Job Duties

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. May receive supervision from the district Breastfeeding Coordinator or WIC Designated Breastfeeding Expert (DBE).

Breastfeeding Peer Counseling training via the most current USDA FNS Training Platform is provided.

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.

The appointment is to a restricted position which is solely funded by USDA WIC for a one-year period ending September 30, 2024.

The availability of funding is scheduled for review before the grant expiration date and periodically thereafter. Continued employment is contingent on the continued availability of grant or non-general 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.
• A valid driver's license

Demonstrated ability to :

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

Additional Considerations

• Current or former WIC participants preferred
• Breastfeeding Peer Counseling training via the most current USDA FNS Training Platform
• Bilingual in English / Spanish.
• Breastfed at least one baby for 6 months.

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.

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.

Contact Information

Name : Michelle McKinney

Phone : (540) 322-5878

Email : ov

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process.

To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI).

Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS / DBVI to get their AHP Letter.