Certification, Training & References

End of Life decisions and care can be extremely difficult. Care giving and End Of Life Doula (EOLD) services require a certain type of personality & temperament. In order to provide the level of care, nurturing and support needed for your loved ones, proper certification and training is necessary. Along with my BS degree in health science, I am also a Certified Nursing Assistant. However, I realized that even more specialized training was needed to provide the best level of care. This is  especially true when it comes to performing the tasks required of an End Of Life Doula.

Below are my qualifications, certification and training to insure that you or your loved one receive the best quality of care that I can provide.

Licensing

• Business License – B201501480
• Home Care Aid License for state of California – 7517322451
• Professionally Insured as End of Life Doula & Care Companion

Training & Certification

• BS in Health Science, Emphasis in Health Education – SDSU , Cum Laude (Outstanding Student of the Year)
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Kaplan College
• Trained through International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA)
• Vigil Doula Training through International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA) –View Certificate
• Elder Care Certification through Doulagivers (CEOLD) –View Certificate
• Certified End of Life Doula Training through Doulagivers (CEOLD) – View Certificate
• Care Consultant Certification through Doulagivers (CEOLD) – View Certificate
• Nurturing Touch for the Dying Certification
• 20+ years of volunteer work at two different hospice programs sitting vigil alone or with families

Ongoing Conferences, Seminars & Individual Classes

12/4/23 – ‘Empowering Children in Home Funerals’ Webinar by Kailey Bradley, MA, LPCC-S, NCC, FT
11/19/23 – Speaker on “How A Death Doula Could Enhance You End Of Life Journey” – Hemlock Society
7/10/23 – ‘Protecting Identity in Death-A Guide for Queer/Trans/Nonbinary+Folx and those who care for them’ Webinar by Jordan Rose
7/8 – 7/9/23 – Conference on Death, Grief & Belief 2023
7/18/22 – Addressing Health Disparities in the LBtGQ+ Communities – Windward Life Care
5/15/22 – Going to Switzerland (Voluntary Assisted Dying) – Hemlock Society
5/15/22- Visit To Pegasos (Voluntary Assisted Dying) – Hemlock Society
3/27/22 – Empowerment After Loss: Support & Rituals
3/20/22 – Out-of-Order Grief: Abortions and Still Births
3/13/22 – Black Maternal Mortality: Motherhood Denied/Negotiated & Stereotypes and Sterilizations
3/6/22 – Community Care and Filling in the Gaps: Doula Support for Infant Loss & Fetal Burial Laws
2/22/22 – Navigating Black Grief, Medina Jones and Dr. Jamie Chism
2/1/22 – End Of Life: Validating and Inviting Patient Experiences, Jeanne Van Bronkhorst, MA, MSW
1/30/22 – 2022 Symposium on Death and Bereavement Studies, Dr. Terri Daniel, CT, CCTP
1/15/22 – Dementia Care Provision Reducing Risk By Changing Care Strategies, Teepa Snow, Positive Approach to Care
7/28/21 – Guiding Children and Families Through Grief, Valenca O’Donovan Valenzuela
9/26/21 – What’s Good and Evil About Conservatorships – And How to Avoid the Bad Parts – Hemlock Society
7/18/21 – Helping a Loved One Die at Home – Not for the Faint of Heart, Anita Neff, Hemlock Society
3/21/21 – The High Cost of Dying. Hemlock Society
3/18/21 – LGBT+ Considerations for EOL Care, Sadiya Adjani
3/17/21 – Assisted Dying Around the World, Hemlock Society
2/24/21 – Beyond the Advanced Care Directive, Alua Arthur
2/3/21 – Directives That Speak: Reshaping the Future of Advanced Care Planning in your Community – Mideo University
1/20/21 – The High Cost Of Dying, Hemlock Society
12/7/20 – Caregiver: A Love Story, Dr. Jessica Zitter, Inelda
