Standards of Practice
Policies and Procedures
BEST Educators must comply with the terms and conditions set forth in the Ethics and Standards of Practice. It is the responsibility of each educator to read, understand and operate under these standards.
Confidentiality
BEST Educators respect a student’s right to privacy and confidentiality. Information shared between student and educator must not be shared elsewhere. Educators are not bound by HIPAA, but must honor the student’s right to privacy. This includes any and all details and information about pregnancy, birth, postpartum, life, and health. BEST educators do not announce pregnancies, births or other private information by any means of communication, including social media, without client permission.
All training information, stories and experiences shared at BEST Educator training, BEST Educator events, and the BEST Educator facebook group are confidential to BEST educators and are not to be shared outside of the BEST Educator community.
Professionalism and Integrity
BEST educators honor all births and maintain professional conduct in all situations. BEST educators support relationships for collaborative care with doulas, health care providers, and other professionals involved in their preparation and care.
BEST educators communicate with other birth professionals online and otherwise respectfully, always with the goal of creating relationships and fostering growth. BEST educators choose professional distance over conflict when necessary.
BEST educators dress professionally when promoting their business, BEST Educator certification and during courses. Professional educator dress is business casual. Best educators should respond promptly to student inquiries and questions.
BEST educators strive to keep class schedules and be on time as a point of professionalism. Should an educator need to reschedule a session of the course, students must be provided as much notice as possible. BEST Educators are encouraged to work with another BEST Educator as backup in case of a last minute conflict. For those without this option, educators must inform students how the missed class will be rescheduled..
BEST Educators Support BEST Birth
A person’s BEST birth is individual to their circumstances and preferences. BEST Educators provide non-judgemental education and BEST Educators understand that labor and birth may be unpredictable and a client’s BEST birth may change. BEST Educators understand that interventions are not evil and each have a time/place.
Referrals
BEST educators aim to have a comprehensive referral list and make referrals to appropriate community resources as needed. This may include, but is not limited to acupuncturists, chiropractors, health care providers, massage therapists, naturopaths, mental health care professionals, lactation consultants, and community groups.
Alternative Therapies
BEST Educators may discuss the availability of alternative therapies. This may include, but is not limited to TENS, acupressure, acupuncture, massage therapy, herbology, essential oils, homeopathy, etc. BEST Educator does not provide training or certification in alternative therapies. BEST Educators understand that alternative therapies may be powerful, and ‘natural’ does not equate to benign. BEST Educators do not provide any of these therapies in the capacity of an educator.
Marketing and Digital Policies:
BEST Educators should share and market their information, while keeping in mind that all BEST Educators are responsible for the maintenance of the good reputation of BEST Doula Training, their fellow BEST Educators and the Preparing for Birth materials. BEST Educators should avoid deceptive, misleading, or unethical conduct. They should not participate in mass unsolicited telephone calls, faxing or e-mail nor should they add individuals to a customer list or private group without their express permission.
Websites, digital and print materials created by educators may include the official BEST Doula Training logo and a link to the www.preparingforbirth.org or www.bestdoulatraining.com websites.
If an educator chooses not to recertify with BEST Educator, she may NOT say she is “BEST Educator trained” - an educator is either certified or not. This shows respect to those that complete the recertification process. After completion of the certification process, BEST Educators are able to add the letters BCE behind their name stating they are a certified BEST Educator and are able to use the official logos and marketing.
Images and other content created by BEST Doula Training may be used on educators’ websites and marketing materials that pertain to their childbirth education related business. However, images, text, and all other content created by BEST Doula Training cannot be sold or used for non-related businesses. You may not reproduce, print, or otherwise copy the BEST logos or materials for personal profit or promotion.
Educators may not engage in activities that harm or have the potential to harm other businesses that promote BEST Doula Training or Preparing for Birth. This includes mentioning other businesses by name, comparing pricing or writing blogs discussing them in a negative light.
Educators may not sell or teach a course audio, video, or recording.
Course Materials:
All students of Preparing for Birth MUST receive the Preparing for Birth Journal and access to Prepared Feeding.
BEST Educators may not sell the Preparing for Birth student journal separately from contracted students. .
BEST Educators may not directly sell access to Prepared Feeding.
Preparing for Birth material cannot be changed or copied.
Preparing for Birth course content and materials cannot be used outside of teaching the Preparing for Birth Course.
If you want to add content to your course, that may be possible. Please submit your request using the link provided.
BEST Certified Educators may not teach courses/classes or any content or matter they are not certified or otherwise authorized to teach.
Makeup Classes
Students enrolled in Preparing for Birth may receive access to up to two makeup classes. BEST Educators will provide a password to the link included in the Preparing for Birth Course Journal where course podcasts can be accessed. Students will pay a small fee to BEST Doula Training for course access. If a student requires more than two makeup courses, please refer them to educator.training@bestdoulatraining.com
Course Fees
BEST Educators agree to charge a minimum fee of $250 for the full six week course.
Media Inquiries:
Educators should refer national media inquiries regarding BEST Doula Training, Preparing for Birth, the course or Prepared Feeding to BEST Doula Training. Best Educators may discuss their local business with local media.
Liability and Risk:
The educator agrees to hold all liability and business insurance in the terms and amounts as required by law and is prudent business practice. The educator understands that while traveling to or from Best Educator related meetings, classes or events the educator is doing so as a part of her own independent business and not as an employee or agent of BEST Doula Training.
