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Medi-Cal Aligned Doula Training: Syllabus of Record

Total Instructional Time: 16.0 hours (Minimum DHCS requirement met through 24 comprehensive modules and applied skills practicum)

Curriculum Curators: Victoria Cortez & The Rooted Creative Group LLC

Course Curriculum (24 Modules)

Module 1 Foundations of Doula Care — Orientation, Scope & The Mirror Concept

Understand the doula's non-medical role, Mirror vs. Sword, ethical boundaries, safety planning, and Competency Verification.

Module 2 Communication, Language Access & Title VI

Active listening, rhythm-based consent, trauma-informed communication, the interpreter mandate, cultural humility, motivational interviewing (OARS), and clinical team communication.

Module 3 Prenatal & Anatomy

Foundations of pregnancy anatomy, labor physiology, childbirth education, modifiable risk screening, and early comfort practice.

Module 4 Labor Support

Comfort measures with and without epidural, position circuits, advocacy phrases, and team escalation.

Module 5 Hospital Navigation

Triage to postpartum flow, SBAR practice, HIPAA & privacy standards, room setup, and consent advocacy.

Module 6 Lactation & Feeding

Lactation support fundamentals, golden hour, latch basics, paced bottle feeding, feeding routines, and IBCLC referrals.

Module 7 Mental Health

Perinatal mood disorders, emotional challenges, grief support, and safe postpartum planning.

Module 8 Documentation

Objective note-writing, privacy standards, professional conduct, and paste-ready note templates.

Module 9 Telehealth & MCO

Virtual visit protocols, modality codes, billing hand-offs, and managed care coordination.

Module 10 Capstone: Safety & Integration

Safety protocols, equity principles, risk identification, community resource development, and integrated case studies.

Module 11 Billing & Medi-Cal Claims

Medi-Cal doula billing codes, claim submission workflow, reimbursement rates, documentation for payment, and common denial prevention.

Module 12 Pain Management — Pharma vs. Natural

Impartial education on all pain management options — non-pharmacological and pharmacological — and how the doula supports them within scope.

Module 13 Medical Interventions & The Cascade

Understanding the cascade of interventions, the Hold Strategy, SBAR communication for plan changes, and navigating common medical interventions within the doula scope.

Module 14 Cesarean Birth & Surgical Support

Family-centered cesarean practices, emotional preparation for surgical birth, and the doula's role in the operating room and recovery.

Module 15 High-Risk & Special Circumstances

Understanding common high-risk conditions, acting as interdisciplinary coordination glue, and providing NICU support within the doula scope.

Module 16 Perinatal Mental Health Deep Dive

Understanding PMADs, the EPDS screening tool, warm referral language, California-specific resources, and the doula's role in client support.

Module 17 Grief, Loss & Bereavement

Supporting families through the full spectrum of perinatal loss — miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, TFMR — and facilitating memory-making and legacy care.

Module 18 Cultural Responsiveness & Health Equity

Addressing maternal mortality disparities, implicit bias examination, culturally responsive care practices, and resource navigation for underserved communities.

Module 19 The Business of Grace — Medi-Cal 101 & Structural Sovereignty

Building the professional infrastructure of a Medi-Cal doula practice — LLC, NPI, taxonomy code, liability insurance, contracts, and SB 65 benefit details.

Module 20 Ethics & Professional Conduct

The Guided By Grace Code of Conduct, building clinical team relationships, avoiding conflicts of interest, and the integrity standards that sustain a professional Medi-Cal practice.

Module 21 The PAVE Enrollment Process (Legal Act Out)

Step-by-step denial-proof PAVE portal enrollment — NPI, taxonomy code, address symmetry, training documentation, and post-enrollment maintenance requirements.

Module 22 Claims, Encounters & 837P Documentation

The 837P electronic claim format, billing codes, the Mommy Filter for documentation, claim scrubbing, and understanding encounter data vs. claims for Managed Care Plans.

Module 23 Billing Partnerships & Managed Care Navigation

Navigating California MCPs, clearinghouse logic, authorization triggers, visit extension requests using SBAR, and activating the GraceScale Provider Directory.

Module 24 Capstone & The Graduation Engine

The Competency Verification audit, the Final Case Study of Keisha, certificate generation, Syllabus of Record, and DoulaLogic™ account activation.

Appendix A — DHCS Topic Crosswalk + Hours

At least 12.0 hours directly address the five DHCS topics; an additional 4.0 hours cover Medi-Cal operations/compliance. Total instructional time: 16.0 hours.

DHCS Topic Area	Aligned Modules & Content Focus	Hours
Foundations on anatomy of pregnancy and childbirth	Modules 1-3, 13-15 (Foundations, Anatomy, Cascade, High-Risk)	2.5
Childbirth education	Modules 2, 4, 12, 17 (Language Access, Sanctuary, Pain Management)	2.0
Nonmedical comfort measures & labor support	Modules 4-5, 13 (Labor Support, Hospital Navigation, Toolbox)	4.0
Lactation support	Module 6 (Lactation & Feeding, Golden Hour, Cues)	3.0
Developing a community resource list	Module 18 (Health Equity), Plus Resource Mapping exercises	0.5
Operational & Compliance (PAVE, Billing, HIPAA)	Modules 8, 9, 11, 19-24 (Documentation, NPI, Claims, Encounter logic)	4.0
Total Instructional Time:		16.0

Appendix B — Enrollment Prerequisites

Age ≥18, current adult/infant CPR (ARC or AHA), and HIPAA training (certificate or in-course attestation).
NPI, W-9, and basic business documentation (LLC/sole prop/DBA/FBNS as applicable).
PAVE profile shows an administrative location publicly (no P.O. boxes).

Appendix C — Claims Notice

For dates of service on/after Nov 1, 2024, each doula claim must include an ICD-10 diagnosis code paired with appropriate doula billing codes per DHCS guidance (e.g., Z32.2 Encounter for childbirth instruction). This course includes hands-on practice selecting compliant ICD-10 + code pairs, documenting services, and preventing denials via DoulaLogic™ standards.

Appendix E — PAVE Upload Bundle Checklist

Government ID, NPI confirmation, CPR card (ARC/AHA), HIPAA certificate/attestation.
Syllabus + PAVE e-form attestation (org name, total hours, completion date).
Business document (LLC/sole prop/partnership), W-9, and city/county license/FBNS if required.

Appendix F — Skills Sign-Off Sheet

Instructor initials/date each skill as Observed or Performed.

Skill	Observed	Performed
Consent & communication (client-directed touch)
Breathing patterns & coping cues
Rhythm/ritual/relaxation coaching
Counter-pressure & Double-hip squeeze
Rebozo basics (safety/contraindications)
Labor positions (min. five) incl. with epidural
Partner coaching & role protection
Latch & positioning (at least two holds)
Lactation troubleshooting & referral

Appendix G — Lactation Support: Quick Reference

Golden hour: uninterrupted skin-to-skin when possible; watch for rooting, hand-to-mouth, bobbing.
Frequency: 8–12 feeds per 24h in early days; responsive feeding on cues, not the clock.
Latch: tummy-to-tummy; nose-to-nipple start; chin-led latch; audible swallows after let-down.
Red flags → refer: persistent pain/damage, poor output, fever/lethargy, signs of dehydration, weight loss beyond guidance.

Appendix H — Community Resource List Template

Category	Organization / Contact	Phone / Link
IBCLCs
WIC & Peer Counselors
Mental Health (perinatal)
IPV/Safety
Housing/Food
Culturally Specific Supports