Per Diem Community Doula

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DEPARTMENT: Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH)

DIVISION: Division of Maternal, Child, and Family Health (MCFH)

PROGRAM: Community Doula Support Program (CDSP)

PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

The MCFH Community Doula Support Program (CDSP) serves pregnant people and families, focusing on individuals with a history of substance use or current substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD). This program uses a community-based model to provide support throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and up to one year postpartum. The program provides continuous doula support throughout the prenatal, perinatal (including labor and delivery), and postpartum periods. The MCFH Community Doula Program will support parents at the intersection of many distinct and overlapping systems, and the doulas will help navigate and support participants through them, while also navigating pregnancy and the postpartum period. The primary aim of the program is to reduce the risk of relapse into substance use, as well as rates of overdose and fatal overdose in the postpartum period.

JOB SUMMARY:

The primary focus of the MCFH Community Doula Support Program is to provide culturally appropriate, individualized, physical, emotional, and educational support throughout pregnancy, birth, and up to 12 months postpartum. The Per Diem Community Doula will provide emotional, physical, and informational support to clients during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the postpartum period. This flexible, on-call role allows the doula to work on an as-needed basis, collaborating with participants and their families to ensure a positive birth or postpartum experience.

The Per Diem Community Doula will be responsible for meeting a diverse set of needs for participants including the social determinants of health such as housing, hunger, healthcare access, past trauma, social support, and income instability. The position requires doulas who can advocate for participants and assist with the coordination of care among different healthcare providers. Candidates must have a strong understanding of the role of a community doula and experience with supporting participants impacted by substance use disorder.

RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES:

The per diem community doula will actively assist participants prenatally, through birth, and postpartum. Specific tasks may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide continuous support in the prenatal, birth, and postpartum periods, by offering education and guidance with birth preparation, lactation, and newborn care, for example.
• Follow a reproductive justice approach, which is culturally infused, generationally informed, and responsive to years of ongoing oppression resulting in trauma-informed actions.
• Maintain documentation notes through a data software system for the program.
• Maintain confidentiality of participants served.
• Serve with an understanding and sensitivity to levels of chronic stress, the burden of racism, gender oppression, obstetric violence, and institutional policies that negatively impact people of color.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

• Have attended a minimum of 10 births, with half of those births in Philadelphia hospitals.
• Have experience working with individuals struggling with substance use and familiarity with Philadelphia’s health and treatment systems with a trauma-informed approach, trauma-informed care and adverse childhood experiences, implicit bias, impact of racism on the perinatal experience, and an understanding of substance use disorder and perinatal mental health.
• Possess strong interpersonal skills and ability to provide compassionate patient service.
• Exhibit strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with participants, families, and professional partners.
• Demonstrate flexibility, professionalism, and the ability to manage multiple participants simultaneously.
• Display the ability to operate both independently and collaborate as part of a team.
• Perform work in a detail-oriented manner with excellent organizational skills.
• Possess experience in self-regulation and self-care when dealing with intense situations.

PER DIEM POSITION TYPE:

• On-Call Shifts: Doulas will be contracted on an as-needed, on-call basis for specific time blocks, which may include days, nights, weekends, or holidays. There is no guaranteed number of hours included.
• Some shifts may be scheduled in advance for planned support (e.g., postpartum visits) while others may be last-minute calls for labor support.
• THERE IS NO GUARANTEE OF WORK OR A MINIMUM NUMBER OF HOURS THAT WILL BE OFFERED. DOULAS WILL BE PAID HOURLY ONLY FOR WORK COMPLETED.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: This is not remote work. The applicant will work from the Health Department offices, birthing hospitals, or other locations as assigned.

TRAVEL: This position will involve fieldwork, with in-person support through home visiting.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: This job may require moderate physical effort, including lifting materials and equipment of less than 25 pounds, and involves viewing a CRT or VDT screen 50 to 75% of the time.

VACCINATION REQUIREMENT: Proof of COVID-19 vaccination must be produced upon hire.

WORK SCHEDULE:

• This work is independent and flexible with no fixed schedule, allowing the doula to work on an as-needed, on-call basis to support participants. You work according to your participants’ schedules and the program.
• Variable Hours: Shifts are not fixed and can vary depending on client needs, often resulting in unpredictable hours. This could mean working several hours in a day or multiple consecutive days, depending on the birth or postpartum needs.
• Flexible Commitment: Per diem doulas may choose to accept or decline shifts, making this role ideal for those seeking flexibility around other work and personal commitments or who want to maintain a part-time or supplementary position.

COMPENSATION: Hourly pay

PHMC is an Equal Opportunity and E-Verify Employer.

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