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BLACK DOULA NETWORK CERTIFICATION & MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION GUIDE
FOR EXTERNAL DOULAS

Doula Colleagues,

 

Thank you for your interest in joining our BLACK Doula Network (BDN). For quality and accountability purposes, we developed a certification and membership application process for individuals who already are doulas but want to join the BDN.

 

Please carefully review the following details.

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If you have questions about the application that are not answered in this guide, please contact us at bdn@black-enterprises.com.

ABOUT THE BLACK DOULA NETWORK’S APPROACH

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​BLACK WELLNESS & PROSPERITY CENTER (BWPC) ESTABLISHED THE BLACK DOULA NETWORK (BDN) TO:

  • Address the doula provider deficit

  • Build the missing backbone infrastructure needed to train, support, and sustain doulas

  • Provide birthing persons with access to healthcare services demonstrated to decrease health disparities

 

CORE COMPONENTS OF BLACK DOULA WORK:

BWPC certified doulas are required to:

  1. Provide equitable, high-quality, and ethical pregnancy and postpartum care

  2. Develop a positive and collaborative relationship with other members of the care team

  3. Use evidence-based sources to further their knowledge

  4. Recognize opportunities for decreasing gaps created by social and economic factors

  5. Deliver culturally respectful and patient-centered care

  6. Serve Medi-Cal patients as a Medi-Cal Doula Providers

 

BDN DOULA SCOPE OF PRACTICE:

Doulas are trained non-clinical birth professionals that provide individualized support to birthing persons and their families during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum (after delivery).

 

Doula scope of practice includes:

  • Asking many questions and active listening

  • Developing positive and collaborative relationships with everyone involved in their client's care

  • Offering the choice to accompany clients to their medical appointments

  • Assisting clients in understanding their providers’ medical recommendations

  • Showing coping methods to ease stress and pain

  • Encouraging healthy choices

  • Helping clients consider and plan for various birth scenarios

  • Helping birthing persons feel more in control of their birth experience

  • Directing clients to evidence-based health information on all aspects of reproductive health

  • Building trusting relationships with clients

  • Documenting the care they provide to clients

 

Doula scope of practice does not include:

  • Performing clinical or medical tasks

  • Giving medical advice, diagnosing, or treating any medical conditions

  • Leading birth

  • Assuming they know what is best for their clients

  • Telling their clients what to do or sharing their personal opinions

  • Promoting practices that are not supported by health data

  • Spreading rumors or perpetuating mistrust towards medical staff

 

ALIGNMENT WITH DHCS REQUIREMENTS:

DHCS established specific application and enrollment requirements for doula providers who apply for enrollment in the

Medi-Cal program to be reimbursed for the covered services they provide to Medi-Cal beneficiaries. In order to serve Medi-Cal beneficiaries and get reimbursed, the BLACK Doula Network requires enrolled members who wish to serve Medi-Cal beneficiaries to meet these requirements. To learn more about the DHCS requirements, please visit: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/provgovpart/pages/doula.aspx

BLACK DOULA NETWORK MEMBERSHIP

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The BLACK Doula Network requires membership to ensure shared investment that as a CBO, BWPC has the equitable funds it needs to fully support all the benefits of the BDN.

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Membership in the BLACK Doula Network (BDN) can be gained in two ways: (1) Become certified through the BLACK Doula Training or (2) Meet the doula certification & membership requirements as outlined and pay the additional one-time administrative and application fee of $50 USD.

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NOTE: Administrative and application fee of $50 USD must be paid at the time of application. Fees are non-refundable, regardless of the completion or outcome of the membership application process.

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Membership can be renewed annually for a 12-month period. Membership fees are not reimbursable once paid. BDN members pay an annual membership of $100 USD regardless of workload. In addition, BWPC’s BLACK Doula Network charges an administrative Network fee after each invoice/service rendered by the doula provider. The fee is 10% of the total amount of the invoice. Month to month membership is not permitted.

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Membership benefits include:

The BLACK Doula Network will provide services that benefit our Doula Members including liability insurance guidance, billing, continuing education and resources, mentorship, a professional community, workspace for client appointments, access to special events and client support provided by BWPC clinical and non-clinical partners.

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Failure to comply with the terms of membership may result in a suspension or revocation of membership in BWPC. Please note BWPC reserves the right to decline any individual of BWPC membership at any given time.  BWPC does not issue refunds for memberships or subscriptions purchased.   

* All fees listed are in USD.

WHO MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR BDN CERTIFICATION & MEMBERSHIP?

