SisterWeb Blooms 2021 Annual Report

We planted seeds:

SisterWeb re-opened our cottage office in Bayview and inaugurated a beautiful garden filled with healing herbs and space for outdoor client and staff meetings

SisterWeb administrative team focused on streamlining systems and documenting our work:

• We launched new data collection forms and a way to automate the data analysis for some of our key metrics of success. Training our doulas in note taking and documentation has been a big priority for improved communication between doulas within cohorts and for accountability to the families we serve.
• In partnership with UC Berkeley, we ran a one month time-use research study on “How do community doulas spend their time?” that will be published and used to promote fair reimbursement of community doula care nationally.
• We launched a new website, internal and external newsletters and social media pages.
• Our Operations staff rolled out a Health and Safety Plan, held monthly Q&A meetings for all staff.

We tended to our garden:

SisterWeb continued to show up for birthing families in San Francisco:

• SW Doulas provided oncall support for 86 births
• 212 individual mentorship sessions were held between doulas and their SW mentor
• 49 of Monthly Champion Dyad meetings (between Medical reps and SW reps)
• 82 Clients identified at least 1 main goal for themselves in their pregnancy-birth journey
• SW Doulas facilitated 539 Prenatal and Postpartum visits with their clients
• 45 Clients attended ALL 7 Prenatal and postpartum visits
• Launched virtual prenatal and postpartum groups in MANA.
• SisterWeb doulas spent an average of 16.7 hours providing on-call support during labor and delivery and an average of over 30 hours of direct client care with each birthing person throughout the perinatal period.

We remained focused on the professional growth and the wellbeing of our staff:

• 88.2% of doulas who utilized at least 1 of SW provided options for processing emotional load of birth work (mental health consultant, supervisor, mentor, cohort)
• Average amount that SW doulas felt trust in and could depend on their doula partners to fill in for them with clients and to offer support when they needed it = 9/10
• Average level reported by SW doulas of feeling supported and encouraged by their mentors = 9.5/10

We increased our community engagement presence both virtually and in person with 1480 of Community members attending a SW event/presentations

We partnered with The SF Respect Initiative and other maternal health resources as a member of the Pop-Up Pregnancy Village.

We put down roots:

• Doulas showed dedication and leadership in creating a platform for further relationship building and communication across the organization by helping to launch monthly All Staff Meetings and Doula Sharing Circles.
• We launched our Strategic Planning process in collaboration with consultants, Raimi and Associates. The consultants worked with all levels of staff and our Advisory Committee to hold focus groups with each program within SW. The plan was officially unveiled in early 2022.
• We stabilized funding and moved doulas to full time, benefitted employees.
• We realigned our team with a new prioritization matrix and in depth staff development opportunities including a six part series called “Learning the SW Way”. We also held our first annual All Staff Retreat.

We weathered the storm:

COVID related challenges continued in 2021:

• Shifting hospital protocols, changes in staff, lack of staff. Staff out due to COVID. Clients becoming unresponsive during surges.
• Not enough staff to keep up with responsibilities in operations & communications
• Vaccine mandates with HH & SF City, sick staff, staff turnovers, the need for full time doulas and continued competitive pay/dignified wages.
• View our 2021–2022 COVID Impact Report here.

We continued the barrier removal efforts started in 2020:

• We provided gift cards to aid with living expenses for clients
• All Staff received a COVID specific bonus to offset additional expenses incurred.
• Food, essential item and PPE distribution continued for clients

SisterWeb began consistent mental health consultations for doulas and coordinators in collaboration with the Infant Parent Program at ZSFG

Explore our Process Evalution Report completed with UC Berkeley.

We celebrated our harvest:

Outcomes and victories

• 97% of SW Clients report that their SisterWeb Doulas Helped them Feel More Confident Navigating Healthcare Systems And Understanding their Rights And Options
• Do you feel that your SisterWeb Doulas helped you achieve your Pregnancy / Birth / Postpartum goals? 93% Yes
• 96% of clients say that they would like to have a doula should they get pregnant again
• Referrals to SisterWeb flowed in from 24 clinical and community based sites throughout the city.
• 93.2% of clients who initiated breastfeeding at birth
• 67% of clients breastfeeding at 6 weeks postpartum

“That was one of the main things about being a doula with SisterWeb that changed the game for me. I got mentors."

- KBC Doula

“The SW WFD program has given back a clear way of me making immediate and authentic change to human beings locally in my community and nationally. I AM A ROLE MODEL and that gives me so much purpose!”

- Deundra Hundon, Director of Workforce Development

“I had hard time kind of build a rapport with a lot of clients because I was on boarded during the pandemic. I really didn't have the opportunity to go into people's homes or meet them in person. There was a constant battle making connection with clients…Remote stuff and tech literacy was hard for a lot of our families.”

- Semilla Sagrada Doula

“You matter to me, you matter how you are presenting yourself not in a materialistic way, but just an emotional part. I care about the mental and emotional health of people a lot more. SisterWeb definitely helped me with that gentle approach with people.”

- KBC Doula

“I see my best friend in my clients, I see my family, see my sisters, I see myself, and I know that I'm doing what I'm meant to be doing… I do truly believe that with each client I'm matched with, there was something within myself that my client needed, but there's also something within my client that I needed too. It's bi-directional fulfillment, that like purpose is bi-directional. In every client that I've had, it’s an honor to work with.”

- Azraa, KBC Doula