May 2024

International Doula Month, Mental Health Month, National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, AsianAmerican and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, National Trauma Awareness Month

Wishing a special day to all the mothers and people providing the care that mothers do. We know how much you carry, and we thank you!

This Sunday, let's celebrate all the mothers in our lives and remember the mothers no longer with us — whose legacies live through their children, grandchildren, and communities.

Every second Saturday in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood in San Francisco, the Pop-Up Village convenes a constellation of organizations for pregnant people and their families to learn and celebrate. KQED's Pendarvis Harshaw writes about this treasured resource and expands notions of reproductive health to include social determinants which can be addressed through more services and supports. (The next Pop-Up Village is this Saturday, May 11 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Southeast Community Center.)

We are seeking a Writer and Communications Manager who is a passionate and creative storyteller that can develop and implement strategic communications across modalities and channels. In this role, the ideal candidate will also weave compelling narratives that empower communities and advance health equity and collaborating closely with a team of experts to shape the initiative's communication strategy and drive measurable impact.

The California Coalition for Black Birth Justice is facilitating a series of focus groups this month to identify the needs and capacities of clinicians and healthcare systems to engage in Black birth equity improvement efforts. They are looking for physicians, nurses, certified nurse midwives, and C-Suite and quality improvement staff to join these 75-minute focus groups. Participants will receive $75 for their time and engagement.

HOPE THRIVE is a research study focused on learning whether use of a specific type of therapy, called digital cognitive behavioral therapy (dCBT), delivered by an online application, can help pregnant people with moderate to severe anxiety feel better. The study team is seeking California MediCal participants who are between 8-27 weeks pregnant and are experiencing moderate to severe levels of anxiety. Participants will be asked to use an app to address anxiety at least once a week and complete five surveys. Participants can receive up to $400. If you are interested in participating or know someone who is, reach out to the study team at hope@ucsf.edu.

UCSF's EMBRACE is enrolling Black-identifying people in their pregnancy loss groups, Holding Expecting Anxiety & Loss (H.E.A.L.). On the second and fourth Thursdays from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., Black people who have experienced a miscarriage, a stillbirth, a loss of a child before birth, or termination are welcome to join this virtual support group. There is space for up to 8 participants.

Black Women Birthing Justice hosts a virtual support community for Black doulas and midwives every third Saturday of the month at 9:30 a.m. Membership is free for Bay Area birthworkers. For new and experienced birthworkers, this is a space to share strategies on how to support clients and feel supported in self-care and work-life balance as a birthworker.

A collaborative study, “Disparities in Processes and Outcomes of Care Across Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Populations at Childbirth," is seeking providers (obstetric providers, neonatal providers; L&D, Mother/Baby, or NICU staff; and Birth/Postpartum/Lactation professionals, such as doulas) and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific

Islander parents whose babies are under one year old to participate in one-hour telephone interviews. Participants will be given a $40 gift card. If interested, please contact the study team at aanhpi-birthstudy@cpqcc.org.