community care is survival.
This page will be regularly updated to highlight community events and programs, local mutual aid efforts, and special offerings. Please explore the other pages under the “community care” tab above for specifics. If you are a community member and would like to contribute something to this tab, please contact me. I look forward to collaborating with you.
In Lak’ech Ala K’in
This well-known Mayan greeting means “I am another Yourself”, and speaks to our understanding of oneness and unity. You are Me and I am You, intrinsically interconnected. As social animals, we are made to thrive within community. We are responsible to and for one another and we owe each other everything. Community care is fundamental in healing the collective and for our peoples to thrive. I am committed to cultivating enriching community and offering my energy and expertise to be of service.
Doulas For All Coalition (WA)
Doulas For All is a Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous and People of Color (QTBIPOC) led coalition by Surge Reproductive Justice toward Medicaid reimbursements for birth doulas. During the 2022 Washington State legislative session, the coalition wrote, lobbied, and passed ESHB 1881 - a bill to establish birth doulas as a profession in Washington state, making the reimbursements possible.
The 2024 Washington State budget has set the reimbursement rate for state-certified doulas providing services to pregnant people enrolled in Medicaid at $3,500, the highest in the nation. The budget also included an additional $200,000 to create a doula hub and referral system to support the roll-out throughout the state.
Washington is now on its way to joining twelve other states and Washington, D.C., in actively providing coverage for doula services through public health insurance. In 2022, Washington passed HB 1881, which created a new profession for doulas within the State’s Department of Health (DOH).
With a tentative start date of January 2025, doula care will be more accessible to families. I am in the process of earning my Washington State Doula Certification so that I can offer my services through this program. Stay tuned for more updates as next year approaches!