Doulas For The People is a Black-woman led doula agency committed to providing reproductive support, information, resources and advocacy in collaboration with historically disenfranchised communities in New Jersey.
Our Vision
Our vision is to work alongside Black and Brown families to eradicate systemic racism within the medical industrial complex. While we serve all families, we are committed to providing exceptional doula care to the people who need it the most.
About Tatiana:
Tatiana Smith is the Owner and Organizational Director of Doulas For The People. She is a full spectrum doula certified by Ancient Song Doula Services, DONA International, and Uzazi Village. Tatiana has also had training with Evidence Based Birth and Spinning Babies. She is a Registered Prenatal Yoga Instructor, Reiki Practitioner, and also specializes in Placenta Encapsulation. For the past 6 years, she has been a community doula supporting births for a diversity of women and experiences in hospitals, birth centers, and home births. Tatiana supports clients in the NYC metropolitan area, having served families in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
When doulas in New Jersey became eligible to become Medicaid providers, Tatiana was one of the first doulas to sign on and begin providing services. Tatiana is contracted with all 5 MCOs (Aetna, Amerigroup, Horizon NJ Health, United Healthcare, and Wellcare). She has been reimbursed by all five insurance companies and has picked up a few tips and tricks along the way. Her goal is to help support individual doulas and organizations so that they can focus on what they do best–providing support services to the families they serve.
About Rhea:
"I’m your Doula Sister Rhea Malone. I was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. As a former early childhood educator, I’ve had a longtime love for supporting children and families. Doula work has been part of me longer than I’ve realized as I’ve supported family and friends. After realizing the type of work I was doing, I later became certified under Uzazi Village and the rest was history. This work is meaningful and very fulfilling. Being able to serve is such a blessing."
About Fatimah:
Fatimah Muhammad has worked alongside the International Baby-Friendly designation project at NYU Medical Center, the second hospital in New York to receive a baby-friendly designation. She currently serves as an international and national doula, with a majority of her clients residing in the tri-state area.
Her personal journey has led her to gain international experience and training alongside labor and delivery nurses, midwives, and physicians. This allowed her to acquire a diversified skillset as a doula educator and trainer offering community resource referrals to families parenting from the beginning of pregnancy to the first six weeks postpartum. Fatimah is presently involved as a national doula trainer, volunteer, and educator to help eradicate female mortality and comorbidities. During a career that spans almost two decades, she has established her reputation for educating women and families on their pregnancy journey.
During her tenure as Project Manager at NYU Langone Hospital Fatimah worked in population health where she managed the health outcomes of a gastroenterology human microbiome study which focused on individuals and communities in the state of New York. She also assisted in expanding the study internationally to the United Arab Emirates.
Fatimah Muhammad serves as the Director of 340B Pharmaceutical Services and Drug Reimbursement at Saint Peter’s University Hospital. For nearly a decade she has spearheaded pharmaceutical services programs dedicated to optimizing healthcare for vulnerable populations, with a focus on increasing their access to vital medications and providing more comprehensive and affordable patient services. In addition to her position at Saint Peter’s, she is an active member of the Opioid Task Force.
Fatimah is passionate about decreasing maternal mortality, addressing racial disparities, health disparities, and health inequities so that every woman and their family can look forward to their journey and not fear a likely, but an unnecessary outcome. In all her efforts she is dedicated to helping provide emotional, educational, and physical support that ensures future generations receive fair and equal treatment.
About Yaqinah:
Seante’ (Yaqinah) Cherry is very compassionate in her work as a Community Leader and Social Service Technician for Newark Board of Education Head Start Program. With 24yrs of Head Start experience in servicing children 3-5 years old, she has educated, engaged and empowered families by developing a partnership and connecting them with active community resources to strengthen and aid families towards self-sufficiency.
Born and raised in Newark New Jersey has inspired and motivated her to undertake grass rooted work within her community and communities alike. In doing the “work” she meets families where they are, she can identify with the needs and has great influence in bridging the gap.
Seante’ is FDC (Family Development Credential) certified to work frontline in assisting families capitalize on their strengths and set attainable goals. In addition, she’s a Certified Perinatal Doula, who supports births prenatal, during labor and postpartum by providing continuous physical, emotional and informational support. She has most recently extended her leadership role by acquiring certification in the recovery space and is soon to be a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist.
Community is her passion and coming from adverse childhood experiences herself, Seante’ aka Yaqinah is determined to see positive outcomes in strengthening families one at a time by implementing the knowledge and skills she has obtained through evidence based practices.
Also, as a Community Engagement Partnership Coordinator for Daraja of Love she’s committed to bridging the gap to unite families with social, economic, educational and cultural resources needed to establish individual wholeness and a healthy lifestyle.
