WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

St. Barnabas Health System WIC Program Policies and Procedures

Subject: Job Description

Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

Section: 21K

PRINCIPAL MISSION:

As part of its mission of community-oriented health services, the St. Barnabas Hospital Network is a full participant in the Women, Infants, and Children’s program (WIC). This program provides funding for supplemental food, nutritional counseling, and breastfeeding support, and access of health services for low-income, pregnant, breastfeeding, and other postpartum women and infants and children. The Program is regulated and funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food and Nutrition Services and administrated by the NYS Department of Health through a complex series of Federal and State regulations.

The WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor (PC) is a paraprofessional support person whose main goal is to provide breastfeeding information, support and encouragement to WIC pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

A BFPC develops and maintains a supportive relationship with the prenatal and breastfeeding participants in our program in order to provide basic breastfeeding information and encouragement. These relationships will greatly improve the likelihood that participants will decide to nurse their infants and continue to use our BFPC’s expertise after they give birth. BFPCs are linked with prenatal participants as early in the pregnancy as possible to facilitate the development of these relationships. BFPCs are trained to maintain participant information strictly confidential.

Peer Counselor time and activity must be exclusively for the provision of breastfeeding promotion and support activities. Peer Counselors do not replace WIC staff or perform their duties.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Completes the USDA WIC Breastfeeding Curriculum training, and attends on-going training to maintain breastfeeding knowledge and skills up-to-date.

2. Makes routine periodic contacts with all participants assigned through NYWIC referrals. Works from the PC Module to maintain PC referrals of pregnant and breastfeeding participants.

3. Provides basic breastfeeding support and counseling to WIC pregnant and breastfeeding participants in the clinic, by phone, text, in-person visits, during facilitated group discussions and hospital visits at scheduled intervals determined by the local agency

4. Provides information and promotes breastfeeding to WIC participants that includes the following but is not limited to the benefits of breastfeeding, overcoming common barriers, and getting a good start with breastfeeding.

5. Available to new parents who are having breastfeeding issues outside of the usual clinic hours of 9 to 5.

6. Respects each participant by keeping all information strictly confidential.

7. Keeps accurate records of all contacts using the NYS PC Productivity records and submits for review to supervisor on a timely manner.

8. According to LA protocols, refers participants to other WIC staff or community programs as needed.

9. Attends and assists with prenatal and breastfeeding facilitated group discussions and support groups.

10. Attends and participates during the monthly BFPC meetings, quarterly general staff meetings and breastfeeding conference/workshops/webinars, as appropriate.

11. With the approval of the Breastfeeding Coordinator and or management, PCs may provide support to WIC staff for special breastfeeding projects. Such as breastfeeding classes, support groups, community events or local agency projects.

12. Assist in the preparation of breastfeeding motivational or informational bulletin boards at the sites.

13. Reads assigned books and materials on breastfeeding provided by the supervisor.

14. Prepares progress reports for submission in preparation for the BF reporting.

15. Keeps supervisor and appropriate team members informed of significant matters that need to be known.

16. Yields to the Breastfeeding Coordinator, QNs and/or CPAs the following circumstances but is not limited to:

• Hospitalization
• Premature infants
• Breast surgery
• Multiples
• Postpartum depression
• Flat or inverted nipples
• Any health issues related to mom &/or baby

17. Promotes a safe, cooperative and professional health care environment to ensure optimum patient care (as per HR Policy 113c).

19. Adheres to all hospital policies, procedures, rules and regulations, including but not limited to, absenteeism, ETIME, cellular telephone usage, dress code and rules of conduct.

20. Makes Customer Service a priority, treating customers (patients, visitors, and co-workers) in a professional manner exercising courtesy and tact. Effectively communicates with patients and others about SBH services in their area(s) of expertise or responsibility and ensures that concerns, questions or issues reach the right person(s) in SBH in a timely fashion.

21. Demonstrates the standards of performance and behaviors consistent with the DRIVE to Patient-Centered Excellence.

The above statements reflect the general duties considered necessary to describe the principal functions of the job as identified, and shall not be considered as a detailed description of all work requirements that may be inherent in the job.

QUALIFICATIONS:

A. Education Required

High School diploma or GED preferred

B. License/Certification/Registration(s) Required

None

C. Experience/Skills Required

• Be a paraprofessional, in which they perform specific tasks within a defined scope of practice and assist professionals, but are not licensed or credentialed as healthcare, nutrition, of lactation consultant professionals
• Be recruited and hired from WIC’s target population, and to the extent possible, represent the same racial/ethnic background as the participants they support
• Have breastfed at least one baby
• Be available to WIC clients outside usual local agency hours and outside the WIC LA environment
• Bilingual (English and Spanish), preferred

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Normal office settings and some outreach services in the local community

Travel may be required local, upstate or out of State.

JOB HAZARDS: None

Pay: $18.50 per hour

Expected hours: 37.5 per week

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Work Location: In person

Benefits:

Salary : $19