WIC: Conferences and Trainings

Description

The purpose of this webinar is to review the current and planned policy updates for the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program.

Target Audience

Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program Managers

Recorded Webinar

Contact your RNC for the 2021 recorded webinar.

Description

This webinar discusses the current and planned updates for the policies and procedures related to the breastfeeding promotion and support activities in the North Carolina WIC Program.

Target Audience

WIC Directors and Breastfeeding Coordinators

Objectives

At the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:

• Describe the requirements for a breastfeeding-friendly WIC environment
• Describe the requirements for staff training in breastfeeding promotion and support
• Define the qualifications and responsibilities of the breastfeeding coordinator
• Explain the requirements for the inventory, issuance and tracking of breastfeeding supplies
• Identify the written breastfeeding polices that are required for Local Agencies.

Recorded Webinar

Please contact your RNC to review the 2021 webinar.

Description

The Breastfeeding Supplies Competency Training provides an opportunity for NC WIC Program staff to learn about the breastfeeding supplies they issue to WIC Program participants. The BSCT has two parts:

• An online, faculty guided, self-paced course that helps them understand how to assemble, use and clean breastfeeding supplies. In addition, they learn about the situations when breastfeeding supplies should and should not be used, their responsibilities under the World Health Organization (WHO) Code, the NC WIC Program policies regarding breastfeeding supplies, and the important topics to teach WIC Program participants about each type of breastfeeding supply they issue.
• A face-to-face demonstration of issuance for each type of supply in coordination with their Regional Breastfeeding Coordinator to assess issuance skills.

The BSCT has seven units:

• Unit 1: Issuing Breastfeeding Supplies to WIC Program Participants focuses on general information about issuing breastfeeding supplies to North Carolina WIC Program Participants. All learners must pass Unit 1 before completing any additional units.
• Units 2 through 8 focus on each of the types of breastfeeding supplies offered by the North Carolina WIC Program:
  • Unit 2: Single-User Manual Breast Pumps
  • Unit 3: Single-User Electric Breast Pumps
  • Unit 4: Multi-User Breast Pumps
  • New! Unit 5: Breast Pads
  • Unit 6: Nipple Shields
  • Unit 7: Supplemental Feeding Devices
  • New! Unit 8: Breast Shells (Note: Staff who completed Unit 5: Breast Pads & Breast Shells in a previous session do not need to complete Unit 8)

Target Audience

All local agency staff who issue breastfeeding supplies to NC WIC Program participants should participate in the BSCT. Each staff’s level of participation will depend on her or his job description.

• Local agency Breastfeeding Coordinators, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor (BFPC) Program Managers and all staff responsible for the inventory of breastfeeding supplies must complete all of the units.
• B• Staff who are not the Breastfeeding Coordinator or BFPC Program Manager should complete Unit 1 and whichever of Units 2-8 apply to the types of breastfeeding supplies they issue to NC WIC Program participants.
• Breastfeeding Peer Counselors need only complete Units 1 through 4 unless they also issue breast pads. If they issue breast pads, they should also complete Unit 5.

Dates

Please check back for updates on the 2021 series.

Description

This multi-day Core training session is required for all new Breastfeeding Peer Counselors. The training is offered by the Regional Breastfeeding Coordinator through the Regional WIC Lactation Training Center for the Perinatal Care Region.

Due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the restriction for travel and in-person meetings, all listed training will be converted to a virtual training. Most trainings are converted to half-days. Contact your Regional Breastfeeding Coordinator for more information on training times.

Objectives

At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Name ways to support a WIC mother’s continuity of care.
• List the basic scope of practice for various levels of WIC staff.
• Identify key practices that can get breastfeeding off to a good start.
• Recognize common breastfeeding challenges and basic strategies/solutions for supporting mothers.
• Discuss appropriate solutions to common breastfeeding barriers and provide support and yield as needed.
• Describe the basic roles and responsibilities of peer counselors.

