• NASE

    What Is NASE?

    The NAPS Alliance for Social Equity (NASE) Committee was started in 2013 to address the systemic inequities that exist within NAPS and the postpartum doula community as a whole. The NASE Committee is made of up of a NASE Lead board member position, and member volunteers.

    NASE Lead duties include, but are not limited to:

    • Search out trainings happening in the area pertaining to ending racism and oppression, and notify membership of opportunities
    • Create and maintain ongoing relationships with local organizations working with underserved communities and of color in the Puget Sound region.
    • Review the organization’s documents using the Race Equity Tool
    • Manage the Person of Color Scholarship Program

    The goal of the committee is to mindfully and inclusively move forward in incorporating awareness of institutional racism by creating a link between NAPS and educational opportunities in the area.  Subgoals include:

    • Make anti-oppression training a requirement for Board members and for certification
    • Create a policy agreement identifying and addressing institutional “isms” within the Board
    • Survey doulas regarding the demographics they are serving and clients about their demographics

    If you would like to get involved in the NASE committee, you can reach the NASE lead at nase@napsdoulas.com

    Click here to read NAPS Commitment to Anti-Oppression 

    NAPS Social Equity  Timeline

    2023

    • Surge Reproductive Justice Leadership Ladder trainings were opened up to all NAPS Members.
    • Began working on an expansion for our Grievance Procedures to reflect all the organizational equity work.
    • Created new pathways for referrals across a wider spectrum of doula care including: birth doulas, sibling doulas, and immediate postpartum on-call care.

    2022

    • Became a Resource Mobilizer with Surge Reproductive Justice and the board began attending their Leadership Ladder trainings following the anti-racist organizing principles: Black Advocacy, Undoing Institutional Racism, and Reproductive Justice.
    • Created a fundraising pathway through the membership dues that supports our BIPOC Scholarship Fund and Hardship Fund.
    • Hired Aijanae Young as Equity Consultant continuing to build upon the organizational restructuring work of Jazmin and Jasmyne with the board.
    • Based on the Doulas for All Coalition backed legislation and the guidance of our Equity Consultants Jazmin and Jasmyne, NAPS created and implemented a Competency-based Certification pathway.

    2021

    • Hired two Equity Consultants from within our membership, Jazmin Williams and Jasmyne Bryant to advise a complete equity based overhaul of our organization.
    • Worked with Equity Consultants to rework the NASE Lead position, create new facilitation practices and organizational structures that support a safer community for BIPOC members. 
    • Announced a shift towards the organization expanding to Full Spectrum Doula offerings and providing opportunities for Competency-based Certification pathways.
    • Began working with and supporting the BIPOC led Doulas for All Coalition.

    2020

    • Established a NAPS wide membership Commitment to Anti-Oppression and began opening our meeting spaces with a Decolonization Statement.
    • Working community wide with leadership from some of our Black, Indigenous, Queer and Immigrant members, we created our NAPS Core Values as a conscientious cultural shift that supports community building and connection.

    2019

    • Met with Committee chair of PALS’ Racial Equity Committee to discuss working together on common goals
    • Revised criteria for Person of Color scholarships to improve communication and equity for applicants
    • Awarded 8 Person of Color Scholarships to our first NAPS hosted CAPPA Postpartum Doula Skills Workshop
      • We learned that training materials provided by this organization and assigned by the trainer included overtly racist and harmful content. Since this training we have issued an apology to our class attendees and our membership. We have issued a statement to CAPPA to urge them to apologize to our class attendees and to everyone that has been exposed to this content. They have assured us that the racist content has been removed from the materials and that they have formed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity task force that will be rewriting all of their content. We have also been in touch with the trainer that is heading up this task force to discuss how cultural awareness might be taught differently moving forward.
      • Ultimately, our urging of CAPPA to apologize to our attendees and to the birth professional community at large was dismissed. We have responded to CAPPA to let them know that this is unacceptable and that we will not be hosting their organization again. As of March 2020, there has been no apology or public statement from CAPPA to address this issue.
    • Awarded two Person of Color Scholarships to Simkin Center Postpartum Doulas Skills Worshop @ Bastyr
    • Established cultural learning opportunities/anti-racism training as a certification requirement
    • NAPS hosted Supporting Muslim Families during the Postpartum Period training
    • NAPS hosted Supporting Families in Recovery training

    2018

    • Collaborated with PALS Doulas to host Shafia Monroe Cultural Competency in Birth Professions training
    • Updated the NAPS logo to make it more inclusive
    • Revised all NAPS documents to reflect gender inclusive language
    • Awarded two Person of Color Scholarships to Simkin Center Postpartum Doulas Skills Worshop @ Bastyr
    • Updated the approved continuing education list to include cultural learning opportunities and increased the approved CEUs
    • Open Arms reported to NAPS the results of the Pilot Program and decided not to continue the program
    • Raised almost $1800 for postpartum care for Open Arms clients
    • Met with Perinatal Support Washington to discuss potential partnership
    • Launched renewed Mentorship program with an anti-bias focus

    2017

    • NASE created a rubric for vetting Postpartum Doula Skills Workshops for Cultural Competency
    • Awarded two Person of Color Scholarships to Simkin Center Postpartum Doulas Skills Worshop @ Bastyr
    • Raised a total of $5000 for Open Arms Postpartum Pilot Program

    2016

    • Open Arms silent auction at raised $2895.00 for the Postpartum Pilot program
    • Awarded two Person of Color Scholarships to Simkin Center Postpartum Doulas Skills Worshop @ Bastyr
    • Hosted the event “A Doula’s Rate: A Social Justice Issue”

    2015

    • Delivered a $1000 donation to initiate the Open Arms Postpartum Pilot Program
    • First Open Arms client served through the Postpartum Pilot Program
    • Distributed donation envelopes for Open Arms Postpartum Pilot Program
    • Awarded one Person of Color Scholarship to Simkin Center Postpartum Doulas Skills Worshop @ Bastyr
    • Reviewed the website using the racial equity tool
    • Reviewed the NAPS Brochure for gender inclusive language

    2014

    • Began pilot program with Open Arms to provide postpartum care to families in need
    • Awarded first Person of Color Scholarship to Simkin Center Postpartum Doulas Skills Worshop @ Bastyr
    • Began applying the Race Equity Tool to NAPS documentation and website

    2013

    • NASE committee formed
    • Established two sliding scale/donation based continuing ed events for increased equity for doulas
    • Established Cultural Norms Documents
    • Started partnership conversation with Open Arms
    • Initiated survey asking doulas for demographics of the clients they are serving

    2012

    • Discussed intention to form a NASE committee at the fall retreat