Support for Doulas (HEALs) 

Solano/Sonoma HEALs is a community-based initiative dedicated to improving maternal and infant health outcomes for African American/Black families. Founded in Solano County in 2017 and expanded into Sonoma County in 2024, the coalition brings together residents, healthcare providers, faith leaders, and government partners to address the deep racial disparities in birth outcomes, particularly the high rates of Black infant mortality, prematurity, and low birth weight.

Guided by a mission to ensure Black mothers and babies not only survive but thrive, Solano/Sonoma HEALs focuses on both systemic change and direct support through culturally grounded care, group prenatal programs, and mental health services. This initiative is supported by the partnership of First 5 in Solano and Sonoma Counties and Aliados Health.

The HEALs initiative employs a dual approach, targeting upstream strategies such as implicit bias and racial equity training for healthcare providers, as well as downstream interventions like group-centered prenatal care and Black doula workforce development.

Programs include Centering Pregnancy, mental wellness support, and mentorship for doulas, all aimed at empowering Black women and strengthening community health systems. Through collaborative leadership and ongoing community engagement, Solano/Sonoma HEALs is working to shift birth equity from a hopeful goal to a lived reality in Solano and Sonoma Counties.

Solano/Sonoma HEALs partners with Doula Doula to deliver its “Centering the Doula” program—an intensive, culturally grounded training and mentorship initiative aimed at increasing the number of Black doulas supporting families in both Solano and Sonoma County. The program includes a 16-hour foundational curriculum covering prenatal, birth, and postpartum support, alongside business development to help participants launch sustainable doula practices and potentially enroll in Medi-Cal.

Participants then engage in a year-long mentorship with experienced doulas like Davon Crawford, gaining hands-on experience, peer encouragement, and pathways to join the broader Doula Doula Collective (douladoula.org). 

This program supports both care and community-building: trainees participate in volunteer doula work, are connected with local cohorts, and join a network that elevates Black maternal health through solidarity and shared learning.

By centering Black doulas within perinatal care, Solano-Sonoma HEALs and Doula Doula are expanding culturally affirming birth support and growing structural capacity so Black families in Solano/Sonoma gain deeper access to compassionate, trusted care.