Doula Recruitment Program

Applicants must meet eligibility requirements for the Medi-Cal Capacity Grant Program. In addition, applicants must meet the following program-specific requirements:

• Doulas must be able to provide in-person services in the local service areas in Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.
• Applicants must be contracted with the Alliance/Medi-Cal network and have a track record of contractual compliance and stability.
• Grantees will be required to serve at least one (1) Medi-Cal client per month on average and/or provide Doula Benefit services for ten (10) births in the first year under the grant.
• No more than three (3) Workforce Recruitment grants for any eligible provider type (CHW, Doula, MA and Provider) may be open for recruitment at any one time (i.e., two previously awarded grants may be open for recruitment when a new application is submitted).

• Eligible provider types include doula as defined by the Department of Health Care Services for the delivery of the Doula Services Benefit.
• The recruited doula must be a new addition to (not a transfer within) the Alliance/Medi-Cal network. This applies to both individual doulas (sole proprietors) and doulas recruited by organizations. Preference is given to doulas who provide in-person services in Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.

Grants-funded doulas will be required to provide Doula Benefit services for at least one (1) Medi-Cal client per month on average and/or ten (10) births in the first year under the grant. 

Applications that demonstrate a commitment to implement the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) and to hire providers who provide culturally and linguistically competent care are strongly preferred.

Additional funding is available for recruited doulas and/or sole proprietors who meet certain criteria for oral language proficiency. See Linguistic Competence Provider Incentive.

An organization that recruits and hires a doula prior to the grant award may apply for grant funding to cover recruitment-related expenses. Grant awards can cover expenses for a recently hired doula if they were hired in the Retro Hiring Period, which is defined as one (1) day after the previous application due date through the current application due date.

• There is no guarantee that an application will be approved or that the entity will be reimbursed for recruitment-related costs during the Retro Hiring Period.
• Recruitment date is determined by the start date (i.e., verified start date of recruited doula as substantiated by payroll).
• The Retro Hiring Period does not apply to first time, sole proprietor doulas who have been awarded a Doula Recruitment grant.

Amount

The Doula Recruitment Program awards grants to subsidize 100% of recruitment-related expenses for new providers in the Alliance service area. The maximum award is $65,000. Final grant awards will depend on verification of actual expenses but will not exceed the grant award. For grantees awarded on March 15, 2024 or June 14, 2024 training and software expenses are eligible retroactive to Oct. 1, 2023.

Please refer to the Workforce Recruitment Programs Eligible Expenses for a complete list of eligible and ineligible expenses.

Payment requests and installments

The grant payment will be made in two installments:

• Half of the grant payment will be made at the time the grantee successfully completes DHCS Medi-Cal enrollment and submits recruitment grant-related expenses.
• The remaining half will be made when the doula is fully credentialed by the Alliance.

Payment requests require documentation verifying:

• DHCS Medi-Cal enrollment date for sole proprietor or start date for recruited employee.
• Recruitment-related expenses.
• Credentialing.

Conditions for funding withdrawals

Applicant entities who are approved for a Doula Recruitment grant must complete recruitment and/or DHCS Medi-Cal enrollment within 12 months of signing the Grant Agreement.

If the grantee is unable to complete recruitment and/or DHCS Medi-Cal enrollment within twelve months of the signing of the Grant Agreement, the grant will be withdrawn. If the newly recruited doula leaves the grantee organization or, in the case of sole proprietors, ceases serving Medi-Cal members before one full year of employment under the term of the grant, which begins based on the verified start date as reported when expenses are submitted, the grantee will have to pay a pro-rated amount back to the Alliance, including pro-rated amount of Linguistic Competence Provider Incentive described below, if applicable.

In an effort to support the Alliance’s work to achieve health equity and reduce health disparities related to language and cultural barriers for our members, our Workforce Recruitment Programs offer a Linguistic Competence Provider Incentive for grantee organizations that hire bilingual providers. Learn more on our Linguistic Competence Provider Incentive page.

Visit our How to Apply page for deadlines, instructions and the online application form.

Applications require submission of financial statements. Acceptable financial statement submissions include audited financial statements or tax return for the last fiscal year. If neither document is available, an organizational profit and loss statement and balance sheet for the last complete year (12 month period) is acceptable.