Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

Title: Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

State Role Title: Direct Service Associate II

Hiring Range: $16.23-$18.43

Pay Band: 2

Agency: Virginia Department of Health

Location: VIRGINIA BEACH HQ

Agency Website: jobs.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Virginia Beach WIC program is seeking 3 highly motivated individuals to join our team as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor located at the Pembroke, Norfolk Avenue, and Oceana WIC offices. The successful candidate will be one that thrives in a fast-paced environment, is able to work well with all team members and one who is able to provide breastfeeding support to the WIC participants. The candidate may be asked to travel between the four Virginia Beach WIC offices to perform duties as needed. Completion of Virginia's Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Training Program required within 6 months.  

Breastfeeding Peer Counselors are responsible for:

• Promoting breastfeeding among WIC participants, health care workers and the community.
• Attending local, regional, or state breastfeeding promotion and support training when possible.
• Operating within the BFPC scope of practice as defined in the WIC Breastfeeding Curriculum.
• Facilitating monthly breastfeeding classes to pregnant women and new moms.
• Contacting breastfeeding participants to discuss breastfeeding progress/issues. 
• Screening and assisting with breastfeeding pump issuance within the district. 
• Making appropriate referrals for other community agencies.

Restricted Position:  This is a restricted position which is solely funded by the WIC Federal grant, renewable annually in September.  Employment is contingent on the continued availability of grant funds.

HCP: VDH requires all Health-Care Personnel (HCP) to provide documentation of immunization or evidence of immunity to the following: hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella; a one-time dose of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine regardless of the interval since the last dose of tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine was administered (Td or Tdap boosters shall be received every 10 years); and the current year's seasonal influenza vaccination.

Wage Position: Wage employees are subject to the following conditions of employment:

• Wage employees serve at the will and pleasure of the appointing authority.
• Continuing employment is based on available funding and business need.
• Wage employees are not covered by the provisions of the Virginia Personnel Act. Therefore, they are not eligible for benefits which are provided to salaried employees, such as leave credits, holiday pay, insurance, access to the grievance procedure, etc.
• Wage employees are paid only for the hours they actually work. • Virginia state law currently requires that agencies not permit wage employees to work in excess of 29 hours per week on average over the course of a year.
• Wage employees may not work for VDH beyond 1,500 hours during the period of May 1 – April 30 of the following year (the Standard Measurement Period).
• Once a wage employee works the maximum of 1,500 hours during the Standard Measurement Period, the employee may be rehired as a wage employee of VDH only after the next Standard Measurement Period has begun.
• Wage employees are eligible to apply for all classified positions for which recruitment has been initiated, including those limited to State Employees Only.
• If a wage employee becomes employed in a classified position, he/she will be eligible to purchase retirement credit for the time worked as a wage employee.
• Continuing employment is based on available funding and business need.

Minimum Qualifications

Demonstrate a Working Knowledge of the following:

• 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

• Knowledge of basic nutrition principles for breastfeeding women and infants preferred.
• Pr