On June 28, 2021, Medi-Cal doula services were included in Governor Newsom’s 2021-2022 state budget. Additional details about implementation of the doula Medi-Cal benefit were included in SB 65, the California “Momnibus” bill. This bill was signed by Governor Newsom in October 2021. The Medi-Cal doula benefit went live on January 1, 2023. Since then, NHeLP’s Doula Medicaid Project has continued to work with the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), doulas, advocates, and other stakeholders to support effective and equitable implementation of the Medi-Cal doula benefit.
As of November 14, 2024, DHCS has enrolled a total of 499 individual doulas and 37 doula groups. Yet the question remains of what the doula workforce actually looks like. We wanted to better understand issues including where the doula workforce is, who they are, how they work, what populations they are working with, what kind of training they receive, and their perspective on the Medi-Cal benefit.
We believe detailed knowledge of the current doula workforce can help us all gain a better understanding of where the gaps in coverage and community needs are. We hope this information can be used to help doulas, advocates, foundations, state agencies, and others determine how best to make decisions on outreach, training, funding, and other necessary tasks related to ongoing implementation of the doula Medi-Cal benefit and expansion of doula services.
From December 2023 to April 2024, NHeLP’s Doula Medicaid Project conducted a survey to gain insight into the characteristics of the doula workforce in California. As we are not doulas, we partnered with a group of ten doulas and doula organizations to work with us as thought-partners on this project and liaisons to the doula community.
What follows are a set of publications and resources created from this research. Ultimately, we hope this research will be used to better understand California doulas, and equitably allocate resources to supporting and expanding the doula workforce.
Publications & Related Resources
California Doula Workforce Analysis 2024: This publication is the full report and analysis of the results from the California Doula Workforce Survey.
Webinar on California Doula Workforce Analysis: Findings from the California Doula Workforce Survey: Watch a recording of the webinar we held on October 29, 2024. During the webinar, NHeLP Health Policy Analyst Alexis Robles-Fradet shared findings from the California Doula Workforce Survey. Robles-Fradet then moderated a panel discussion with doulas Kairis Chiaji and Jamilla White on their experiences and perspectives on doula engagement in the survey.
Q&A from Webinar on California Doula Workforce Analysis: Findings from the California Doula Workforce Survey Webinar: This Q&A responds to questions that came up during the October 29, 2024 webinar and panel discussion, as well as questions asked by registrants before the webinar. The answers were provided by NHeLP Doula Medicaid Project staff.
Multimedia Resources
[WATCH] Time-lapse of Webinar Visual Recording by Ashanti Gardner: This is a time-lapse of a visual recording done by visual scribe Ashanti Gardner for NHeLP’s “Webinar on California Doula Workforce Analysis: Findings from the California Doula Workforce Survey.”
Visual Recording by Ashanti Gardner, of Webinar on California Doula Workforce Analysis: Findings from the California Doula Workforce Survey
Visual Recordings of the California Doula Workforce Project’s Cultural Connector meetings (three images)
Acknowledgements
The National Health Law Program’s Doula Medicaid Project would like to thank Marna Armstead, Alli Cuentos, and Sofía Carbone of SisterWeb; Gina Benson of Atala Doula Services; Kairis Chiaji of Children of the Sun Doula Project; Deidre Coutsoumpos of Sankofa Birth Workers; Shantay Davies-Balch and Katalina Németh of Black Wellness & Prosperity Center; Angel Green of Auntie Angel Doula Services; Stevie Merino of Birthworkers of Color Collective; Khefri Riley of Frontline Doulas and Diversity Uplifts; Sabia Wade of For The Village and Sabia Wade and Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings; and Jemilla White of HerStory for serving as Cultural Connectors and partnering with us on this survey and report.
We also want to thank each and every one of the doulas who took the time to respond to this survey and share with us their thoughts and expertise.
We thank Ashanti Gardner of The Social Art Complex (www.visualscribe.co), for her amazing graphic notetaking of our Cultural Connector meetings and the report webinar.
We also thank Scholastica Nguyen (www.scholasticagraphicdesign.com) for her exceptional graphic design of this project.
This project was funded by the California Health Care Foundation, which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.
Additional Doula Health Policy Resources
Learn more about our Doula Medicaid Project
Learn more about our Doula Medicaid Project & Sign-up to receive email updates on state and national efforts to cover doula care in Medicaid
