A doula coaches a postpartum mother as the mother breastfeeds her newborn

California MHTF Doula Organization Awards

The California MHTF, in partnership with fiscal intermediary MOMS Orange County, funded Enhancement Awards for California community-based organizations (CBOs) that serve Medi-Cal birthing communities with high-quality, respectful, and trauma-informed doula care.

Goals of the Enhancement Awards

Train New Medi-Cal Doulas

Increase the number of doulas in Medi-Cal birthing communities

Expand Access to Medi-Cal Doulas

Expand the California doula workforce in areas with little to no doula service, and capacity to support families in different languages

Support existing organizations

Support existing organizations that enable Medi-Cal doula care

Improve Medi-Cal Member Services

Improve risk assessments and referrals for Medi-Cal members by expanding existing doula organizations that unite public health, healthcare, providers, and CBOs

Training the Medi-Cal Doula Workforce

Training the
Medi-Cal Doula Workforce: Northern California

Training the
Medi-Cal Doula Workforce: Northern California

Training the
Medi-Cal Doula Workforce: Central Valley and Bay Area

Training the
Medi-Cal Doula Workforce: Central Valley and Bay Area

Training the
Medi-Cal Doula Workforce: Southern California

Training the
Medi-Cal Doula Workforce: Southern California
A pregnant woman uses a telehealth app on her cell phone to meet with a doula

Training the
Medi-Cal Doula Workforce:
All of California

Training the
Medi-Cal Doula Workforce: All of California


Award Amounts

The California MHTF's fiscal intermediary, MOMS Orange County, distributed 11 awards totaling $371,495 and designated $10,505 for technical assistance to support the awarded organizations, for a total of $382,000 in funding.

  • The technical assistance enabled activities such as HRSA reporting or developing grant submissions for future funding to sustain current efforts.
  • Each applicant organization requested a one-time grant of between $25,000 - $35,000, with the exact amount at the organization's discretion based on their specific needs.


Selection Criteria

During the selection process, the California MHTF prioritized applicant organizations that demonstrated:

  • Success in training new doulas and/or enrolling existing doulas in Medi-Cal;
  • Recruitment, training, convening, and/or providing ongoing support of multiple doulas;
  • Conducting or co-facilitating trainings to improve doula capacity to enroll in Medi-Cal, contract with Medi-Cal managed care plans, and bill Medi-Cal for doula services;
  • Active engagement with community and an understanding of public health programs and community services; and
  • Experience with navigating and billing Medi-Cal for doula services.

It was not necessary for an applicant organization to be engaged in all of these activities. However, strong applications demonstrated high engagement with one or more activities.