Breastfeeding Peer Counselor / Support Staff at Comprehensive Community Action – Cranston, Rhode Island

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 driver's insurance

Key Responsibilities:

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, Mother’s 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.

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 any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

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 $1,000 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.