We at It Takes a Village want to be as transparent as possible regarding the information collected by this website (https://www.ittakesavillagesemo.com/).

Contact Forms

It Takes a Village uses a contact form to collect inquiries. The form collects the following:

• Name
• phone number
• Email Address
• Short messages for questions or comments

This information is used by It Takes a Villag to respond to any questions or comments submitted by the user. This information will not be shared with any other parties without the expressed consent of the information provider.

We may on occasion use a form to collect rsvps for events. zthis information is used to prepare for the correct number of attendees.

Security

We take precautions to protect your information. When you submit sensitive information via the website, your information is protected both online and offline.

Links

This website may contain links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of any other site that collects personally identifiable information.

If you feel that we are not abiding by this privacy policy, or wish for your information to be removed from our records, contact us via email at mamas@ittakesavillagesemo.com.

Rules of Conduct

• A. Propriety
  The doula should maintain high standards of personal conduct in the capacity or identity as labour support provider.
• B. Competence and Professional Development
  The doula should strive to become and remain proficient in the professional practice and the performance of professional functions through continuing education, affiliation with related organizations, and associations with other labour support providers.
• C. Integrity
  The doula should act in accordance with the highest standards of professional integrity.

Ethical Responsibility to Clients

• A. Primacy of Client’s Interests
  The doula’s primary responsibility is to their clients.
• B. Rights and Prerogatives of Clients
  The doula should make every effort to foster maximum self-determination on the part of their clients, and to honor their client's choices, even if they do not align with the doula's preferences.
• C. Confidentiality and Privacy
  The doula should respect the privacy of clients and hold in confidence all information obtained in the course of professional service.
• D. Obligation to Serve
  The doula should assist each client seeking labour support either by providing services or making appropriate referrals.
• E. Reliability
  When the doula agrees to work with a particular client, their obligation is to do so reliably, without fail, for the term of the agreement.
• F. Fees
  When setting fees, the doula should ensure that they are fair, reasonable, considerate, and commensurate with service performed and with due regard for the client’s ability to pay.

Ethical Responsibility to Colleagues

• A. Respect, Fairness and Courtesy
  The doula should treat colleagues with respect, fairness, courtesy, and in good faith.
• B. Dealing with Colleagues’ Clients
  The doula has the responsibility to relate to the clients of colleagues with full professional consideration.

Ethical Responsibility to Health Care Providers of the Client

• A. Respect, Fairness, and Courtesy
  The doula should treat their client’s health care providers with respect, fairness, courtesy, and in good faith.
• B. Recognition of Clinical Responsibility
  The doula should recognize that responsibility for clinical management belongs to the health care provider (nurse, midwife, physician) and the client. The doula should not interfere with clinical management beyond making suggestions to, or asking questions of, the health care provider and client, based on knowledge of the client’s birth plans and preferences.

Ethical Responsibility to the Labour Support Profession

• A. Maintaining the Integrity of the Profession
  The doula should uphold and advance the values, ethics, knowledge, and mission of the profession.
• B. Community Service
  The doula should assist the profession in making labour support services available to the general public.

Ethical Responsibility to Society

• A. Promoting Maternal and Child Welfare
  The doula should promote the general health of clients and their babies, and whenever possible, that of their family and friends as well.

Doula Grievance Policy

Scope of Practice

• A. Services Rendered
  The doula accompanies the client in labor, provides emotional and physical support, suggests comfort measures, and provides support and suggestions for the partner. Whenever possible, the doula provides pre and postpartum emotional support, including explanation and discussion of practices and procedures, as needed.
• B. Limits to Practice
  The doula does not perform clinical or medical tasks such as taking blood pressure or temperature, fetal heart tone checks, vaginal examinations, or postpartum clinical care. Standards of Practice apply to emotional and physical support only. Doulas who are also health care professionals may provide these services within the scope and standards of their profession.
• C. Advocacy
  The doula advocates for the client’s wishes as expressed in the birth plan, in prenatal conversations, and intrapartum discussion. The doula helps the client incorporate changes in plans if and when the need arises, and enhances communication between client and caregiver. Clients and doulas must recognize that the advocacy role does not include the doula speaking instead of the client or making decisions for the client. The advocacy role is best described as support, information, and mediation or negotiation.
• D. Referrals
  For client needs beyond the scope of the doula’s training, referrals are made to appropriate resources.

Continuity of Care

• The doula should make back-up arrangements with another doula to ensure services to the client if the doula is sick or unable to be reached. Should any doula feel a need to discontinue service to an established client, it is the doula’s responsibility to notify the client and provide information on where to find a replacement, if the client so desires.
• This may be accomplished by:
  A. Introducing the client to the doula’s back-up.
  B. Following up with the client or back-up doula to ensure that the client’s needs were met.

Record Keeping

• A. Documentation
  The doula may maintain records of each client and if they do so, they do so confidentially.

Definition

• A grievance is a complaint, presented to It Takes a Village, in which an affliated doula has violated the Standards of Practice or Code of Ethics of the organization. The goal is to provide a way in which concerned persons can discuss those concerns regarding a specific doula. The hope is to resolve any problems or difficulties in a diplomatic way.

Policy

• A grievance can be sent via our contact form and it must include the complaint and the dates of the occurrence. Please include all relevant info, such as where the occurrence happened and who was involved. In cases of social media or other online interactions, this includes the platform or site, account names/ accounts/ handles, and the full conversation to provide context for what was said or done. In other words, provide as much information as possible. This will be sent to the doula involved. At this point, the doula must respond with any further information that they feel may be important. The doula will be given 10 days after which a decision will be made of any further action to be taken.

Further Action
There are a number of actions that can be taken. These include:

• No action
• A letter of reprimand
• A period of probation and recommendations to be determined
• Withdrawal of Missouri Doula Association membership
• Ending of affiliation with It Takes a Village

The certified doula in question may also choose to resign on their own volition.