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Doula Specialist, Poppy Ferrer, met a client in treatment who was determined to turn her life around. She just needed a little help.

Ferrer was honored to accompany her through her recovery journey. Through teaching, advocacy, and physical and emotional support, doulas have been shown to improve outcomes before and after the birth of a child.

“I come across amazing women and it’s a privilege to be invited into these intimate spaces, whether it’s their birth, their OB visits, or their personal lives,” said Ferrer.

Throughout the course of working together, the client remained substance-free and obtained housing and employment. Her DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services) case was successfully closed and she was reunited with her older children while adding a newborn to the family.

 “And that is just one family that has been impacted,” said Ferrer.

In honor of World Doula Week, March 22 to 28, Chestnut Health Systems™ celebrates the benefits of doulas during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

In the state of Illinois, there are four individuals who are dual certified as Peer Recovery Specialists and Birth and Postpartum Doulas. Three of those individuals are employed with Chestnut and serve the Granite City, IL area: Charisse Montgomery, Emily Rockcastle, and Poppy Ferrer. A fourth doula, Kaila Wallace, is working on her peer certification.

Peer Recovery Specialists are trained professionals who tap into personal experience to help others with their mental health and/or substance use recovery journeys. The dual certifications make these doulas uniquely qualified to work with clients who have a history of opioid or stimulant use.

"The most rewarding part of my job is building connections with moms and their babies and witnessing their incredible growth,” said Rockcastle. “It’s especially inspiring to see those who enter our program with substance use challenges and leave with a strong foundation for their recovery journey."

As a doula, no two days are the same. They could be transporting mothers to OB visits or babies to pediatric appointments. Or they could be helping clients sign up for assistance or supporting them in court. Depending on when the client comes into the program, the doulas can support them through their pregnancy, labor and delivery, and then for up to a year postpartum.

At times, advocacy can be challenging for this population. Many pregnant women must overcome obstacles to get into treatment and they often require a clearance to confirm the mother is receiving care and is currently in good health. The doulas have built rapport with local providers, which helps them connect mothers to qualified providers.

The doulas meet the clients where they are in a non-judgmental way that is laser-focused on producing favorable outcomes for both mom and baby. The doulas have a front row seat to witness many success stories where the impact ripples throughout the community.

“I think we have a major impact and we hope to continue to do greater things,” said Montgomery, Family Services Coordinator, who supervises the program.

That impact depends on steady funding.

“The challenge any grant program faces is funding — federal and state. Grant funding ensures we have all the resources we need to support the client holistically in their recovery journeys,” said Montgomery.

Wallace enjoys the outreach part of the job where they “build relationships with different agencies to ensure the clients have what they need.”

There are a lot of moving parts that can be difficult to navigate alone. The Chestnut doulas are building a community of partners to bring healthy babies into the world. During World Doula Week, it’s important to recognize the vital role of doulas in ensuring every birth experience is met with dignity.

To learn more about Chestnut's doula services, visit our Pregnancy and Postpartum Program page.

 About the Author

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Chestnut Health Systems

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Chestnut offers a comprehensive scope of behavioral health and human services in Illinois and Missouri. Our professional and experienced staff is committed to providing high-quality care and services to the communities we serve. From drug and alcohol addiction treatment facilities (residential and outpatient) to primary care medical homes, to a research institute, Chestnut continuously works to achieve its mission to make a difference and improve quality of life through excellence in service.

If you or someone you love needs help, we can help. It all starts with a phone call. In central Illinois call 888.924.3786 and in southern Illinois/Meto East area call 618.877.4420.