END-OF-LIFE DOULA CERTIFICATION
COST: $595
DISCOUNTS: Tier 2 and 3 Members will receive 5% off program, -or- 25% off for Student or Military. Scholarships offered.
INELDA’s Certification Program is a comprehensive 1-year cohort-based professional development program designed to support you through mentorship, peer review, and continuing education. As an extension of INELDA’s community of practice founded and guided by INELDA’s core competencies, the certification program engages and applies The INELDA Doula Approach throughout the year-long process, culminating in the design and practice of the doula’s field specialization of choice.
- PREREQUISITE: Completion of the INELDA End-of-Life Doula Training, INELDA Hospice Training, or another organization’s end-of-life doula training with the completion of the INELDA 9-hour self-paced bridge program.
- CERTIFICATION RENEWAL: INELDA Certification is granted for a 3-year period. Continuing education hours (30hrs) must be submitted each three year period to remain current in certification.
You are encouraged to attend one of our free DISCOVERY CALLS to learn more about our certification and recertification programs.
- SCHOLARSHIPS: Available (this will reduce the cost to $150)
- REQUIREMENTS: A minimum of 2 cases and up to 5 cases *additional cases may be requested*
- FORMAT: Field hours, journaling, guide assignment, case presentations, personal recommendations, assessment, panel interview
- PREREQUISITE: Complete an INELDA End-of-Life Doula Training. If you have completed another organization’s End-of-Life Doula Training we request you complete the INELDA End-of-Life Doula Training Refresher
- RECERTIFICATION: INELDA Certification is granted for a 3-year period. Need to recertify? CLICK HERE
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
- Applicant information form
- CV or Resume
- 2 Letter of Recommendations
- End-of-life Doula Experience report form
COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS:
- Year-long active participation in the certification program online portal, which includes supplementary materials, videos, short classes, forums, and more
- (4) 2-hr cohort review sessions
- (4) 2-hour continuing education sessions
- Quarterly self-assessments and progress report
- Final professional specialization integration essay
After taking the INELDA End-of-Life Doula Training or Hospice Doula Training, you may choose to continue your learning by engaging in our 1-year certification program. This isn’t a requirement for serving as an end-of-life doula; however, it can be a valuable investment in your personal and professional development.
While there are deep conversations about the relevance of certification in the end-of-life doula community, INELDA understands that after completing training many individuals can benefit from the process of ongoing support as they step into one of the many pathways and roles as end-of-life doula.
In order to begin the certification program, you will need to have had some end-of-life doula experience, whether through client involvement, volunteer service, community outreach, advocacy, or other experience in the field. Throughout your experience, as a certification candidate, you will be expected to reflect deeply on the ways you engage in service and interact with those you serve, your insights through lived experience, how you apply the foundational doula principles you learned and experienced in the INELDA training, and how you demonstrate and embody INELDA’s core competencies.
Dying people and their circle of care are our greatest teachers. Having experienced doulas and peers share feedback about what you learn in the field and the way you serve is of great value. Our certification program is designed to support and enrich your continuing education and develop your professional specialization, supported by a certification review panel and a cohort of peers.
Currently, the end-of-life doula field does not have government or industry oversight on certification. However, INELDA is committed to helping establish a meaningful credential that lets prospective clients, communities, or organizations know that you have the knowledge, skill, and field practice to serve them well. It reflects your investment in professional development, current developments in the field, and the ongoing support of INELDA’s community of practice. The INELDA certification program is uniform; however, it is also tailored to meet the needs and experience of each doula.
