Breastfeeding Peer Counselor - PCX07

Title: Breastfeeding Peer Counselor - PCX07

State Role Title: Social and Human Service Assistants

Hiring Range: $14.67 - $15.44

Pay Band: 2

Agency: Virginia Department of Health

Location: LENOWISCO HQ

Agency Website: www.vdh.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Cumberland Plateau Health District seeks to fill a part-time wage Breastfeeding Peer Counselor to work with clients in Wise County, Virginia.

Breastfeeding Peer Counselors promote breastfeeding among WIC participants, health care workers and the community. They attend local, regional, or state breastfeeding promotion and support training when possible. They operate within the BFPC scope of practice as defined in the WIC Breastfeeding Curriculum. Participates in multidisciplinary team case conferencing to develop and implement WIC participant service plans. May represent Local Agency and WIC on interdisciplinary workgroups, taskforces, or coalitions.

Typical Duties:

1. Provides breastfeeding encouragement, information, and counsel to prenatal and breastfeeding participants.
2. Provides anticipatory education about the normal course of breastfeeding.
3. Conducts support group meeting and assists the nutritionist with individual and other group sessions.
4. Contacts participants at predetermined intervals per WIC policy to provide counsel, encouragement, and information to maintain lactation. Is available to participants outside of usual clinic hours and the WIC clinic environment. Identifies problems or potential problems necessitating referral to the nutritionist, or WIC Designated Breastfeeding Expert (DBE).
5. Recruits participants to attend nutrition education classes by making clinic, telephone, and/or mail contacts.
6. Maintains logs of patient contacts, completes monthly activity reports and other health department forms as required. Utilizes the Crossroads system.
7. May plan and participate in community outreach events for WIC participants, particularly during Breastfeeding Awareness Month. Plans local agency breastfeeding promotion events. Creates and maintain a breastfeeding-friendly environment.
8. Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Please note: Wage employees are limited to working no more than 29 hours per week on average over the course of 12 months. Wage employees do not have access to state benefits.

This is a restricted position which is solely funded by the WIC Program for a 1 year period ending September 30th each year. The availability of funding is scheduled for review before the grant expiration date and periodically thereafter. Employment is contingent on the continued availability of grant or non-grant funds.

Minimum Qualifications

Demonstrate a Working Knowledge of:
• Basic human lactation
• Breastfeeding practices
• Various positioning techniques
• Basic breastfeeding management
• Manual expression of breast milk
• Collection and storage of human milk
• Good communication skills

Additional Considerations

Demonstrated Ability to:
• Instruct in a group and individual setting
• Recognize problems related to breastfeeding and make appropriate referrals/interventions

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

Employment is contingent upon satisfactory results of a state and federal criminal history background check and the Department of Social Service's Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry check, U.S. HHSIG Exclusion List check, employment reference check and E-Verify. Other financial, credit, driving, background checks or completion of Statement of Economic Interests may be required for certain positions.

VDH accepts only on-line applications. Faxed, mailed or e-mailed applications will not be considered. Applications are accepted until 11:55 p.m. on the job closing date. Applications and/or resumes should include relevant work history which indicates your qualifications for this position.

It is the policy of the Commonwealth and VDH that all aspects of human resource management be conducted without regard to race (or traits historically associated with race including hair texture, hair type, and protective hairsty