Target Audience

• Breastfeeding Peer Counselors

Registration

• New! Virtual Registration Announcement (PDF, 210 KB)
• Register Here

Description

This training is a continuing education opportunity for WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors and the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program Managers.

Due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the restriction for travel and in-person meetings, all listed training will be converted to a virtual training. Most trainings are converted to half-days. Contact your Regional Breastfeeding Coordinator for more information on training times.

Target Audience

• For Peer Counselors and their Managers

Registration

• Register Here

Description

This course focuses on skills needed for providing basic breastfeeding management and support - including prenatal and postpartum counseling and management of common concerns and clinical problems. The training includes five days of didactic instruction, two days of clinical rotations in hospital and public health settings, and an independent study assignment.

Dates and Location

• Fall Course: September 1 and 2, October 6 and 7, and December 6 and 7. Training will be virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Registration

Online Registration

Description

This new, comprehensive, competency-based curriculum takes an agency wide approach to training local and State agency WIC staff on breastfeeding. This curriculum replaces the Loving Support training. The curriculum is structured in four tiered levels of learning based on staff roles. WIC staff will progress through levels sequentially based on their role within the WIC Program.

Target Audience

All WIC staff are expected to complete training based on their WIC positions.

Information, Dates, and Registration

Find more information and the link to register here.

Description

Vendor management is an essential component of the WIC program established to provide oversight of WIC authorized vendors. This is accomplished by instructing vendors regarding WIC vendor regulations, policies and procedures and subsequently, ensuring compliance. This training is for all local agency staff that oversee or conduct vendor management activities. This training will cover the fundamentals of vendor management policies and procedures, which govern vendor activities. As a reminder, the local agency vendor training is a required on an annual basis.

Objectives

By the end of this training, Local WIC Agency staff will be able to successfully:

• State the purpose of the WIC Program
• Describe the process for vendor authorization, maintaining vendor status and vendor disqualification.
• Describe Federal and State violations and corresponding sanctions for non-compliance with WIC Program guidelines.
• Explain minimum inventory requirements for WIC-approved foods.
• Explain WIC-approved foods
• Explain NC eWIC-related policies and procedures for vendors.
• Correctly guide local vendors in completing all required forms for reauthorization.
• Use the vendor training modules to instruct vendors regarding vendor reauthorization.

Target Audience

All local agency staff that conduct vendor management activities.

Dates and Registration

Please check back soon for the 2022 Local Agency Vendor Training dates.

• 2021 Vendor Monitoring Training Webinar
• Vendor Monitoring Presentation Handouts (PDF, 1 KB)

• Vendor Management Procedures Webinar
• Vendor Management Procedures Handouts (PDF, 1.30 MB)

• Trainings in Crossroads Webinar
• Trainings in Crossroads Handouts (PDF, 1.10 MB)

Description

This webinar will review the basics of food allergies, discuss current feeding guidelines for potentially allergenic foods, review food allergy management strategies, and review how WIC staff can assist participants with food allergies.

Target Audience

WIC Directors and Local WIC Agency Staff

Objectives

• At the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:
  • Define food allergy
  • Identify the signs and symptoms of food allergy
  • List the most common food allergens and identify them in foods
  • Review the current guidelines for introducing potentially allergenic foods to infants
  • Understand the process for tailoring the food package for participants with food allergies
  • Apply knowledge and skills to help WIC participants manage food allergies
  • Identify and use food allergy resources

Dates and Registration:

• Tuesday, February 8, 2022; 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM. Register Here.
• Thursday, February 10, 2022; 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Register Here.

Description

This webinar discusses caseload management and strategies to increase WIC participation, as well as a review of the WPM Chapter 10: Caseload Management.

Target Audience

WIC Directors and Local WIC Agency Staff

Objectives

• At the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:
  • Identify caseload management strategies
  • Explain importance of both retention and outreach activities
  • Review outreach resources available
  • Review activities at the local, state and national levels aimed at increasing retention and participation

Dates and Registration:

Check back soon for 2022 webinar dates and contact your RNC for the 2021 recorded webinar.

