Re: Re: Access to services

[Guest guest]

Fay,Maybe you can help me figure out how to be better connected to WIC in my area.  They just started training peer counselors last fall, right when I got exam results back.  I am the only IBCLC for more than an hour in any direction; there is no IBCLC associated with the WIC office here.  They have my name and number, and yet I have not gotten a single referral in all those months.  I *know* there are moms out there having trouble, and it kills me that by the time they find out about me, it's a train wreck and sometimes just isn't fixable.  Same thing with the local hospital, but I have long had a suspicion, which was confirmed a few weeks ago, that one of the OB nurses had a really bad bf experience decades ago and loathes LLL.  So there's at least an explanation for that one.

Any advice?Lynn in MO

 

I don't mean to imply that we are 'there' yet! However, I think that we have made HUGE strides over the past 6 years, and are really making a significant difference in the lives of many low-income moms. We offer great support for the average nursing mom. We do do breastfeeding consults in person, as needed, but we are trained to do a lot of triage over the phone.

None of the Peer Counselors are certifiers or clerks. All we do is bfing support. And we have an average of about 700-800 clients at any one time, between the 6 of us. We don't wait for clients to call us, but we call them regularly.

However, for more serious or difficult bfing problems, our boss and I are both IBCLCs. We limit our scope of practice, though, and refer out to one of our local outpt bfing resources, when full IBCLC care is needed. And they do bill DSHS etc. That's where I would really like to expand our services.

Fay

[Guest guest]

Perhaps, you could get the WIC Peer Counselors scope of practice and hand deliver it to them with a reminder that you are an (and the only) IBCLC in the area and remind them that they should be referring cases to you. And you would be happy to handle their cases. I am sure that they are probably answering questions and problem solving (or trying to problem solve) beyond their scope. Which may work out sometimes but there are probably mothers not getting the help they need and they end up quitting because they received poor instruction or information.

Cheryl n

Alliance, OH

[Guest guest]

Perhaps, you could get the WIC Peer Counselors scope of practice and hand deliver it to them with a reminder that you are an (and the only) IBCLC in the area and remind them that they should be referring cases to you. And you would be happy to handle their cases. I am sure that they are probably answering questions and problem solving (or trying to problem solve) beyond their scope. Which may work out sometimes but there are probably mothers not getting the help they need and they end up quitting because they received poor instruction or information.

Cheryl n

Alliance, OH

[Guest guest]

Fay,I would love to hear more about how your Agency runs their Peer Counselor program. I was hired on temporarily at WIC to be a part time on call Lactation Consultant (I am loving it!), limited to 20 hours per month. Our PCs are also WNAs, they alternate days of which position they are filling. It is frustrating since they are obviously struggling under the work load, but I am at a loss of suggestions for my boss on how to help/improve the system.My role there is to see only participants with tricky breastfeeding problems referred to me by the PCs. I do no other "WIC work". (Although I do get to help draft new policies and the like and do some staff training).What do you see as being the

strengths of how you all do it... and the weaknesses?Thanks, To: Sent: Sat, April 30, 2011 10:58:08 AMSubject: Re: Access to services

I agree that this situation is a common occurrence. But I do think that WIC is heavily invested in breastfeeding, and that they are improving all the time. Some WIC clinics have IBCLCs who just act as Lactation Consultants, but that is definitely the exception rather than the rule. Reimbursement for costs has a lot to do with it.

Our WIC is currently trying to get a grant to have an IBCLC position for 10 hours a week. It'll only last about 6 months, but then the hope is that there may be some other way to keep it going. That is what I am holding out for!

Baby steps... but in the right direction.

Fay

> >

> > I don't mean to imply that we are 'there' yet! However, I think that we have made HUGE strides over the past 6 years, and are really making a significant difference in the lives of many low-income moms. We offer great support for the average nursing mom. We do do breastfeeding consults in person, as needed, but we are trained to do a lot of triage over the phone.

> > None of the Peer Counselors are certifiers or clerks. All we do is bfing support. And we have an average of about 700-800 clients at any one time, between the 6 of us. We don't wait for clients to call us, but we call them regularly.

> > However, for more serious or difficult bfing problems, our boss and

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I am in the same situtation! I'm very frustrated!

To: Sent: Sat, April 30, 2011 12:38:26 PMSubject: Re: Re: Access to services

Fay,

Maybe you can help me figure out how to be better connected to WIC in my area. They just started training peer counselors last fall, right when I got exam results back. I am the only IBCLC for more than an hour in any direction; there is no IBCLC associated with the WIC office here. They have my name and number, and yet I have not gotten a single referral in all those months. I *know* there are moms out there having trouble, and it kills me that by the time they find out about me, it's a train wreck and sometimes just isn't fixable. Same thing with the local hospital, but I have long had a suspicion, which was confirmed a few weeks ago, that one of the OB nurses had a really bad bf experience decades ago and loathes LLL. So there's at least an explanation for that one.

Any advice?

Lynn in MO

I don't mean to imply that we are 'there' yet! However, I think that we have made HUGE strides over the past 6 years, and are really making a significant difference in the lives of many low-income moms. We offer great support for the average nursing mom. We do do breastfeeding consults in person, as needed, but we are trained to do a lot of triage over the phone. None of the Peer Counselors are certifiers or clerks. All we do is bfing support. And we have an average of about 700-800 clients at any one time, between the 6 of us. We don't wait for clients to call us, but we call them regularly. However, for more serious or difficult bfing problems, our boss and I are both IBCLCs. We limit our scope of practice, though, and refer out to one of our local outpt bfing resources, when full IBCLC care is needed. And they do bill DSHS etc. That's where I would really like to expand our

services.Fay

[Guest guest]

I am in the same boat except we supposedly have am IBCLC in the local WIC office, but it shared with 1 other county.  I Finally reached out to our local hospital that only delivers about 100 babies a year.  They have 2 labor nurse that have been calling me and I come into to see moms.  They do make mom sign consent and tell them that I am not affiliated with the hospital.  I Have been referred to another local hospital to do the same.  I can file my own charges with the state Medicaid office.  It has taken 5 years to make this happen!!  Anne BantherBaby In BloomOklahoma Fay, Maybe you can help me figure out how to be better connected to WIC in my area. They just started training peer counselors last fall, right when I got exam results back. I am the only IBCLC for more than an hour in any direction; there is no IBCLC associated with the WIC office here. They have my name and number, and yet I have not gotten a single referral in all those months. I *know* there are moms out there having trouble, and it kills me that by the time they find out about me, it's a train wreck and sometimes just isn't fixable. Same thing with the local hospital, but I have long had a suspicion, which was confirmed a few weeks ago, that one of the OB nurses had a really bad bf experience decades ago and loathes LLL. So there's at least an explanation for that one. Any advice? Lynn in MO I don't mean to imply that we are 'there' yet! However, I think that we have made HUGE strides over the past 6 years, and are really making a significant difference in the lives of many low-income moms. We offer great support for the average nursing mom. We do do breastfeeding consults in person, as needed, but we are trained to do a lot of triage over the phone. None of the Peer Counselors are certifiers or clerks. All we do is bfing support. And we have an average of about 700-800 clients at any one time, between the 6 of us. We don't wait for clients to call us, but we call them regularly. However, for more serious or difficult bfing problems, our boss and I are both IBCLCs. We limit our scope of practice, though, and refer out to one of our local outpt bfing resources, when full IBCLC care is needed. And they do bill DSHS etc. That's where I would really like to expand our services.Fay