SUMMARY:
This part-time position is located in the Operations Division with the Oklahoma City-County Health Department (OCCHD). The employee is a paraprofessional support person who gives basic breastfeeding information and encouragement to WIC pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. These various job duties and responsibilities may be performed for the main and satellite clinics.
PRINCIPLE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
This is a summary of the duties and responsibilities commonly found within this classification. All employees must maintain a commitment to the OCCHD's mission, vision and strategic goals. This is not meant to be all-inclusive, thus, other related activities or tasks may be assigned.
This position functions at the program support level (Tier 1) as defined by the Council on Linkages Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals with a primary focus on the following domains:
- Communication Skills
- Community Partnership Skills
- Health Equity Skills
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
- Support WIC mothers during a normal breastfeeding experience.
- Counsel new WIC mothers at certification.
- Promote breastfeeding to WIC participants.
- Address specific concerns of WIC expectant/breastfeeding mothers and correct misinformation.
- Share WIC-approved breastfeeding educational materials with participants
- Counsel WIC pregnancy and breastfeeding mothers over the telephone and in person (one-on-one) at scheduled intervals.
- Follow up on WIC participants according to protocol (refer to the Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Training Manual for recommended contact frequency.
- Be available to WIC participants outside usually clinic hours and outside the WIC clinic environment.
- Provide participants the telephone number to the Oklahoma Breastfeeding hotline for additional breastfeeding support from International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
- Provide support and information to WIC breastfeeding mothers who may need help and/or advice to continue breastfeeding while working or going to school.
- Assist with issuance of breast pumps and maintain breast pump inventory (must complete formal breast pump training to issuing breast pumps).
- Document appropriate counseling information, such as participant name, date and time spent with participants in clinic records within 24 hours of contact.
- Complete and turn in Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Monthly Activity Report to the local Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Coordinator according to WIC policy.
- Keep participant files in a secure environment, that is, a locked drawer, etc.
- Attend all Breastfeeding Peer Counselor meetings and in-services.
- Abide by clinic policy concerning participant confidentiality and dress code.
- Provide appropriate referrals when needed
- Breastfeeding Peer Counselors may also be allowed to bring their nursing baby/babies to work per the discretion of the local Administrator.
- Driving to off-site locations to perform job duties as needed.
- Completes required training in support of duties and responsibilities of this position.
- At the direction of OCCHD Chief Executive Officer and Public Health Officer or designee, the employee will be assigned a variety of specific job duties and responsibilities as a member of the OCCHD Emergency Preparedness and Response Program Team (i.e., Bioterrorism Response Program). Also, as a member of the OCCHD Emergency Preparedness and Response Team, the employee is required to complete all necessary responder training and may be designated as a member of the first-responder team.
- In accordance with our designation of a PHAB Accredited health department and explicit commitment to a culture of continuous quality improvement, employees will receive Quality Improvement (QI) training deemed necessary by their supervisor.
QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS:
Breastfeeding Peer Counselors are a special group of women who are able to model good parenting skills, as well as breastfeeding skills. Their responsibilities will include being positive role models and positive representatives of WIC and the Breastfeeding Counselor program. When recruiting Breastfeeding Peer Counselors, local agencies may choose mothers who meet all of the following criteria:
-Are receiving or have received WIC services
-Have successfully breastfed at least one baby (do not currently have to be breastfeeding, however at least six months of breastfeeding experience is preferred)
-Have access to a telephone and reliable transportation
-Are enthusiastic about breastfeeding and have a desire to help other mothers enjoy a positive experience
-Valid Oklahoma driver license required
SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
-Skill in communicating with persons of diverse backgrounds both orally and in writing using tact and diplomacy
-Skill in developing and presenting nutrition education materials
-Knowledge of providing nutrition education, counseling and consultation
-Ability and willingness to maintain confidentiality
-Ability and willingness to operate a personal computer
-Ability and willingness to follow established policies and procedures
-Ability and willingness to develop and maintain effective working relationships
-Ability and willingness to follow safe working practices and procedures
-Ability and willingness to assume responsibility for work product
WORKING CONDITIONS:
-Primarily indoors in climate-controlled building
-No smoking or use of non-smoking tobacco products is allowed at anytime while conducting agency business or in agency vehicles
-No use of cell phones or the use of electronic wireless communications devices used to write, send or read a text-based communication while driving a motor vehicle on agency business
-May be subject to occasional standing for extended periods
-Occasional travel to off-site clinics
-Periodically exposed to glare from a computer monitor
-OSHA category: performs tasks that involve exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissues
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
-Arm/hand steadiness and digital dexterity enough to use equipment such as computer keyboard, ten-key, lancet, etc.
-Vision enough to read and draft written communications such as computer printouts, instructions, hand- or machine-generated documents, etc., as well as print on a computer monitor
-Flexibility and coordination enough to operate a motor vehicle as needed
-Speech and hearing enough to communicate with others, both via telephone, in a public presentation and face-to-face
-Flexibility and strength enough to lift objects weighing up to 35 pounds, and move and carry equipment and supplies weighing up to 35 pounds
-Flexibility enough to bend over exam table, stoop to pick up objects from floor etc.
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:
This position requires constant contact with other employees and with the public to give and receive information and/or to provide technical assistance. The employee may be required to occasionally deal with hostile persons.
SUPERVISION GIVEN AND RECEIVED/ACCOUNTABILITY:
This employee is under the supervision of the immediate supervisor. Work product is subject to both specific and general review. The employee has no responsibility for supervision. Although this position has no direct accountability for any money or materials, the employee may make recommendations which result in the expenditure of significant funds.
OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
-Must have an operating vehicle available for use when field duties are required
-May be required to take the smallpox vaccination, and other vaccinations or inoculations, as a member of the first-responder team
-May be required to work outside regular business hours or assigned shift hours due to job responsibilities
CONDITIONAL:
Employees who fall into the following categories are in conditional employment positions: a) Executive Management; b) Deputy/Assistant Directors; c) certain other OCCHD employees individually designated by position number whose salaries, benefits, and/or overhead are based on revenue generating contracts, grants, or fee-for-service revenue. In other words, this means that if the funding or the program is terminated, cancelled, or non-renewed, your employment terminates automatically. This position is conditional.
Interested candidates should apply online at www.occhd.org. Select Careers at the top of the web page, select Current Jobs, select the position you are applying for, and select "apply". You will be directed to our Career Center. Get started by uploading your resume with your profile. Otherwise, click "skip" to continue. The first step is to register with the Career Center, again you will click on apply for an active position. You may search for open positions by name or select "show all positions." You may select "view" to read the details regarding the position. Again, you will click on "apply now". You will be directed to the second step of the application process. Please complete the entire application. Do not substitute a resume for your employment history. You may attach a cover letter, resume, an official transcript, if applicable. You will save an complete your application. You will be directed to the final step of answering job specific questions, if applicable. Once you have finished the process, you should receive a message stating, "Successfully applied". You will also receive an email stating your application has been received for the position you selected. If you do not receive this message, then there has been a step not completed. You will need to review your record. The position will be open for 30 days or until filled. Please be advised that applications will periodically be considered, as such this position could be filled any time before the closing date.
Successful candidate subject to background check, reference verification and drug screening.
AA/EOE