The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Community Health Innovation will train 80 doulas over the next year through a comprehensive program administered by the institute and other partners, including Ujima Maternity Network and Birthing Beyond.
The program is available to individuals throughout Arkansas through a scholarship that covers the full cost of the training, which is spread across six months.
Doulas are trained birth coaches who provide continuous emotional support, advocate for and aid informed decision-making during labor and delivery, assist with breastfeeding initiation and support, promote positive maternal mental health, and advocate for culturally sensitive care within healthcare systems. The use of doulas has been strongly advocated by the institute and other partners to improve maternal mortality rates across the state.
With support from the Arkansas Blue & You Foundation and the Arkansas Community Foundation, the institute is offering $3,295 scholarships for participants to complete the six-month, hybrid training program. The program includes 40 hours of in-person training with Ujima Maternity Network — which will be held on select dates in Conway, Jonesboro, Springdale, Arkadelphia, and a southeast Arkansas location still to be determined — as well as a scheduled three-day virtual training with Birthing Beyond. Participants will also complete a 45-hour Certified Breastfeeding Counselor course and will train in HIPAA and CPR.
Training will also be offered to help participants navigate self-employment to help equip them to serve as doulas professionally after they complete the program.
The institute is accepting applications from Arkansans across the state. Eligible trainees must be at least 18 years of age, be proficient in English, have a valid driver’s license, and have reliable internet access.
Arkansas currently has fewer than 50 trained doulas, and the state does not offer official doula certification. The UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation is partnering with the Doula Alliance of Arkansas, Ujima Maternity Network, Excel by Eight, the Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and hospitals statewide to develop a doula association and to train 200 new doulas over the next two years.
For more information about the doula training program or to apply for a doula training scholarship, visit uams.health/doula.