Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

Title: Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

State Role Title: Direct Service Associate II

Hiring Range: $15.25 - $18.95

Pay Band: 2

Agency: Virginia Department of Health

Location: VIRGINIA BEACH HQ

Agency Website: jobs.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Virginia Beach WIC program is seeking 1 highly motivated individual to join our team as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor located at Oceana WIC office on NAS Oceana Base. The successful candidate will be one that thrives in a fast-paced environment, is able to work well with all team members and one who is able to provide breastfeeding support to the WIC participants. The candidatemay be asked to travel between the four Virginia Beach WIC offices to perform duties as needed. Completion of Virginia's Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Training Program required within 6 months.


Breastfeeding Peer Counselors are responsible for:

• Promoting breastfeeding among WIC participants, health care workers and the community.
• Attending local, regional, or state breastfeeding promotion and support training when possible.
• Operating within the BFPC scope of practice as defined in the WIC Breastfeeding Curriculum.
• Facilitating monthly breastfeeding classes to pregnant women and new moms.
• Contacting breastfeeding participants to discuss breastfeeding progress/issues.
• Screening and assisting with breastfeeding pump issuance within the district.
• Making appropriate referrals for other community agencies.

Restricted Position: This is a restricted position which is solely funded by the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Grant, renewable annually in September. Employment is contingent on the continued availability of grant funds.

Health-Care Personnel (HCP) : VDH requires all Health-Care Personnel (HCP) to provide documentation of immunization or evidence of immunity to the following: hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella; a one-time dose of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine regardless of the interval since the last dose of tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine was administered (Td or Tdap boosters shall be received every 10 years); and the current year's seasonal influenza vaccination.

Wage Position: 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

Minimum Qualifications

• Personal experience with Breastfeeding; having breastfeed at least one baby for at least 6 months.
• Basic human lactation.
• Breastfeeding practices
• Various positioning techniques.
• Basic breastfeeding management.
• Manual expression of breast milk.
• Collection and storage of human milk.
• Good communication skills.

Additional Considerations

• Knowledge of basic nutrition principles for breastfeeding women and infants preferred.
• Prefer experience with basic interviewing and counseling skills and/or teaching group classes.
• Previous or current participation in the WIC Program preferred.
• Ability to work with people from all areas of socioeconomic and literacy levels.
• Bilingual in English/Spanish preferred.

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:

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!

Contact Information

Name: Cydnee Stuckey

Phone: View phone number on click.appcast.io

Email: View email address on click.appcast.io

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 View phone number on click.appcast.io.

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.

Each agency within the Commonwealth of Virginia is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and maintaining a competent and diverse work force. Equal Opportunity Employer