Doula Champions Award Application Criteria
BAY AREA
The “Community Doula Champions” Project in collaboration with
Roots of Labor Birth Collective
announces:
BAY AREA
COMMUNITY DOULA CHAMPIONS AWARD
APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN FOR BAY AREA DOULAS.
The “Community Doula Champions” Project continues through December 31, 2023.
The “Community Doula Champions” Project will extend its reach to provide $1000 awards to 6(six) community doulas (who service the Bay Area) to cover costs and time spent to become an approved Medi-Cal provider through PAVE as a requirement, as well as paying it forward by offering coaching to community birthworkers through the RLBC Medi-Cal Doula Enrollment Coaching Program.
This project will support community doulas in their journey to becoming approved Medi-Cal providers that will provide full spectrum doula care to beneficiaries under Medi-Cal’s various Managed Care Plans.
It is vital that California increases access to community doulas for families that otherwise could not afford one.
The new Medi-Cal benefit helps to do just that. New Medi-Cal benefits take time to implement…There are simply not enough doulas enrolled as providers and contracted with Managed Care Plans to meet the demand for Medi-Cal doulas.
We need more culturally competent doula providers contracted with Managed Care Plans to meet the demand.
We wish to partner with doulas who are active in and serve the Bay Area and service this area to help mitigate the gap in perinatal health care choices.
These awards offer financial support to doulas serving birthing people in high need, who typically reflect the lived experience of those they serve, to increase access to doula care while lowering the financial stress and burden of the additional costs associated with the DHCS Medi-cal provider requirements.
These awards are open to all community doulas. To ensure delivery of the benefit to Medi-Cal beneficiaries with the highest disparities in Oakland and the Bay Area, priority will be given to doulas who share a lived experience with the marginalized communities they have served (African American/Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic, Asian Pacific Islander) and other marginalized communities such as LGBTQIA+ folks.(1,2)
Doulas must be committed to exploring this new professional development opportunity as a Medi-Cal approved doula provider. Black, Queer, Trans, Indigenous and People of the Global Majority doulas, bilingual doulas, and doulas of all abilities and gender expressions, are particularly encouraged to apply.
In efforts to help cover the costs of and lower the financial burden of becoming an approved Medi-Cal provider, we will award each doula a $1000 award (to be paid over 3 milestones).
In addition, through community outreach efforts, these Community Doula Champions will serve as ambassadors to increase awareness and understanding of doula services as preventative care as well as being supported in the development of their own specialized community resource lists and referral connections. This project is giving specific priority to doulas serving historically marginalized communities.
Doula Workforce Support
Sic “Community Doula Champions” will be selected and offered the financial award to support them to apply and enroll in the Medi-Cal doula program. Doula Champions will fulfill the requirements of this award by submitting their electronic application through the Provider Application for Validation and Enrollment (PAVE) online enrollment portal, along with all required supportive documentation.
Community Doula Champions Awards are Based on the Following Criteria:
Please review DHCS Medi-Cal Doula Provider Requirements here.
Independent Contractor Requirements:
Doula lives in Oakland or surrounding Bay Area
Doula serves primarily Oakland and surrounding Bay Area families and/or once an approved Medi-Cal provider, is available to serve families on Medi-Cal, in Oakland and surrounding Bay Area
Doulas of all racial, ethnic or cultural identities may apply, with preference given to those who have experience serving the Medi-Cal community. Specifically Oakland Black, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, and bilingual Doulas are particularly encouraged to apply.
Doula fulfills the DHCS requirements for applying to the Medi-Cal Doula Benefit via the ‘Training Pathway,’ having completed a comprehensive birth doula training of at least 16 hours with additional cultural competency training (verification will be required).
OR fulfills the DHCS requirements via the ‘Experience Pathway’ (attestation and verification will be required). See requirements here: DHCS Doula Application InformationCommunity Doula Champion applicants agree to submit their electronic application through the Provider Application for Validation and Enrollment (PAVE) online enrollment portal, along with all the required support documentation.
In addition to applying to the PAVE portal through to completion, you must be available to attend orientations and 4-6 RLBC Medi-Cal Enrollment Coaching Sessions as a Doula Champion, between the dates of August 1, 2023 - June 30th, 2024. Paid time for coaching sessions will total approximately 6-12 hours, at a rate of $45 per hour.
Doula agrees to upload required support documents to Frontline Doulas online portal.Professional doula liability insurance required. Doula may use their award funds to purchase this after acceptance.
Doula attests to a minimum of 3 primary doula experiences.
Doula agrees to start and complete in a timely and self sufficient manner any requirements needed to qualify to enroll as a Medical-Cal provider. See requirements: DHCS Doula Application Information
Doula agrees, once all requirements are met, to immediately begin the enrollment process via the PAVE system.
Access to cell phone, email, and internet required, with computer access highly suggested.
Must be able to respond within 24 hours to requests when emailed or texted by admin.
Must feel confident in sharing project information on doula care, sharing their lived experience as doula, and give information about the Medi-Cal benefit to other doulas as they learn and also give local community resources when attending public events.
Skilled support manner: responsive, professional, engaged, accountable and an active listener.
Doula agrees to follow the Frontline Doulas code-of ethics and the Battling Over Birth Executive Summary Recommendations.
Doula agrees to participate in our basic research questionnaires.
Doula is a legal resident of the U.S and is 18 years of age or older.
This application may take up to 45 minutes to apply. You will need:
CA ID
Photo
Brief Bio
Proof of liability insurance if you have it (if not, this award will help you secure this insurance)
This collaboration brought to you by Frontline Doulas, Roots of Labor and Diversity Uplifts, with funding by:
THE STUPSKI FOUNDATION
Diversity Uplifts Inc.
Los Angeles Project brought to you with Funding From
SoCal Community Partners:
*This is a public education project. We are an independent perinatal support program and do not work for DHCS, Medi-Cal or the State of California.