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  • Doulas/Birthworkers who received their initial training from any outside doula training organization and had at least 3 clients over the past 3 years​

  • Newly trained doulas who completed their training and or certificate recently, and you have not had any clients yet

  • Doulas/Birthworkers who agree to all BLACK Doula Network governing rules and policies

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOUR BDN EXTERNAL DOULA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION IS SUBMITTED?

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After the BDN reviewed your application, you will receive one of the following decisions:​

  1. Accepted and awarded a BDN membership certificate.

  2. Request for additional screenings and eligible to continue the review process.

  3. Not accepted, you are invited to apply to our training program.

  4. Not accepted.

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If your application is approved:

All externally trained doulas must undergo the following certification process to become a BDN affiliated Medi-Cal Doula Provider:

  • Obtain NPI number (or request one if you do not have one already)

  • Obtain PAVE number (or affiliate with BDN if you do not have one already)

  • Obtain all required certificates (BWPC and State of California DHCS requirements, including CPR, HIPAA, Safer Sleep, ACEs Aware, SB464, etc.)

  • Submit proof of valid doula liability insurance

  • Submit required proof of vaccine and immunization records

  • Pay annual BDN membership fee

  • Sign the Agreement* with the BLACK Doula Network

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*Doulas whose application is approved and decide to accept to join the BLACK Doula Network (BDN) must sign an Agreement. The Agreement defines the terms of membership and collaboration within the BLACK Doula Network.

APPLICATIONCHECKLIST

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1. DOCUMENTS TO SUBMIT WITH YOUR CERTIFICATION & MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Three testimonial letters:

  1. One of the three letters MUST be a clinical testimonial from an OB/GYN, registered nurse, nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, or licensed midwife, who can attest to your ability to enhance and facilitate positive relationships in clinical and hospital settings.

  2. One of the three letters MUST be a client testimonial you have served in the past.

  3. The third letter can be from either a client OR a clinician.​​​​​

All three letters must have been completed within the last seven years. ​​​​​

Letter Templates:

​If you recently completed doula training and have not yet supported clients in a doula capacity, you may ask birthing persons to whom you provided practice support hours during your training to provide this letter.

  • Any/all doula certifications/doula training attendance certifications you have

  • An Internal Revenue Service (IRS) generated document for Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) verification (if you already have this)

  • Your Driver's license or State ID

  • Agree to a background check

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2.  COMPLETE THE DOULA KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

The questions are listed below for you to preview before completing them on your online application.​ 

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Why do we require an assessment? We believe that the BLACK Doula Network has the potential to transform the lives of our doulas and their clients. In everything we do, we remain passionate and unapologetically true to our BLACK values and vision. This assessment will help us understand your strengths and additional support you might need while improving the health and wellbeing of the Black community.    

 

Format of your answers:               

You can answer in paragraph or bullet-point format.  

Alternatively, you can write it as a role-play script between you and your client. 

 

Citation Requirements:                  

Cite any data, sources, and thoughts that are not your own.      

Use quotations or parentheses to denote the cited text.               

Provide the source link (website, video, podcast, etc.) or upload the referenced document.  

 

Plagiarism:         

Intentional plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification from consideration.

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Task 1. Please explain what your doula mission is: Why did you become a doula and what is doula care in your view?

 

Task 2. What does culturally-centered or culturally respectful care mean to you in doula care? How do you practice culturally-centered or respectful care in your doula work? What are some of the culturally respectful strategies you follow during your appointment and while providing labor support? Please, be as specific as possible. 

 

Task 3. Imagine that in preparation for a prenatal appointment, you are refreshing your knowledge on anemia during pregnancy and circumcision. Please name 3 public health resources, websites, data, app, etc. you look up when you want to refresh your knowledge/ research topics? Explain your choice: Why do you prefer these resources?

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Task 4. Imagine that you are having a prenatal appointment with your client. You want to discuss labor, and birth plan.
(1) Please identify 3 topics that you want to prioritize to discuss during the appointment.
(2) Develop at least one exploratory or open-ended question you would ask from your client per topic.
(3) Write down the key educational information you would provide on these 3 topics.
(4) What external public health resources would you share with your client regarding these topics?

Task 5. Identify three challenging situations that your patient may face after giving birth, which can be either medical or non-medical.
 
For each situation:

  • Describe the challenge.

  • Identify the appropriate intervention or support.

  • Please make sure to give at least one example of a non-medical challenge where you can offer support, and at least one example of a medical challenge that would require external support. 

  • Be as specific and concrete as possible.

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3. COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION BY PAYING THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEE OF $50

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