Our Founders
Our story began in 2015, when Kami hired Kelli as her doula. While the beginning may have been ordinary, the connection that grew from it has been extraordinary—one that has continued to deepen and inspire our work together. By 2020, after several years of collaboration at Tree of Life Doula Care, we created Healing in Recovery Doula Training (HRDT), the first comprehensive certification program for Recovery Doulas. Our first cohort launched in 2021, and over the past five years HRDT has grown into a program we are deeply proud of. We are grateful to be part of guiding the development of this emerging field. Recovery Doula Alliance was born from that same vision. We recognized the need for a central platform where information, resources, and training could come together in one accessible space. Our hope is for the Alliance to be not only that resource, but also a place of connection, collaboration, and growth
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Recovery Doula Alliance (RDA) in a nonprofit organization that was founded in response to critical and persistent gaps in perinatal care. Nationally, nearly one‑third of pregnancy‑related deaths are associated with substance use disorders or mental health conditions and families navigating these challenges are often supported by systems that are unprepared to meet their needs, contributing to stigma, fragmented care, and preventable harm.
Our work centers on reducing stigma and increasing access to recovery-informed care by training Recovery Doulas through our specialized program, expanding training opportunities for the broader community, sharing accessible education and information, and fostering connection.
Our journey began in 2021 with the development and launch of our Recovery Doula training program —the first of its kind in Montana and still one of the only recovery-centered doula trainings in the country. The program was initially housed within Tree of Life Family Care as a short-term strategy to support curriculum development and early implementation. What started as a self-paced, online course has since grown into an intentionally designed 30-week, instructor-led program, deeply infused with mentorship and support.
As interest in our Recovery Doula training grew, so did our vision for the future. While early cohort participants were organized externally, shifting conditions made it clear that long-term sustainability and growth required a dedicated organizational home. After five years of program delivery, evaluation, and refinement, Recovery Doula Alliance was formally established as a nonprofit in 2025 to steward the training program and expand our impact.
To date, approximately 50 individuals have gone through our Recovery Doula training program, helping to expand access to recovery-informed care across communities. We are profoundly grateful for the support we continue to receive, which allows us to advance our mission forward.