Breastfeeding Peer Counselor / Support Staff

CCAP Mission Statement - To empower all people and communities challenged by poverty as well as social and cultural barriers through advocacy education and access to high quality health and human services.

Job Summary:

This position provides breastfeeding education and support to participants of the WIC program.

It is required for the role to have exclusively breast fed for a minimum of 6 months (no formula supplementation) and have previous or current enrollment in the WIC program.

Work Schedule Demands:

• This position is a full-time 35 hours per week.
• Mondays and Tuesdays 9-5; Wednesday 9:30-6:30; Thursday 9-5; Friday 9-4
• Tuesday/Thursday required at our Coventry location.
• May be required to work at any CCAP location.

Required Qualifications:

• High school diploma GED
• Past or current WIC participant the peer in peer counselor required; 1 year preferred.
• Exclusively breastfed for a minimum of 6 months (no formula supplementation)
• Fluent in English and Spanish.
• Reliable transportation and drivers insurance

Key Responsibilities:

To perform this job successfully an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge skill and /or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Support Staff Essential Functions:

• Support staff are responsible for scheduling appointments.
• Executing intake activities for families including measuring height weight and hemoglobin measurements of children.
• Completing eligibility paperwork.
• Data entry into computer systems.
• Document filing.
• Maintaining client records.
• Partnering with families to guide them through the WIC program and process.

BFPC Essential Functions:

• Attends breastfeeding training classes to become a Peer Counselor.
• Receives/maintains a caseload of WIC mothers and makes routine periodic contacts with all mothers assigned.
• Provides basic breastfeeding information and support to new mothers including advising them about the benefits of breastfeeding overcoming common barriers getting a good start with breastfeeding and helps mothers prevent and handle common breastfeeding concerns.
• Counsels WIC pregnant and breastfeeding mothers by telephone or in person at the WIC office.
• Respects each mother by keeping her information strictly confidential.
• Keeps accurate records of all contacts made with WIC mothers in WIC computer system.
• Refers mothers as appropriate to: WIC nutritionist Lactation Consultant Mothers physician or nurse public health programs in the community and social service agencies as needed.
• Teaches breastfeeding classes for pregnant and postpartum mothers and leads breastfeeding support groups.
• Attends staff meetings and breastfeeding conferences/workshops as appropriate.
• Reads assigned books and materials on breastfeeding that are provided by the supervisor.

Additional Skills:

• Excels in written and telephone communications.
• Proficient in Microsoft Suite programs in particular Excel.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team.
• Good customer service skills relating to persons of diverse ethnic cultural backgrounds and the ability to communicate in a professional courteous and tactful manner.
• Ability to remain calm and exercise judgment in unusual or stressful situations
• Enthusiastic about nursing and wants to help other parents enjoy a positive experience.
• Community oriented.
• Dependable more reliable than spontaneous.
• People-oriented enjoys interacting with people and working on group projects.
• Detail-oriented would rather focus on the details of work than the bigger picture.
• Adaptable/flexible enjoys doing work that requires frequent shifts in direction.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to sit and to talk to hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands fingers handle or feel objects tools or controls and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and / or move up to 40 lbs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision distance vision color vision peripheral vision depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. The environment is a clinical business office environment. Potential exposure to blood borne pathogens respiratory diseases and other infectious diseases and other biohazardous material requiring universal standard precautions.

CCAP strives to cultivate and sustain a workforce devoted to providing compassionate and respectful care to all patients and clients. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race color religion sex (including pregnancy sexual orientation and gender identity) national origin age disability genetic information marital status familial status military status or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local law. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment including but not limited to recruiting hiring placement promotions terminations layoff recall transfer leaves of absence compensation and training.

Our Benefits

Our comprehensive benefits package includes 403(b) health insurance vision and dental insurance life insurance long term disability flexible spending accounts health reimbursement accounts tuition reimbursement up to $1000 annually Employee Assistance Program generous vacation sick and personal days and up to 13 available paid holidays for full-time employees and some benefits are included for part-time employees.