Volunteer Doulas for Early Head Start

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Mentor pregnant and post-partum women providing pregnancy, birth and post-partum providing education, early linkages to health care and social services, labor coaching, breastfeeding education and counseling and parenting skills while fostering parental attachment.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS MAY INCLUDE:
- Provide intensive support to pregnant and parenting mothers, before, during, and after delivery.

- Work with Early Head Start team to ensure effective delivery of education targeted towards individual mother's needs.

- Deliver one-on-one child development instruction.

- Provide labor coaching to program participants.

- Mentor mothers of newborn infants.

- Provide breastfeeding education and support.

- Assist program participants in overcoming cultural and language barriers in order to meet health needs.

- Monitor and educate mothers on children's health status, medical appointments and nutrition.

- Provide information and referral.

- Advocate on behalf of program participants.

- Coordinate services with other team professionals and paraprofessionals
- Participate in the quality improvement process.

QUALIFICATIONS:

PREFERRED:
- Indigenous community leader--of and from the same communities as those being served by Early Head Start.

- Experience as an Early Head Start recipient.

- Previous mentoring experience.

- Previous experience working with young children and families in human services settings.

SKILLS:
Ability to handle confidential information appropriately; Knowledge of community resources; Good verbal communication skills; Ability to build trusting relationships with program participants; Ability to make home visits
- Ability to work flexible hours as required; Ability to empathize with inexperienced mothers.

Doula Training:

http://www.thebirthcompany.com/training/