Green River Doula Network: Baystate Green River Doula Project

The Green River Doula Network is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We operate on an all-volunteer basis, so 100% of your donations go directly toward our educational programs, and toward providing free doula support for women in need.

Please click the button below to make a tax-deductible donation.

Baystate Green River Doula Project

In cooperation with the midwives at Baystate Midwifery and Women's Health, members of the Green River Doula Network are taking part in a volunteer doula effort at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. Baystate Midwifery serves a primarily low-income clientele from many cultures and walks of life, and our goal is to provide doula support to as many of these women as possible.

If you'd like to take part in our effort, you must be a trained, but not necessarily certified or experienced, doula. We ask for a commitment of at least 1-2 on-call periods per month, scheduled at your convenience.

Registering as a Baystate Volunteer

All doulas participating in the project must be officially classified as volunteers at Baystate Medical Center, and must also become members of the Green River Doula Network. There are several steps to this process:

Let know you are interested. She will send an e-mail to Sandy in the Volunteer Office introducing you.
Call Sandy Dominique at Baystate Medical Center's Volunteer Office and ask for a volunteer application packet. Sandy will mail one to you. Or you can pick one up from the Baystate Volunteer office-- Sandy's number is 413-794-1026 and her e-mail is sandra.dominique@bhs.org. She's aware of the doula project and has been very helpful.
Immediately fill out the volunteer application and the 2 pages involving the consent process for background checks and mail it back or drop it off to Sandy in the volunteer office.
Sandy will call you when your background check has cleared. This takes about one week.
You can then proceed with the Health Services requirements, which include two separate TB tests at least one week apart and immunizations, immunization records and/or blood tests, depending on your particular status. The Health Services phone number is 794-3254--talk with them if you have any questions. It is possible to have a nurse at your college health services read your TB tests and fax the results to Health Services--but you should check on this with H.S. if you would like to explore this option. You can also go to Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, if it is closer, to get the health services process completed, but once again, let Sandy know so they can alert FMC Health Services. The TB tests and titers (if needed) are done free of charge at both Baystate Medical Center or Baystate Franklin Medical Center, Health Services.
After your Health Services requirements are completed, you are eligible to attend an volunteer orientation session at Baystate (1/1-2 hours) held twice a month at Baystate Medical Center. Sandy can tell you when these are being held.
A reference form is also included in the application packet and needs to be filled out and returned to Sandy. References must be received before attending the general volunteer orientation.
After this orientation, you fill out three "tests"--turn them in to volunteer services and then go to security to get a name badge which you have to wear at all times while volunteering.

This process is necessary for Baystate to meet Joint Commission requirements! It usually takes a minimum of four weeks to finish this process.
The proposal for this on-call doula project states that the participating doulas are members of the Green River Doula Network, Inc. It's only $48 per year, and that's prorated--so if you join in February, it's $44, etc. Information on joining the network is available here. Contact , president of GRDN, with any questions about the process.
Stasia Hallisey, CNM needs a written verification of your doula training or certification sent to her, along with your short 1/2 page bio explaining who you are and why you are interested in this project along with any experience you have as a doula. Please send this to her at Baystate Midwifery and Women's Health at 769 Chestnut Street, Springfield, MA 01199.
You must also attend a doula orientation with Stasia Hallisey, CNM. We will keep you posted when these occur. If you have completed all the steps and only need this orientation to get started, contact .
It's important for you to come to a GRDN meeting to get some personal orientation to the program as well. Our meetings are held once a month and can be found under Upcoming Events.

Please e-mail with any other questions! And thank you for your interest in our project.

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