Date of Graduation

Spring 5-19-2017

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (MPH)

College/School

School of Nursing and Health Professions

First Advisor

Dr. Erin Grinshteyn

Second Advisor

Dr. Dhrubajyoti Bhattacharya

Abstract

As part of the birth justice movement in Alameda County, Roots of Labor Birth Collective (RLBC) is committed to support, empower and care for birthing members of the community. RLBC works to empower people of color with education and tools to have healthy babies and positive birth experiences regardless of their: gender, size, sexuality, orientation, culture or family structure. Healthy families begin with healthy communities and with that in mind, RLBC decided to tackle two major public health issues at once: recidivism and poor birth outcomes in communities of color. Doula training is not just an intervention to improve birth outcomes but also an opportunity for those who have been previously incarcerated to create a career by giving back to the community.

Even with evidence-based research supporting doula care as an intervention to improve birth outcomes in low-income communities, it is still seen as a luxury. RLBC believes that doula care and any care related to birth is a need and a right everyone should have.

Throughout my fieldwork I have completed: grant writing, key informant interviews and budgeting to help RLBC become a sustainable organization. The entire collective administration team has been working in-kind to make sure that the collective continues to provide free doula care regardless of their funding status. It is their hard work and dedication that has inspired those I have reached out to, to provide their professional services to help in any way that they can to help launch the Doula Community Fund campaign. With this marketing strategy, RLBC aims to gain clients who can pay full market value for a doula so that they can use part of the income to pay an RLBC doula to gift a birth to the community.

Download

Share

COinS