Are you growing your doula practice to serve Medi-Cal members?
The Alliance’s grant program supports doulas established in our five-county service area who can provide in-person care. Learn more about the Doula Recruitment grant at www.thealliance.health/grants.
Local doulas across the Alliance service area are transforming birth care for Medi-Cal members. Through the Alliance’s Doula Technical Assistance (TA) Grants, these compassionate advocates are building support networks, expanding access and changing long-held perceptions about who doulas serve — and why their work matters.
When Amy Houghtaling of Wave’s Embrace first began serving Medi-Cal families, she met resistance from peers who said it wasn’t worth the billing challenges. With grant funding and partnership from the Alliance, Amy proved otherwise. Together with Stephanie Hulse of Turlock Doula Services, she hosted peer trainings and offered one-on-one help with contracting and billing. “The mindset has shifted,” Amy shared, “we’ve gone from skepticism to optimism — and from isolation to collaboration.”
Peaceful Passages, another TA grant recipient, found that training alone isn’t enough — doulas also need structured peer networks to stay confident and supported long-term. Now, dozens of doulas in Mariposa and Merced counties are sustaining practices while strengthening their communities.
In Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties, The Parenting Connection of Monterey County Raíces y Cariño and The Circle Family Center have trained 100 doulas. Many of them are supported in their contract with the Alliance and include Spanish and Indigenous language speakers.
With more doulas available, members now experience shorter wait times for care and more in-person support — even in rural areas that once relied on telehealth. One Alliance member shared how her doula’s encouragement helped her advocate for herself during labor — transforming a once-traumatic birth experience into one of empowerment, healing and connection.
When doulas are supported, families thrive.
