Healing Systems to Advance Birth Justice

Shahla's practice as a Doula and Preemie Parent Coach is deeply informed by her work as public health leader, consultant, and advocate. Shahla brings more than 15 years of experience helping organizations strengthen systems of care for women and birthing people. Shahla brings a trauma-informed approach rooted in racial justice to her consulting practice, affirming her belief that in order to change systems you have to Care for the People who Care for the People.

Centering Community Wisdom

Shahla de Leon Consulting (SDLC). Shahla operates an equity-focused consulting practice dedicated to helping health sector organizations "Do Good, Better." Through tailored strategy, evaluation, coaching, and capacity building, Shahla de Leon Consulting helps partners build and deepen a practice of ongoing learning and community listening to ensure that services for birthing people, their babies, and families are trauma-informed, healing-centered, equitable, and high quality as defined by those receiving services.

Shahla brings more than 15 years of experience partnering with nonprofit, government and philanthropic organizations to build responsive systems of care to improve experiences and outcomes for those they serve. With constituent voice and lived experience at the center, she supports organizations, programs, and health system partners seeking to better serve birthing people and their families.

Healing Systems & Nurturing Families: Intersecting Practice

Shahla de Leon Consulting (SDLC) serves organizations and health systems seeking to better align policies, practices, and services with community needs and birth justice goals. While operated separately, Shahla's consulting (SDLC) and family support work (Soil & Sprout) are mutually reinforcing. She is a better doula, mentor, and systems navigation expert because of her health system work. And she is a stronger strategic learning partner to organizations because the insights about consumer system navigation experiences that stem from her individual support and community-based work.

Below are examples of resources Shahla provides organizations to build and strengthen Healing Systems:

Community Listening Circles

Gather and harness insights from community members with lived experience navigating during their pregnancy and postpartum journey. We know community is at the center of what health systems and nonprofits do. SDLC convenes and facilitates listening sessions, focus groups, or interviews to learn directly from clients about how their needs and priorities can be better met.

Advisory Bodies

Bring community voice to the table to inform decision making and ongoing learning. Through strategic guidance and skilled facilitation, SLD helps partners stand up and engage community advisory groups to ensure that policy and practice are grounded in lived experience. Groups may be time limited or ongoing in nature depending on organizational needs.

Organizational Coaching

Get support putting insight into action. SDLC support organization and program leaders to apply lessons to inform strategic direction, operations, and programmatic vision. Shahla coaches health system and program leaders to identify levers for change and lean into their power in service of improving experiences and outcomes of birthing people and their families.

Evaluation & Storytelling

Showcase the impacts of work to make experiences and care for pregnant and birthing people more patient-centered, responsive, and accessible. Specializing in qualitative and participatory evaluation methods, SDLC surfaces insights to inform learning, reflection, and refinement that help partners achieve their mission, enhance their impact, and tell their story.