OVERVIEW OF INELDA’S END-OF-LIFE DOULA CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
- Complete an INELDA End-of-Life Doula Training. If you have completed another organization’s End-of-Life Doula Training we request you complete INELDA End-of-Life Doula Training Refresher
- Complete the application form by September 30, 2024
- Sign the INELDA Code of Ethics & Scope of Practice
- Submit two letters of recommendation — 1 personal and 1 professional
- Submit the required resume or CV highlighting end-of-life experience
- Work with clients as an end-of-life doula in a minimum of 2 cases and to up to 5 cases* totaling 40 hours. *The Certification Guide may require additional case(s)
- One Active Listening & Response (ALR) Journal entry per case
- 3 Personal Journal entries or more
- One case summary and timesheet per case
- 2 Evaluations per case
- Conduct a survey of community resources in your area
- Complete online assessment
- Panel interview
- Submit all materials within 2 years of application
BENEFITS
- Continued development as an EOL Doula
- Personalized one-on-one feedback and guidance
- Increased confidence and expertise in serving the dying
- Contribute to bringing recognition of doulas as a qualified of end-of-life support
- Transform society’s view of dying, one person at a time
FEES AND PROCEDURE
- Attend an INELDA End-of-Life Doula Training. If you have attended another organization’s End-of-Life Doula Training we request you attend INELDA End-of-Life Doula Training Refresher
- Review overview of Certification Process after training
- Apply for a scholarship if you meet the criteria
- Submit application with two letters of recommendations and a resume – $75 by September 30, 2024.
- Submit the first Case Packet for review and feedback
- Submit additional Case Packets — $255 ($30 off for Tier 2 and 3 Members)
- Submit community resources
- Take an online exam
- Participate in an interview with your guide
- Receive the final report and official certification
BENEFITS
- Engage in continued development as an end-of-life doula
- Receive personalized feedback and guidance
- Gain increased confidence and expertise in serving your end-of-life community
- Contribute to bringing recognition of end-of-life doulas as qualified non-medical professionals in end-of-life support
- Transform society’s view of dying, one person at a time
- Develop and elaborate a professional specialization practice
- INELDA Certified EOL Doulas are highlighted on INELDA’s Doula Directory.
GIVING BACK
As an INELDA certified end-of-life doula, you may have the opportunity in the future to guide others through:
- INELDA end-of-life doula education
- Certification
- Serving in our peer mentoring and community of practice program
In these ways you actively contribute to the learning of people following the same calling and passion that led you to this labor of service.
IN THIS PROGRAM YOU WILL
- Engage with your cohort on the online education platform
- Attend and participate in all cohort sessions
- Attend and participate in all continuing education sessions
- Complete journal entries
- Complete self-assessments
- Complete and submit doula experience reports and time sheets
- Submit in-the-field evaluations
- Conduct and submitt a survey of community resources in your area
- Research and write an end-of-life doula experience integration essay
- Submit all materials within the year-long program
- Receive the final assessment and official certification
- Participate in a closing ceremony
RECERTIFICATION
CERTIFICATION FAQS
Currently, there is no state or federal regulatory body that certifies end-of-life doulas.
We believe in offering continued opportunities for the growth and development of our doulas that enable and encourage their investment in themselves, as well as building high standards of practice in the field. As such, our certification is a designation that the individuals and loved ones our doulas support can trust.
The first step is to take our INELDA End-of-Life Doula Training. If you have completed your end-of-life training with another organization, your first step would be to take our INELDA End-of-Life Doula Training Refresher.
We recommend up to six months of experience prior to application.
After completing the training, if you wish to pursue certification, you can submit your application.
To see an overview of the requirements and process for certification, please scroll up to read the section titled “Overview of INELDA’s End-Of-Life Doula Certification Requirements”.
No. There is no governing body that requires certification for end-of-life doulas. Certification is optional, however choosing to go through the process is an investment in your continued growth and development as a doula.
A $75 fee is required to submit your application and first case packet, and an additional $255 ($225 for Tier 2 & 3 members) prior to submitting case packets 2 through 5.
Yes. For details, click here.
Yes, recertification is required every 3 years. For recertification, 36 hours of end-of-life care-related activities are required over a three-year period. These activities fall into four categories; Receiving Education, Providing Education, Contributing to the Field, and Direct Service. [Download PDF here]
The cases you choose for your certification need to occur after completing an INELDA End-of-Life Doula Training course. You will be evaluated on understanding class material and how well you apply the skills and tools you learned. Previous experience is taken into consideration when determining the number of cases and hours.
We recommend that you start out volunteering at a local hospice where you can work with terminal patients and their loved ones. Hospitals and long-term care facilities may also be an option in some places, but typically volunteers in those settings don’t get as much opportunity to work closely with dying patients. Your work as a private doula practice or as a member of a collaborative is applicable.
