Title: Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

State Role Title: Direct Service Associate II

Hiring Range: $14.67-$15.50

Pay Band: 2

Agency: Virginia Department of Health

Location: WEST PIEDMONT HQ

Agency Website: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is dedicated to protecting and promoting the health of Virginians. We have an exciting opportunity to join our team as the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor in the West Piedmont Health District!

Come work where the blend of small-town charm, natural beauty, and affordable living is at your disposal. The area offers a relaxed pace of life and a welcoming community that has a deep investment in the people who live here. The West Piedmont Health District is mission-driven and passionate about bringing the best of who we are to those we serve: Franklin County, Henry County, Patrick County, and the City of Martinsville.

1. Provides breastfeeding encouragement, information, and counsel to prenatal and breastfeeding participants.
2. Provides anticipatory education about the normal course of breastfeeding.
3. Conducts support group meetings and assists the nutritionist with individual and other group sessions.
4. Contacts participants at predetermined intervals per WIC policy to provide counsel, encouragement, and information to maintain lactation. Is available to participants outside of usual clinic hours and the WIC clinic environment. Identifies problems or potential problems necessitating referral to the nutritionist, or WIC Designated Breastfeeding Expert (DBE).
5. Recruits participants to attend nutrition education classes by making clinic, telephone, and/or mail contacts.
6. Maintains logs of patient contacts, completes monthly activity reports and other health department forms as required. Utilizes the Crossroads system.
7. May plan and participate in community outreach events for WIC participants, particularly during Breastfeeding Awareness Month. Plans local agency breastfeeding promotion events. Creates and maintains a breastfeeding-friendly environment.
8. Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor.

This is a RESTRICTED POSITION which is solely funded by the Federal WIC Grant through USDA. The availability of funding is scheduled for review annually. The annual funding cycle is October 1st through September 30th of the following year. Employment is contingent on the continued availability of funding.

Wage Position: Wage employees are subject to the following conditions of employment:
• Wage employees serve at the will and pleasure of the appointing authority
• 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 (Standard Measurement Period) of the following year
• 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


Special Assignments:
May be required to perform other duties as assigned. May be required to assist the agency or state government generally in the event of an emergency declaration by the Governor. May be required by VDH to adjust work hours, location, and job duties and participate in training to meet public health business needs, including emergencies. If this position is designated as a mobile worker, this includes both working in the field and teleworking at an alternate location when not in the field or during an emergency closing. You may be required to periodically come into your assigned office to attend meetings or training.

Minimum Qualifications

• Personal experience with breastfeeding, having breastfed at least one baby for at least 6 months
• Knowledge of basic human lactation
• Knowledge of breastfeeding practices
• Ability to describe and demonstrate various positioning techniques for breastfeeding
• Knowledge of the process for manual expression of breast milk
• Knowledge of collection and storage of human milk
• Good communication skills

Additional Considerations

• Prefer knowledge of basic nutrition principles for breastfeeding
• 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 demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds

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: www.vdh.virginia.gov.
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: Eddie McDaniel

Phone: N/A

Email: edward.mcdaniel@vdh.virginia.gov

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 800-552-5019.

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.