Durham B.E.S.T. For Babies Alliance
Job Opening: Breastfeeding Support Group Facilitator
Background:
The “Community Participation Research of Breastfeeding Disparities in African American Women” grant, an NIH R21 planning grant, was awarded for two years to the UNC Gillings School for Global Public Health in Chapel Hill and the Community Health Coalition, Inc., in Durham, North Carolina, for the funding period April 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010. Our general aim for the project is to use an iterative, Community?Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach to engage representatives of academic and community based partners, including community organizations, businesses, and lay persons in assessing, addressing, and improving breastfeeding among African American women, who are less likely to initiate and continue breastfeeding when compared to other groups in Durham County. An Alliance of community members, the Breastfeeding Education and Support Team (B.E.S.T.) For Babies Alliance,
has guided the work of the project. The last several months of the project will primarily entail developing and piloting a breastfeeding group support model for African American women. The intent is to determine if such a model is acceptable and garners the support needed in the community to pursue a longer-term intervention.
Job Description:
The B.E.S.T. for Babies Alliance is seeking a Breastfeeding Support Group Facilitator to lead a pilot series of breastfeeding support group sessions for prenatal and postpartum African American women in Durham. The facilitator will be responsible for generating discussion, leading session activities, answering breastfeeding questions, addressing breastfeeding concerns, creating a comfortable environment for exchange of information, and administering and collecting evaluation tools. The facilitator may also assist in planning the content and format of the support group sessions.
Specific responsibilities will include:
- • Facilitating support group sessions, addressing the questions and needs of each mother in
attendance
- • Informing participants of available supports and services in the community
- • Making follow-up phone calls to participants who need additional help
- • Assisting mothers with using a digital baby scale to weigh their babies
- • Assisting with recruitment of support group participants
- • Setting up and cleaning up support group meeting location(s)
- • Maintaining a record of attendance at group sessions
- • Following up with a lactation consultant to answer technical questions or making referrals to a lactation consultant, if necessary
- • Assisting with focus groups to test the acceptability of the pilot intervention among participants
Qualifications:
The successful candidate will have experience and training/certification as a Lactation Educator, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor (LLL, WIC, NMC), or IBCLC, or, in the absence of such training, must have extensive experience working with breastfeeding mothers and infants as a doula, midwife, health educator, or other postpartum care professional AND experience leading breastfeeding support groups or classes AND recent, relevant, continuing education in the lactation field. Will be kind, empathetic, nonjudgmental, and possess excellent active listening and troubleshooting skills. Will be sensitive to the breastfeeding needs and concerns of African
Americans and must become familiar with the findings in the B.E.S.T. For Babies focus group discussions. Must possess good written and oral communication skills. Will work well independently and be able to make sound decisions in the face of strong emotions and challenging issues. Will feel passionate about helping mothers to breastfeed their babies and be able to give evidence?based, nonjudgmental information in order to provide valuable support and problem?solving for different mothers, in a variety of situations. Lactation consultants must have professional liability insurance. The successful candidate must complete a basic course on the protection of human research subjects before commencement of facilitation activities, if proof of current certification with UNC cannot be presented. The candidate must have a valid North Carolina driver’s license or identification card.
Liz Woods, MA, MPH
Community Health Liaison
Durham B.E.S.T. for Babies Alliance
Community Health Coalition, Inc.
407 Crutchfield St.
PO Box 15176
Durham, NC 27704
Phone: 919.470.8681 or 919.470.8680
Fax: 919.470.8688
Cell: 323.205.0044
eliz.woods08@gmail.com
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