We allow for one case to be submitted that documents work with a family member. It is important for doulas to maintain an emotional boundary between themselves and the people they serve. While doulas should be compassionate and loving toward the people they work with, overly close or complicated emotional connections can make it harder to maintain the objectivity and impartial presence that is a hallmark of the end-of-life-doula role. If you have questions about the appropriateness of a case, please email: [email protected]
No. If you are a professional working with the dying in the end-of-life field, you will need to choose cases where you can work with the individual and/or their loved ones exclusively in the role of end-of-life doula. If you have questions about this, or to inquire about your particular situation, please email: [email protected]
No. You might work with one client on legacy work, another doing vigil work, or just work with the loved ones as they begin grieving after their loved one’s death. Of course, if you do get to work on a case through planning, meaning work, a legacy project, the vigil, and grieving afterwards, you will get a much richer understanding of how the entire end-of-life doula process plays out across a whole case.
We know that in working with an individual across all three phases, you may put in many more than the maximum 12 hours allotted per case. The extra time you spend, even though it doesn’t count towards your 40 total hours, will certainly be worth it and benefit your learning in immeasurable ways.
Currently, there is no state or federal regulatory body that certifies end-of-life doulas.
We believe in offering continued opportunities for the growth and development of our doulas that enable and encourage their investment in themselves, as well as building high standards of practice in the field. As such, our certification is a designation that the individuals and loved ones our doulas support can trust.
The first step is to take our INELDA End-of-Life Doula Training. If you have completed your end-of-life training with another organization, your first step would be to take our INELDA End-of-Life Doula Training Refresher.
We recommend up to six months of experience prior to application.
After completing the training, if you wish to pursue certification, you can submit your application.
To see an overview of the requirements and process for certification, please scroll up to read the section titled “Overview of INELDA’s End-Of-Life Doula Certification Requirements”.
No. There is no governing body that requires certification for end-of-life doulas. Certification is optional, however choosing to go through the process is an investment in your continued growth and development as a doula.
A $75 fee is required to submit your application and first case packet, and an additional $255 ($225 for Tier 2 & 3 members) prior to submitting case packets 2 through 5.
Yes. For details, click here.
Yes, recertification is required every 3 years. For recertification, 36 hours of end-of-life care-related activities are required over a three-year period. These activities fall into four categories; Receiving Education, Providing Education, Contributing to the Field, and Direct Service. [Download PDF here]
The cases you choose for your certification need to occur after completing an INELDA End-of-Life Doula Training course. You will be evaluated on understanding class material and how well you apply the skills and tools you learned. Previous experience is taken into consideration when determining the number of cases and hours.
We recommend that you start out volunteering at a local hospice where you can work with terminal patients and their loved ones. Hospitals and long-term care facilities may also be an option in some places, but typically volunteers in those settings don’t get as much opportunity to work closely with dying patients. Your work as a private doula practice or as a member of a collaborative is applicable.
We allow for one case to be submitted that documents work with a family member. It is important for doulas to maintain an emotional boundary between themselves and the people they serve. While doulas should be compassionate and loving toward the people they work with, overly close or complicated emotional connections can make it harder to maintain the objectivity and impartial presence that is a hallmark of the end-of-life-doula role. If you have questions about the appropriateness of a case, please email: [email protected]
No. If you are a professional working with the dying in the end-of-life field, you will need to choose cases where you can work with the individual and/or their loved ones exclusively in the role of end-of-life doula. If you have questions about this, or to inquire about your particular situation, please email: [email protected]
No. You might work with one client on legacy work, another doing vigil work, or just work with the loved ones as they begin grieving after their loved one’s death. Of course, if you do get to work on a case through planning, meaning work, a legacy project, the vigil, and grieving afterwards, you will get a much richer understanding of how the entire end-of-life doula process plays out across a whole case.
We know that in working with an individual across all three phases, you may put in many more than the maximum 12 hours allotted per case. The extra time you spend, even though it doesn’t count towards your 40 total hours, will certainly be worth it and benefit your learning in immeasurable ways.