Those of us who are Certified Death Midwives have attended an assessment-based certificate program that provided instruction and training designed to impart specific knowledge and competencies that support our death midwifery work. We were evaluated on our levels of achievement of the intended learning outcomes via assessment at the conclusion of the training program, and only those of us who met the passing standard on the assessment were awarded certification.

Certification is a hot-button issue in the larger community of death midwives, death doulas, and other end-of-life workers. Those in favor of certification/self-regulation offer the benefits of autonomy, accountability, professional standards, safety, and greater public confidence as reasons to certify; those against it say that certification means nothing when there is (currently) no national standard and that it would make the practice of death midwifery too “corporate.”

While both sides have valid arguments, I believe we share the concern that death midwives could face increasing efforts to limit and/or control our work. In fact, two recent efforts to do so include legal challenges by the College of Midwives British Columbia, Canada seeking to deny a 40-year practitioner the right to call herself a death midwife and the California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau seeking to require a group of death doulas to cease operating unless they obtained a funeral director’s license.

Seeking self-regulation via a national certification standard is one way to keep the important work of death midwives and their counterparts safe from interference by outside entities. Much like massage therapists have established themselves as autonomous, allied health professionals, certified death midwives seek to create self-governing, synergistic relationships with both the funeral and the medical communities.

The Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E., 2020) describes the certification process and the benefits of certification as follows:

Certification

Certification is a process by which an entity grants formal recognition to individuals that meet predetermined, standardized criteria. The certification process involves determination of eligibility, an assessment of demonstration of competence and requirements for regular recertification. Certification is usually voluntary and established by a non-governmental entity.

Value of Certification

A high-quality certification validates an individual’s knowledge, skills, and abilities in a defined profession, occupation, skill, or role. Certified individuals in the workforce reduce risk and enhance consumer protection and public safety. In addition, these certifications allow employers and other stakeholders to identify individuals with the competencies needed to perform a role or task.

Securing national certification is a rigorous, time-consuming, and expensive process. However, the benefits of doing so — at least for those of us who already have a death midwifery practice or for those of us who intend to build one — far outweigh the perceived “corporatization” of our work via standardization designed to enhance recognition, confidence, trust, autonomy, accountability, and safety for our critically important work.

Certified Death Midwives are needed now more than ever. Every day, 10,000 people turn 65 in the U.S. amid rapidly increasing healthcare staff shortages and significant funeral costs that often force grieving families into debt and decisions they feel powerless to combat. Protecting our practices from outside interference or regulation via a nationally recognized certification standard also protects end-of-life planning and choices for our clients and their loved ones. And isn’t that why we’re here?

We invite our members to weigh in and share their thoughts whether pro- or anti-certification. It’s an important conversation, and we’re here for it!