Best Doula Training Terms & Conditions
Best Doula Training, LLC (“Best Doula”) is a Texas limited liability company providing childbirth educator certifications to trainees enrolled in the Best Doula Training Educator Program (“Program”). By purchasing and participating in the Program, You (or “Trainee”) agree to the following terms and conditions:
1. Services. Best Doula will provide educator training services to Trainee through the Program. Upon successful completion of the educator course requirements in Section 2, Trainee shall receive certification by Best Doula as an educator (“Educator Certification”). At all times, trainees and Best Certified Educators shall abide by the standard practices and policies of Best Doula, attached hereto as Exhibit A.
2. Program Requirements. Eligibility for Educator Certification requires successful completion of the following program requirements:
a) Payment of the required fees;
b) Completion of the required course reading;
c) Completion of the Preparing for Birth Childbirth and Breastfeeding Courses;
d) Completion of the provided study guide/Think Log;
e) Attendance and completion of the in-person or virtual training workshop.
3. Term. Your Educator Certification is valid for two years from the date of issuance. Upon expiration of the Educator Certification, You may no longer represent that you hold a certification from Best Doula Training. Recertification courses are offered to permit recertification after expiration of the two-year initial term.
4. Remote Instruction During Pandemic. Throughout the duration of the current coronavirus pandemic (“Pandemic”), You are permitted to provide live instruction virtually through an approved platform. At this time, approved platforms include Zoom, Google Meet, and Skype. You may not utilize any social media platforms or non-approved live streaming platforms. You may only provide live virtual instruction to customers whom You would normally service, meaning that You must remain within the geographical proximity in which You normally operate. You may not offer any prerecorded virtual instruction and must provide attendees with our Preparing for Birth Course Journal in advance of the live instruction. You are further responsible for monitoring all attendees to ensure that only those who have registered to attend the live instruction are present in the virtual event. At no time is any recording, either visual or audio, permitted by You or by attendees and You must instruct Your attendees of this restriction in writing prior to the date of the virtual instruction. In conducting virtual instruction, You must continue to abide by the Best Doula practices and policies outlined in Exhibit A. Remote instruction shall only be permitted until the pandemic ends or until such time as Best Doula, in its best discretion, deems it safe to resume full in-person operations. Best Doula will notify You in writing when remote instruction is no longer permitted.
5. Intellectual Property Rights. Best Doula is the owner of certain intellectual property, including, but not limited to, its copyrighted course booklets, course materials, and training materials. Throughout Your Educator Certification term, You may, at the election of Best Doula, be offered a limited, revocable license to use certain intellectual property belonging to Best Doula. Upon expiration of your Educator Certification, any such license is immediately revoked and You must immediately return or discontinue, including removal from commerce, any usage of Best Doula’s intellectual property.
6. Confidentiality. During the term of your training and Educator Certification and for two (2) years thereafter, neither party shall make use of the other's Confidential Information (as hereinafter defined) for purposes other than the performance of its obligations under these Terms. "Confidential Information" shall mean all information of either party not generally available to the public which is provided to the receiving party by the disclosing party or which the receiving party has access to or discovers, including but without limitation, all information relating to a Party’s products, business and operations including, but not limited to, business plans, financial records, customers, suppliers, vendors, products, costs, strategies, inventions, procedures, sales materials and data, technical advice or knowledge, contractual agreements, pricing, product specifications, trade secrets, marketing strategies, designs, drawings, work sheets, computer programs and systems and know-how or other intellectual property of a Party and its affiliates that may be at any time furnished, communicated or delivered by a Party to the other Party, whether in oral, tangible, electronic or other form. All Confidential Information shall remain the property of the disclosing Party. Confidential Information shall not include any information that: (a) was rightfully known to a party prior to disclosure by the other party; (b) is rightfully obtained by a party from a third party; (c) is made available by the disclosing party to the public without restrictions; (d) is disclosed by a party with prior written permission of the other party; (e) is independently developed or learned by the recipient party through legitimate means; (f) is disclosed by the disclosing party to a third party without a duty of confidentiality on the third party; or (g) is disclosed pursuant to any applicable laws, regulations, or order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or by the recipient in defense of a claim against the recipient. Each party will provide reasonable prior notice to the other, unless prohibited by applicable law, if it is required to disclose any of the other party's Confidential Information under operation of law, and such disclosure shall not constitute a breach of these Terms.
7. Relationship of the Parties. The parties are independent contractors and as such, at no time shall either party be considered an employee or employer of the other.
8. Governing Law and Venue. These Terms and the accompanying Exhibits and all matters arising out of or relating hereto, are governed by and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Texas. Each Party irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that it will not commence any action, litigation, or proceeding of any kind whatsoever in any forum other than Northern District of Texas, Dallas, Division, or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, the courts of the State of Texas sitting in Dallas County. Each Party agrees that a final judgment in any such action, litigation or proceeding is conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law.
9. Attorney’s Fees. If either Party incurs any legal fees associated with the enforcement of these Terms or any rights hereunder, the prevailing Party shall be entitled to recover its reasonable attorney’s fees and any court, arbitration, mediation, or other litigation costs and expenses from the other Party.
10. Mediation. Before institution of any action or proceeding of any kind whatsoever against a Party, the Parties shall first submit any dispute to mediation by a jointly selected mediator with experience relevant to issues involved in the dispute. The Parties will bear their own costs of mediation. Mediation must occur within sixty (60) days from written notice of the dispute or by the first available date that the jointly selected mediator is available.
11. Modification. No change, modification, amendment, or addition of or to these Terms or any part thereof shall be valid unless in writing and signed by an authorized representative of the Parties.