GEORGIA WIC PROGRAM PROCEDURES MANUAL NS Staff Observations

Policy No. NS- 220.04 Effective Date: April 1, 2017

No. of Pages: 2 Page 1 of 2

Policy Employees in the following positions, whether they work full time or part time, must receive an annual skills assessment: • Competent Professional Authority (CPA): One certification observation • Breastfeeding Peer Counselor (BPC): See Peer Counselor Monitoring Policy for monitoring requirements • Nutrition Assistant (NA): Quarterly low risk (individual or group) nutrition education observations

Purpose To ensure local agency (LA) staff are providing participant centered health, nutrition and breastfeeding information. Procedures

I. Local Agency must complete CPA and NA annual skills assessment observations using the Nutrition Monitoring Spreadsheet.

II. Local Agency must document annual skills assessments observations on the Continuing Education Documentation Log.

Authority Georgia WIC Program Policy

Definitions/Supporting Information Breastfeeding Peer Counselor: (BPC) - A WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor is a paraprofessional support person who gives basic breastfeeding information and encouragement to WIC pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Competent Professional Authority (CPA) – An individual on the local agency staff who is authorized to determine nutritional risk and prescribe supplemental foods. The following individuals may be authorized and trained to serve as a CPA: physicians, nutritionists (bachelor’s or master’s degree in Nutritional Sciences, Community Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, Dietetics, Public Health Nutrition), registered dietitians, licensed dietitians, registered nurses, and physician assistants (certified by the National Committee on certification of Physicians

GEORGIA WIC PROGRAM PROCEDURES MANUAL NS Staff Observations

Policy No. NS- 220.04 Effective Date: April 1, 2017

No. of Pages: 2 Page 2 of 2

Assistants or certified by the State medical certifying authority), or State or local medically trained health officials. Nutrition Assistant (NA) – An individual on the local agency staff who has been authorized to provide general nutrition education within a limited scope of practice. NA must only provide education that they have specifically been trained to provide. Lesson plans or evidence of training related to the content must be available for review by the State Agency for all low-risk nutrition education an NA provides.