NUTRITION EDUCATION Subject: Nutrition Education Requirements Item: Drug and Substance Use Education WPPM #400-13

October 15, 2024 California WIC Policy and Procedure Manual Page 1 of 1

PURPOSE: To outline the requirements for providing information on drug and other harmful substance use. POLICY: I. Local agency (LA) staff must provide educational messaging on drug and other harmful substance use to all pregnant and postpartum applicants and the family representatives (family rep) of child and infant applicants, at the initial certification of the first individual certified onto the WIC family. II. LA staff must ensure that all pregnant and postpartum applicants and the family reps of children and infants are provided the education if they are certifying separately (i.e., at a later date) from the other family members and did not previously receive the substance use education. PROCEDURES: I. At the initial certification of the first individual certified onto the WIC family, LA staff must do the following: A. Provide verbal information by reading the drug and substance use educational statement on the Health screen in the WIC Web Information System Exchange (WIC WISE). B. Offer additional substance use education resources, either My Family website or handout, depending on participant preference. C. Document whether additional resources were provided by marking the checkbox below the educational statement on the Health screen in WIC WISE. II. Where appropriate and beneficial, and when a pregnant/postpartum applicant is screened and determined to be at risk for substance use and abuse, LA staff must provide referral information for local substance abuse counseling and treatment programs. Refer to WPPM 700-02. AUTHORITY: 7 CFR 246.11(a)(3) 7 CFR 246.11(b)(1) CROSS REFERENCE: WPPM 700-02 Referral Requirements