    Volunteer/Work-Study Doulas (Attachment B)
    • Arrange backup with another doula in the program for each client doula is assigned
    • Provide backup to other doulas in the program (Note: if you attend a birth as a back-up, it
    will count toward your required births)
    • Complete and submit documentation for each client in a timely manner as outlined in
    procedures. In order to count a birth as “attended,” we must receive all required
    documentation (prenatal visit forms, birth data, postpartum visit forms). If a doula
    provides services but does not provide documentation, BirthWell will not count the birth
    toward the work-study commitment.
    • Represent BirthWell Partners in a professional manner at all times

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