The Illinois Repro Workers Training Needs Assessment Is Here

The Illinois Repro Workers Training Needs Assessment Is Here

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The Illinois Repro Workers Training Needs Assessment is officially complete — and it represents a major step forward for strengthening reproductive healthcare training and workforce development across our state.

Led by Repro TLC in partnership with the Black Researchers Collective (BRC), this comprehensive statewide study examines the training experiences, professional realities, and support needs of reproductive healthcare providers, community health workers, and providers-in-training across Illinois.

Chicago Volunteer Doulas (CVD) proudly contributed as a community partner in this effort, ensuring that the lived experiences of doulas and frontline workers were meaningfully represented in both the survey design and broader conversation.

This work was funded in whole or in part by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) through the Abortion Provider Training (APT) grant — an investment aimed at strengthening equitable access and workforce capacity across Illinois.

Why This Assessment Matters

Following the Dobbs decision, Illinois became a critical access point for abortion care in the Midwest. While legal protections exist, the workforce supporting care faces persistent gaps in:

• Abortion-specific training

• Structured mentorship

• Legal clarity and shield law awareness

• Emotional sustainability and provider wellbeing

• Integration of community health workers and doulas into clinical systems

The study includes insights from 147 survey participants and 33 in-depth interviews, offering one of the most comprehensive looks at reproductive health workforce needs in Illinois to date.

The findings are clear: we must invest intentionally in training equity, mentorship networks, policy literacy, and sustainable support systems.

CVD’s Role

CVD participated as a trusted community partner in this research. The inclusion of doulas and community health workers reinforces what we know to be true: community-led care is essential to reproductive justice.

This report affirms the critical role doulas play in culturally responsive emotional support, care navigation, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

What Comes Next

The report outlines nine priority recommendations focused on:

• Expanding training and mentorship

• Strengthening legal protections and clarity

• Increasing financial support for providers and patients

• Supporting provider wellness

• Increasing integration of doulas and community health workers in clinical settings

This is more than a publication — it is a roadmap.

View the Interactive Flip Book

Explore the flip book of the full report here:👉https://heyzine.com/flip-book/70e82e90d3.html#page/1

Flip Book Quick Start:

• Click page corners or use side arrows to flip

• Use the bottom toolbar to zoom

• Select full-screen for easier reading

OR 

Download the Full Digital Report

Prefer a PDF copy? Download it here: 👉 https://bit.ly/26ILNeeds

Illinois reproductive health workers deserve strong systems, sustainable training pathways, and policies that reflect the realities of their work.

This assessment helps move us there.