Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

Virginia Department of Health; Danville (VA); On-site; USD 21,000 - 22,000; Full time

Job summary

The Virginia Department of Health in Danville is seeking a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor to support WIC participants and the community with breastfeeding information and counseling.

Typical duties include providing encouragement and education, leading group and individual sessions, maintaining records, and participating in outreach. A valid Virginia driver's license is required; wage employees are governed by state policy and funded by the Federal WIC Grant.

Qualifications

• Basic lactation knowledge and breastfeeding practices.
• Able to instruct in group and individual settings.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Personal breastfeeding experience required.
• A valid State Driver's License is required to operate a state vehicle or if operating a personal vehicle while conducting business on behalf of the agency.

Responsibilities

• Provide breastfeeding encouragement, information, and counseling to prenatal and breastfeeding participants.
• Provides anticipatory education about the normal course of breastfeeding.
• Conducts support group meetings and assists the nutritionist with individual and other group sessions.
• Contacts participants at predetermined intervals per WIC policy to provide counsel, encouragement, and information to maintain lactation. Identifies problems or potential problems and refers as needed.
• Recruits participants to attend nutrition education classes.
• Maintains logs of patient contacts, completes monthly activity reports and other forms. Utilizes the Crossroads system.
• Plans community outreach events for WIC participants and creates a breastfeeding-friendly environment.
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Skills

Lactation knowledge

Breastfeeding practices

Communication skills

Group instruction

Interpersonal skills

Personal breastfeeding experience

Driver's license

Job description

Title: Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

State Role Title:Social and Human Service Assistants

Hiring Range: $15.25 - $15.99

Pay Band: 2

Agency: Virginia Department of Health

Location:Danville

Agency Website:www.vdh.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is dedicated to protecting and promoting the health of Virginians. The VDH is made up of a statewide Central Office in Richmond and 35 local health districts. The Virginia Department of Health Pittsylvania-Danville Health District is seeking a qualified candidate for the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor role.

The Breastfeeding Peer Counselors promote breastfeeding among WIC participants, health care workers and the community. They provide breastfeeding information and assistance to WIC clients. 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. Participate 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 meetings 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 maintains a breastfeeding-friendly environment.
8. Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor.

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.

This is a restricted position, which is solely funded by the Federal WIC Grant for year period ending September 30th. The availability of funding is scheduled for review annually and periodically thereafter. Continued employment is contingent on the continued availability of 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 and interpersonal skills
• Instruct in a group and individual setting
• Recognize problems related to breastfeeding and make appropriate referrals/interventions
• Personal breastfeeding experience required
• A valid State Driver's License is required to operate a state vehicle or if operating a personal vehicle while conducting business on behalf of the agency

Additional Considerations

• Current or former WIC participants preferred
• Breastfeeding Peer Counseling training via the most current USDA FNS Training Platform

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.

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. Supplemental questions are encouraged to be answered in a comprehensive manner and reference any pertinent knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as any previous experience that relates to the 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.

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 hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists); sex; color; national origin; religion; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; age; veteran status; political affiliation; disability; genetic information; and pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. VDH employees have a shared Code of Ethics, which can be found in the bottom banner of our website: www.vdh.virginia.gov.

If you have been affected by DHRM Policy 1.30 layoff and possess a valid Interagency Placement Screening Form (Yellow Card) or a Preferential Hiring Form (Blue Card), you must submit the card before the closing date for this position. The Card may be submitted with the state application as an attachment.

As a V3 (Virginia Values Veterans) employer VDH Welcomes Veterans to apply!

Name: HR Department

Phone: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

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. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.