NAPS Certification
NAPS Certification is competency-based and offers two main pathways to meet the basic requirements. Both pathways have additional requirements like continuing education, CPR certification and liability insurance.
Request Certification PacketApproved Training Organization Pathway:
- Doulas completed a doula-focused training program that NAPS has reviewed and approved through our competencies rubric. This triaining must have occurred within the past 4 years.
- Many, but not all, approved training courses require additional learning to cover all the competencies.
- Check this list of Approved Training Organizations and Additional Learning Requirements to see if your training is approved.
Experience-Based Pathway:
- Doulas document related professional, personal, or ancestral experience to demonstrate skill in our eight areas of competency.
- If you trained more than 4 years ago and are currently practicing as a doula, your training organization is not on the approved list, or if you are certified through another organization, this pathway may be a good option for you.
The Eight Competency Areas
All NAPS certified doulas must show competency in the following areas:
- Human Lactation and Infant Feeding
- Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders
- Listening and Emotional Support
- Postpartum Recovery
- Family and Partner Support
- Racism/Privilege/Bias
- Infant Care
- LGBTQIA+ Topics
Certification Requirements
- Current NAPS Doulas member
- Complete your NAPS Profile
- Complete/update the membership questionnaire
- Fill out the Certification Application Form and choose which certification pathway to follow.
- Complete NAPS Doulas Mentorship Program and submit Mentorship Self-Reflection Form
- Participate in a NAPS Core Values Conversations event
- Read and sign the following documents after attending Core Values Conversation:
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- Core Values
- Standards of Practice
- Code of Ethics
- Referral Line Ethics
- Grievance Procedure
- Liability Release
- Upload current hands-on infant CPR certificate
- Upload current professional liability insurance certificate
- Submit 6 hours of continuing education including 2 hours of cultural learning opportunities
- Submit 3 client evaluations: 1 each from 3 different clients with whom the doula has spent at least 8 hours
- Pay $75 Review Fee
Additional Steps for NAPS Referrals
- Create a DoulaMatch Profile to be listed on our NAPS group in DoulaMatch
- Upload current (within one year) WSP Background check for access to Referral Line
- Request to be on the referral line
*NAPS tries to be accessible to all, so if any of these items presents a barrier, please contact our Equity Consultant, who may be able to help address your concern.
Once submitted, the certification committee will review your packet within 30 days. If there are questions, a reviewer will contact you. If approved, you will receive a congratulatory email and certificate. If not approved, you will receive an email stating the reasons and have 30 days to respond.
Certification Maintenance Requirements
Failure to keep these maintenance requirements current will render your certification “out of compliance.” NAPS will not refer you to potential clients or publicly list you as certified until you are back in compliance.
- NAPS membership, renewed every year
- Attend Core Values Conversations at least every 3 years
- Signed NAPS policy documents at least every 3 years at Core Values Conversations
- Hands-on infant CPR Certificate, renewed every 2 years
- Professional Liability Insurance, renewed every year
- Attend at least 1 NAPS event each calendar year
Recertification Process
Recertification takes place every 3 years starting from the date of original certification. In addition to the ongoing maintenance requirements above, recertification requires the following:
- 3 new Client Evaluations
- Total of 12 CEUs from the last 3 years. Click here for more information. 3 of the 12 CEUs must be Cultural Learning Opportunities (CLOs)
- Updated Membership Questionnaire
- $35 re-certification review fee
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- If it is beyond the 3-year timeframe there will be an additional $20 late fee.
- If late recertification does not take place within six months of expiration, the doula must re-certify from the beginning using the Experience-Based Pathway.
- Consider applying for inactive status if you anticipate an extended break in your doula work.
NAPS Committee Leads who can assist you:
- Membership Lead – membership@napsdoulas.com
- Certification Lead – certification@napsdoulas.com
- Mentorship Lead – mentorship@napsdoulas.com
- Continuing Education Lead – continuinged@napsdoulas.com
- NAPS Alliance for Social Equity (NASE) Lead, a resource for BIPOC members- nase@napsdoulas.com
- Co-Directors – info@napsdoulas.com
- Referral Coordinator – referralcoordinator@napsdoulas.com
- Volunteer Coordinator – volunteer@napsdoulas.com
- Equity Consultant – equityconsultant@napsdoulas.com