Health Support Specialist

About This Role

The Health Support Specialist (Breastfeeding Peer Counselor) promotes and supports breastfeeding for WIC participants, provides basic education, and assists with WIC program eligibility and benefit issuance. This role helps improve the health of women, infants, and children in St. Johns County.

Responsibilities

• Counsel WIC pregnant and breastfeeding mothers by telephone at scheduled intervals
• Manage a caseload of WIC clients and maintain periodic contacts
• Provide basic breastfeeding information and support to new mothers, including benefits, overcoming barriers, and handling common concerns
• Refer mothers to WIC Nutritionists, Breastfeeding Coordinators, Lactation Consultants, and community programs as needed
• Keep accurate records of all client contacts and document encounters daily
• Attend, assist, or facilitate prenatal classes and breastfeeding support groups and document daily
• Act as backup clerk for determining WIC eligibility or coordinating eligibility processes
• Assist WIC staff in promoting breastfeeding peer counseling through special projects, health fairs, and outreach events
• Obtain anthropometric and hematological data for clients and document results per procedures
• Calibrate and clean equipment per established protocols
• Complete processes related to WIC following the WIC Procedure Manual, including eligibility determination and benefit issuance
• Provide explanation of benefits to new WIC clients and review New People Packet contents
• Issue Farmers Market Vouchers and update logs
• Interview clients to obtain nutrition history and enter into appropriate system
• Schedule appointments and make appointment reminder calls
• Review breastfeeding client call back, peer counselor client contact, and pregnant women expected delivery date reports
• Coordinate Head Start Round Up events
• Complete referrals to community programs/resources and create client-friendly bulletin boards
• Maintain program required posters in waiting areas
• Refer to SJC Designated Breastfeeding Expert as needed for breastfeeding issues

Requirements

• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Knowledge of community resources
• Knowledge of basic arithmetic
• Skilled in effective communication and customer service
• Ability to work with infants and children
• Ability to perform hematological tests
• Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate work activities
• Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with others
• Willingness to physically come to the office daily and/or perform field work

Benefits