Lactation Specialist (#TS9215)
$22.90-$27.83 Hourly / $3,968.96-$4,824.29 Monthly / $47,627.53-$57,891.56 Yearly

Under direction, leads and provides specialized breastfeeding support and consultation, information and education services to clients of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program in accordance with California WIC program requirements; and performs other and related work as required.

This is a part-time/temporary class in San Joaquin County that requires incumbents to be certified as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. An employee in this class acts as a subject matter lead and expert for the breastfeeding program while also providing the more difficult breastfeeding counseling and education duties.

• Conducts assessments of mothers and infants at high risk for breastfeeding complications and provides counseling to WIC clients, determines physical or other impediments to successful breastfeeding.
• Develops a care plan and conducts follow up assessments; when necessary, refers mothers to qualified medical professionals.
• Provides expertise, direction and guidance to Breastfeeding Counselors and other part-time WIC staff; coordinates staff scheduling; monitors staff workload and performance and provides input to supervisory staff.
• Conducts in-service instruction for program staff, interns, volunteers and others regarding the appropriate delivery of breastfeeding services.
• Assists in monitoring and evaluating program and service delivery to ensure compliance with State requirements.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Licenses and Certificates: Current certification as a Lactation Consultant by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners; and possession of a valid California driver’s license.

Current principles and practices of breastfeeding counseling, lactation management; and the benefits of breastfeeding; the nutritional needs of infants and nursing women; breast feeding problems and solutions; office administrative principles and practices, including the use of computers in a clinical setting; effective communication skills.

Assess clients to identify their breastfeeding risks; counsel and advise clients on a wide variety of breastfeeding practices and topics; help clients resolve breastfeeding problems; provide guidance to other program staff; exercise patience and tact while interacting with staff, clients and the general public.

Mobility - Frequent sitting for long periods of time; occasional standing for long periods of time; occasional driving of a vehicle.  Frequency of Lifting - Occasional lifting of 5 to 30 lbs.  Visual Requirements -  Constant need for overall vision and close up work; frequent need for hand/eye coordination; occasional use of color perception, depth perception and field of vision/peripheral vision.  Dexterity - Frequent holding, repetitive motion and writing; occasional reaching and grasping.  Hearing/Talking - Constant haring of normal speech, hearing on the telephone/radio and talking on the telephone; frequent hearing of faint sounds; frequent talking in person.  Emotional/Psychological Factors - Constant public contact; frequent decision making, concentration; occasional working alone, traveling, exposure to emergency situations, trauma, grief and death. Special Requirements – may work varied shifts, including weekends, holidays and extended schedules, due to emergencies; Environmental Conditions – frequent exposure to varied weather conditions.

San Joaquin County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and, upon request, will consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.