Currently, there are no global, federal, or even state accreditation bodies overseeing doula training and certification. However, we are starting to see some states offering voluntary licensing, state certification, etc., for individual doulas. Arizona doula licensing and state certification recently approved the International Doula Institute as a state recognized training organization.
This means that doulas who certify with IDI can apply with Arizona doula licensing to become a state-certified doula.
What is Arizona Doula Licensing?
As mentioned, currently there are no overarching accreditation bodies for accrediting doula training. However, some places are adopting individual licensing, certification, etc., at local and state levels.
As this becomes more common, IDI is focused on ensuring we meet all requirements to be approved by various states. Currently, Arizona’s licensing law around doulas is:
“Laws 2021, Ch. 282 (Senate Bill 1181), created a voluntary licensing program for doulas within the Arizona Department of Health Services. A.R.S. § 36-766(3) states, a “doula” is “… a trained nonmedical professional who may provide continuous physical, emotional and informational support to families before, during and after childbirth for a period of one year after birth or in the case of loss and who may serve as a liaison between the birth parents and medical and social services staff to improve the quality of medical, social, and behavioral outcomes.”
A doula who is a state-certified doula has been issued a valid certificate by the Department to practice as a state-certified doula in Arizona.”
Doulas are not required to go through Arizona licensing to work as a doula in the state. However, it is an option for doulas who want to add this credential to their work.
Arizona Doula Licensing – International Doula Institute Approved
We reached out to Arizona’s Special Licensing to learn more. We inquired about their requirements for doula training organizations and doula experience necessary to become licensed.
As IDI has always focused on evidence-based, comprehensive training with its 60-hour birth doula course, we met the requirements for approval. We compiled all the information requested by Arizona, submitted our application, and were approved this spring, 2024.
We received a letter stating:
“Congratulations! The Arizona Department of Health Services has approved the application for the International Doula Institute to become a Department-approved training program for full certification, Initial Pathway 1, Continuing Education, and Culturally Relevant Doula Practices.
“As an approved program, the International Doula Institute will be listed on the Department’s website, www.azdhs.gov/licensing/special, as an approved school for the aforementioned pathways per Arizona Administrative Code (A.AC.) R9-16-902 and R9-16-905.
“Being an approved school makes the process of applying or renewing a Doula certificate easier for International Doula Institute students as they do not have to provide course curriculum documents or instructor information.”
For current students or certified IDI doulas who have questions about the application process to become a state certified doula, be sure to review their website.
Should Doulas Participate in Arizona Doula Licensing?
At IDI, we recognize that doula work existed long before certification programs and state licensing. We continue to recognize traditional birth workers both certified and not certified.
However, we also know that in our current climate, certifications and licensing are at times necessary to gain access to spaces doulas desire to work in. We also know that many do not have access to observational training in traditional birth workspaces making comprehensive certification programs necessary.
For this reason, while there are not overarching accreditation bodies, IDI seeks to meet the standards of similar education accreditation bodies.
We also encourage doulas who may want to work in certain spaces to obtain any certifications and licensures. This will help them meet their goals. Some doulas plan to only work in a private client capacity. Other doulas hope to take part in growing insurance and Medicaid initiatives.
There is no right or wrong answer currently, but what is right for each doula and their professional goals.
Not already an IDI Certified Doula? You can get started today! Take the first step towards becoming state certified in Arizona if that meets your professional goals.
Author: Aliza Juliette Bancoff
Aliza Juliette Bancoff is a well-known doula and doula trainer who has been providing doula services to families for over a decade. She is the founder of Main Line Doulas, a doula group providing doula support in the great Philadelphia area for the last decade, the International Doula Institute, which provides online doula training and lactation training and certification programs and the International Breastfeeding Institute which provides lactation training and certification. She is the co-founder of United Birth, a company devoted to increasing access to doulas across the country to make the perinatal time safer both physically and emotionally. “Every birthing person deserves access to quality doula support. And we are working to make that a reality across the country. The work we are doing to get doulas to every birthing person will decrease the black infant and maternal mortality rate significantly by 2030.” Says Bancoff. Aliza is known for her compassionate and empowering approach to doula work, and she has been featured in numerous media outlets, including United Nations Maternal Health Report, Parent Magazine, CafeMom, theBump and many more. Aliza's journey into doula work began when she gave birth to her first child and felt a strong calling...