Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

The Breastfeeding Peer Counselor is responsible for providing basic breastfeeding information and support to pregnant and breastfeeding participants. This role will provide breastfeeding counseling for prenatal and postpartum participants make appropriate referrals to the Designated Breastfeeding Expert and appropriate nutrition staff. The Breastfeeding Peer Counselor will also make necessary referrals and document all interactions in the management information system in compliance with New York State Department of Health and federal regulations.

• Provide basic breastfeeding information and support to pregnant and breastfeeding participants. 


•  Available to WIC participants outside usual clinic hours and outside the WIC clinic environment.


• Counsel prenatal and postpartum participants via email, phone, home visits, hospital visits, and face-to-face.


• Refer participants to the Designated Breastfeeding Expert (DBE), QN/CPA, or other community breastfeeding resources for situations outside the peer counselor’s scope of practice.


• Follow up on participant referrals in a timely manner. 


• Document interactions and referrals to other staff in the management information system (MIS)

 REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Fluency in Spanish (required).


• Is a paraprofessional, as defined by the WIC Breastfeeding Model Components for Peer Counseling.


• Recruited and hired from WIC’s target population, and, to the extent possible, represent the same racial/ethnic background as the participants they support.


• Must have at least one baby breastfed.


•  Completed training based on the FNS WIC Breastfeeding Curriculum.


•  Strong communication and customer service skills


•  Ability to manage multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail.


•  Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).  

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience working in the health care field.


• Experience with providing customer service and data entry.


• Previous experience working in a WIC program or similar healthcare setting.


• Experience working with diverse populations and community-based services.


• Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).