Maricopa County’s South Phoenix Healthy Start (SPHS) is a federally funded program providing case management, education, and support services to families living in the South Mountain, Central, and Maryvale communities in Phoenix, Arizona. Recent studies show that support provided to pregnant women and men prenatally just prior to delivery, during labor, and through the post-partum period will improve health outcomes for mothers, fathers, and the newborns. Such support services provided by a doula often augments the support provided by the families’ loved ones. A Doula is a specially trained birth companion (not a friend or loved one) who provides labor and after-labor support. They perform no clinical tasks and never question medical decisions. Doulas can also be trained to help families develop birth plans prior to the birth and/or assist with breastfeeding support and advice after the birth. They can also screen for postpartum mood disorders. A Doula provides women and men with all the options and choices regarding the birthing experience. A Doula also helps to empower women and men to share their birth plans with the prenatal/birthing health care provider(s) to explain what the family hopes for their childbirth experience. The Doula’s goal is to help the family have a safe and satisfying childbirth as the family defines it. A community-based Doula program recruits competent women and men to work in communities and incarcerated settings. The South Phoenix Healthy Start program desires to contract with individuals or organizations that will provide direct Doula services to Healthy Start families. Individuals or organizations can apply to provide services under the following types of Doulas:
- Pre-natal Doulas - Pre-natal Doulas work with women prenatally with required post-natal visits.
- Post-natal Doulas – Post-natal Doulas are seasoned community members that work with women.
- post-natal with required pre-natal visits.
- Post-natal Male Doulas – Post-natal Male are community members that work with male participants with required pre-natal and post-natal visits.
The South Phoenix Healthy Start program understands that community Doulas are a critical component to the birth process for mothers/fathers in our program. In efforts to keep our community safe during this critical time the program will follow the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance that recommends all health care workers be vaccinated Accordingly, you must provide evidence of either 1) having received the recommended (COVID-19, Hepatitis B, MMR, Tetanus, Influenza)vaccinations or 2) submit a request for exemption detailing the reason(s) you are requesting exemption prior to providing any work under this contract. Evidence of vaccination or request for exemption letter are to be submitted with your response.
The County reserves the right to add additional contractors, at the County’s sole discretion, in cases where the currently listed contractors are of an insufficient number or skill set to satisfy the County’s needs or to ensure adequate competition on any project or task order work.
Multiple contracts with successful candidates may be awarded and Maricopa County reserves the right to award contracts to the Contractors most advantageous to the County.
