COMMUNITY DOULA
About The Position
The Community Doula works in Children’s Home Association of Illinois’ Prevention Services Good Beginnings (Home Visiting) program, providing intensive support to prenatal first- and second-time birthing people in Peoria and Tazewell Counties during pregnancy and labor and delivery. The program’s focus is to encourage healthy development for birthing people, caregivers, and babies. Family engagement takes place primarily in the family’s home, with visits lasting at least one hour. Support is family-centered and strength-based, and includes education and assistance to foster trusting relationships, strengthen caregiver-child relationships, improve caregiver skills and the home environment, build family support systems, and increase families’ problem-solving and self-advocacy abilities. The role also supports families during labor and delivery in a medical setting, after birth, and through community prenatal groups. The schedule is flexible and may include evenings, weekends, and an on-call rotation for weekends and holidays.
Requirements
- High school diploma or equivalent; a bachelor’s degree is preferred.
- Experience working with or providing services to children and families.
- Experience and humility working with culturally diverse families.
- DONA Doula Certification; assistance with the certification process will be provided if certification is not current.
Nice To Haves
- Bachelor’s degree.
Responsibilities
- Use advanced assessment tools to develop goals and service plans with each family.
- Conduct family-centered, strength-based visits, primarily in families’ homes, with each visit lasting at least one hour.
- Support birthing people prenatally, during labor and delivery in a medical setting, and postnatally.
- Educate birthing people and caregivers about the birthing experience, feeding options, and prenatal, birth, and postnatal development of the birthing person and baby.
- Identify and refer families to supportive agencies, including for health care appointments.
- Help families establish goals and plans for accomplishing them, and assess the target child’s normal growth and development.
- Plan, conduct, and engage birthing people in community prenatal groups.
- Communicate effectively with coworkers, the team coordinator, and the wider department.
- Document visits, family goals and progress, and other position-related paperwork.
- Participate in a flexible schedule that may include evenings and weekends based on births.
- Participate in a weekend and holiday on-call rotation to support clients who go into labor during those times.
- Perform other duties supporting the Good Beginnings program, which may include group support, event planning, or community engagement activities.
Benefits
- Paid time off accrual: three weeks in the first year for full-time employees.
- Nine paid holidays.
- One floating holiday.
- Sick leave accrual: 12 days per year for full-time employees.
- Medical, vision, and dental insurance.
- Flexible Spending Account.
- Traditional and Roth 401(k) options with company match.
- Company-paid life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability.
- Supplemental life insurance.
- Employee Assistance Program.
- Employee Referral Program.
- Opportunity to further education.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Education Level
High school or GED