12/3/20 – Medical Aid in Dying, Robert Drake
11/20/20 – Dementia & Health, Hemlock Society
11/15/20 – Pallative Care & Age Friendly Health Systems: Why What Matters – CCCC
10/29/20 – Meeting the Needs of LGBTQ+ People Living with Dementia – Dr. Daniel Sewell & Amy Abrams, MSW
10/28/20 – Discussing Advance Care Directives with Family, Gloria Thomas Anderson, PHD, LMSW and Lauren Jodi Van Scoy, MD, Inelda
10/21/20 – Racial Inequality in Deathcare, Lupe Tahada Diaz
9/30/20 – Finding a  Better Path to the End Of Life – Dr. Jessica Zitter, Inedla
9/24/20 – Ending Disparities in Mental Health Care – Dr. Karin Glover & Yamni Hawkins, MSW
9/20/20 – Q&A on Covid-19, Hemlock Society
9/16/20-9/30/20 – Corona Conversations: How to Survive & Thrive in this Time of Crisis – 3 classes by Karen Watt & Suzanne O’Brien, Doulagivers Institute
9/11/20 – Understanding the African American Experience & it’s impact on Serious Illness – CCCC
9/3/20-10/8/20 – The Completed Life Conference – Six 2 hour sessions by CompletedLife.org
8/26/20 – Why Men Grieve Differently & How to Support Them – Garrick Cowell & Barbara Morningstar
7/29/20 – Getting Real about Racial Disparities in End Of Life Care – Pastor Corey Kennar, Inelda
7/12/20 – Complex Decision Making in the Intensive Care Unit, Hemlock Society
6/30/20 – Vigil Keeping & Ritualization, Nina Guetin
5/19/20 – Are you Interested in Creating an End of Life Doula Group, Lisa Patterson * Victoria Quinn-Stephens
5/17/20 – Final Exit Network-An Alternative to Medical Aid in Dying, Hemlock Society
4/21/20 – The Role of Community Death Care, Lashanna Williams & Lori Goldwyn
3/25/20 – An Update on Psychedelics in End Of Life Care, Anthony Bossis, PHD & Charles Grob MD
3/9/20 – Pain Management at the End of Life, Barbara Karnes, RN
2/29/20 – Aggressive Medical Treatment for Seniors, Hemlock Society
2/18/20 – Medical Terminaology, Hospice/Doula Relationships & Hospice Packs, Dr. Jackie Yaeger
1/29/20 – Crossing the Boundary, Eben Alexander & Karen Newell, Inedla
1/14/20 – All Things Hospice, Merilynne Rush & Karen Reppen
11/21/19 – Memorial Arts, EE Miller, MFA
11/20/19 – Exploring the Doula Model in a Senior Care Facility, Sandra L. Place
10/15/19 – Spiritual Care for the Dying, Patricia Lyndale
9/24/19 – Conversation with Amy Wright (Auther, Founder of the Institute for the study of Birth, Breath and Death)
9/10/19 – Nurturing Touch for the Dying, Elizabeth Erbrecht, LMT
7/22/19 – How to Market & Build your Social Media Platform as an End of Life Doula, Alua Arthur & Suzanne O’Brien, RN
5/29/19 – An Interview with Zoe Francesca & Lori Goldwyn – East Bay End of Life Doula Network – Inelda
4/30/19 – After Death Care & the End of Life Doula – Lee Webster, Merilynne Rush
3/27/19 – A Conversation with BJ Miller, MD
10/26/18 – New Models of Grief – Dr. Ken Doka, PHD, M.Div
7/25/18 – Working with Organ Donors, Kathleen Roberg (Organ Procurement Coordinator), Inelda
3/28/18 – Palliative Care & End Of Life Issues – Dr Jose Contreras (Palliative Care Physician & Chairman of the Institute of Pain & Palliative Care)
7/19/17 – A Personal Story about Voluntarily Stopping Eating & Drinking – Phyllis Shacter (author of  ‘Choosing To Die’), Inelda
3/29/17 – Qualities of a Good Doula & the Secrets to a Successful Program – Kris Kington-Barker (Executive Director-Hospice SLO County), Inelda
1/25/17 – Alleviating Pain through Guided Imagery – Herny Fersko-Weiss – Inelda
9/28/16 – Understanding & Working With Grief – Inelda

References

• EOL University – Real Talk About Life and Death by Dr. Karen Wyatt
• EOL University – Podcast Series About Life and Death
• The Death Hangout – Helping you awaken to your mortality so you can live your best life
• Doulagivers – Information about End Of Life Care Education