THE CPM
...is a direct-entry midwife who has met certification standards set forth by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), which oversees the evaluation and testing national certification process to become a "Certified Professional Midwife" (CPM). While obtaining this certification does not ensure legal status in every state, it does validate the midwife's competency. The NARM Exam, which is used as the regulatory examination in all states which offer direct-entry midwifery licenses validates entry-level knowledge, skills and experience vital to responsible midwifery practice. This international certification process encompasses multiple routes of entry including apprenticeship, self-study, midwifery schools, college and university-based programs and nurse-midwifery. NARM recognizes that Competency Based Education is the optimal model for educating maternity-care providers practicing in out-of-hospital settings because it is the only model that requires clinical experience in out-of-hospital settings, continuity of care, and risk assessment skills, which are required to determine when referral, collaboration or consultation with a physician is necessary. (The guidelines for certification were developed by The Certification Task Force's Job Analysis for Direct-Entry Midwives, which was based on MANA's Core Competencies for Midwives.)

The Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) clearly exhibits all the required characteristics of a Competency-Based Program. Regardless of the educational pathway chosen--apprenticeship, postsecondary education, adult education, at-a-distance education, or a self-paced program--student competency attainment remains the objective.

As of March, 1999, there are more than 800 state-regulated midwives and 500 CPMs. Eventhough the numbers of out-of-hospital births in the U.S. is small, as the numbers of CPMs and state-licensed midwives increase, so will the percentages of births attended by these maternity-care providers.
To obtain information on becoming a Certified Professional Midwife, request the "CPM Certification Packet" from:

North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)

The Midwifery Practice Act was passed in 1993 allowing direct-entry midwives to become licensed to practice in California. The law specifies graduation from a 3-year, accredited educational institution. However, no such program existed in the state.

Seattle Midwifery School has closed the California Challenge Process
Seattle Midwifery School, a nationally accredited midwifery school, was approved by The Medical Board of California to develop and administer an educational challenge process, which they did for nearly ten years. This process, known as the California Challenge Process (or CCP) was in effect from 1994-2003, allowing the state's most experienced midwives to be 'grandmothered' into licensure. It also became the only mechanism by which student midwives could work towards becoming licensed. Students studied the academics of midwifery through study groups and correspondence courses, and after completing clinical requirements (through apprenticeship) could take the written and clinical examination offered by Seattle Midwifery School; and then take the Medical Board's Licensing Examination, to obatin licenses to practice midwifery. This avenue for licensure ended in mid-2003.
SMS has encouraged other MEAC accredited midwifery programs to apply to The Medical Board of California for approval.

There is no provision for advanced midwifery students or practicing, primary midwives who wish to obtain licensure to test out of the school and state's academic requirements at this time. However, Seattle Midwifery School does allow students with prior experience to test out of some of their program's coursework, reducing fees and length of program. Contact Seattle Midwifery School for more information.

For a national listing midwifery programs, go to: socalbirth.org/pathways/study.html or Midwifery Education Accredidiation Council's list of midwifery programs.

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Answers to your questions about direct-entry midwifery practice or licensing or direct-entry midwifery issues in California, can be directed to:

California Association of Midwives
CAM President
Claudia Breglia
3342 San Carlos Way
Sacramento CA 95817
(916) 451-0312
president@californiamidwives.org

ARE THERE OTHER MIDWIFERY CERTIFCATIONS?

Yes. The American College of Nurse Midwives(ACNM) Certification Council administers certification for Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) and Certified Midwives (CMs). These credentials are designed to prepare CNMs and CMs as primary-care providers for hospital and clinic-based practice settings. The ACC considers a university-based master-level education the optimal model for training CNMs and CMs. Currently, there are only eleven CMs in the U.S., based in the state of N.Y. The difference between a CNM and a CM is that CMs are not required to become nurses first. For more information, please go to:

American College of Nurse Midwives Website

or

California Nurse-Midwifery Association Website