Mentor Program

One of the many ways that BCN serves its members is by offering a Mentor Program for those who wish to become Doulas. This program is designed to make certification as easy and affordable as possible while building skills and relationships that will strengthen doulas and the Birth Care Network. It is our hope that the more Doulas there are attending births, the more mother-friendly maternity care will become.

Doulas improve outcomes; more doulas, better birth outcomes!

The purpose of the Mentor Program is to assist new doulas seeking certification and or experiential training as a doula.

The components are:

PROVIDING EDUCATION

Local Doula Training Workshops – for members of BCN. Birth Care Network is fortunate to have two DONA certified trainers in its ranks, thus making Doula Trainings more accessible and affordable. These are scheduled as needed.

Continuing Education Workshops – all members of the program are surveyed to find out their educational needs after having taken their Doula Training Workshop. Topical workshops are taught on a needs basis by the program coordinator and other experienced members of the network.

Resource Library – a library of the required reading materials for certification are available to be checked out at every monthly meeting. This saves you the initial cost of having to purchase the books yourself.

Monthly Meetings – each month BCN provides a different educational topic related to our field in order to expand our knowledge and keep us up to date on local birth trends.

Childbirth Education Classes – Auditing a series of Childbirth classes is required by most all Doula certification programs. The Mentor Program will provide you with a listing of all the CBE classes that are open to having Doulas visit their classes for certification purposes free of charge.

Mentor Program Manual - The Mentor Coordinator will supply a binder of info about the program, as well as other pertinent information.

PROVIDING PARTNERSHIP

Mentoring – After meeting some of the members of Birth Care Network, you will be given a list of experienced birth professionals that are willing to mentor you in the process of certification.You can then choose one that you feel comfortable with if you so desire. Mentors are a great asset in finding you opportunities to attend births with them or simply providing feedback and guidance from your own Doula experiences. There is a lot to learn form those who have gone before you. The Mentor is basically a friend who looks for doula opportunities for you. This is a very open-ended part of the program. Relationships formed as Mentors are often beneficial for both Mentor and apprentice.

Volunteer Birth Opportunities – All Doula certifying organizations require you to attend and document a certain number of births as the primary doula. At present, BCN is working to establish relationships with local family help organizations. By joining with groups such as this we can not only provide constant opportunities for new doulas to attend births, but we can also reach out to a group of women who need us most and can afford us least.

Group Membership Discounts – Certifying organizations require dues and BCN has been able to provide a group membership discount through DONA International should you choose them as your certifying organization.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO JOIN THE MENTOR PROGRAM?
In order to be a part of the Mentoring program you will need to:

• Be seriously pursuing doula certification or experience
• Attend Mentor Program meetings (2-3 per year)
• Attend Birth Care Network Meetings and take an active part
• Have a teachable and flexible attitude and be willing to learn from all doulas and situations
• Have an e-mail account if at all possible (This is for the purpose of communicating without having to make phone calls, and could be set up at the public library in your area, and checked once a week).

For more information, contact:
Brenda Whyland, CD(DONA)
Mentor Coordinator

Mentor Program
Membership Application