Description

The Local Agency Self-Assessment, or LASA, is designed to promote critical thinking needed to evaluate how well an agency delivers a range of nutrition program services and to determine how to make improvements in its program. Federal regulations require local agencies to complete a self-assessment of program operations. This webinar will cover the policy and preparation related to the Local Agency Self-Assessment for the North Carolina WIC Program, and will cover following areas: review of the monitoring tool used to complete the self-assessment, the report of findings and corrective action plan or CAP, CAP implementation, self-assessment close-out and record retention.

Objectives

• Describe the LASA policy and procedures
• Identify program areas that will be assessed during the LASA process
• Describe the contents of the LASA packet
• Complete the WIC program self-assessment tools
• Write the Report of Findings
• List the components of a corrective action plan (CAP)
• Provide a timeline of local agency self-assessment activities

Target Audience

Local WIC Agency Staff involved in the LASA process.

Dates and Registration

Contact your RNC for the 2021 recorded webinar.

Description

The purpose of the WIC Program Civil Rights Training is to provide guidance on Civil Rights compliance requirements for the NC WIC Program. This training reviews the regulations and policies that are enforced to ensure that WIC services are provided with equal opportunity and without discrimination in accordance with State and Federal laws. It also meets the annual Civil Rights Training requirement for Local Agencies. Please maintain the attendance record on file at your local agency.

Objectives

• Collect ethnic and racial data about applicants
• Apply the public notification policy
• Follow procedures for accepting complaints
• Describe the monitoring process for compliance with civil rights policies, including compliance reviews and resolution of noncompliance
• Uphold the responsibility for accommodation of people with disabilities
• Apply the policy to provide language assistance to limited English proficient persons (LEP)
• Recognize and practice good customer service
• Recognize and practice good conflict resolution
• Describe the protections provided for Faith Based Organizations

Target Audience

All local agency staff, including volunteers, that interact with WIC program applicants/participants and their supervisors.

Recorded Webinar

• Webinar

Handouts

• Power Point Slides (PDF, 2 MB)
• Handouts (PDF, 345 KB)
• Documentation of Attendance (PDF, 90 KB)

The exempt formula process requires many steps to be completed. Each step is important to ensuring that appropriate care is provided for the participant. This webinar will review the cycle of steps necessary for supporting WIC participants with special dietary needs from the nutrition assessment, the food prescription, ordering process, and follow-up.

Target Audience

NC WIC Certified Professional Authorities (CPAs), NC Local Agency WIC Directors

Objectives

1. Review the importance of the Nutrition Assessment for participants with special dietary needs.
2. Review the process for tailoring a food package for a participant with an exempt formula.
3. Review the process for ordering exempt formula through the NSB office.
4. Discuss the value of follow-up protocols for these participants.

Recorded Webinar and Resource

• Recorded Webinar: Exempt Formula Processes and Policy Review

  If you are having issues viewing the recorded webinar, see document below with presentation slides and notes.
  Exempt Formula Processes and Policy Review Slides with Notes

• Formula FAQs (PDF, 203 KB)

Description

There are many potential challenges that may come up during a WIC visit. These include finding ways to help families develop a positive relationship with food by incorporating mindful eating into their busy lifestyles, dealing with picky eating, and addressing possible developmental concerns that may come up during a visit. In this Webinar, we will discuss these topics in the following three sections: mindful eating, picky eating, and strategies for talking to providers about concerns identified during the WIC visit.

Objectives

• Define mindful eating
• Describe benefits of mindful eating for kids and families
• Discuss ways to incorporate mindful eating discussions into the WIC visit
• Define picky eating
• Describe ways of addressing picky eating
• Identify when picky eating becomes concerning
• Briefly define normal development
• Identify when to suspect developmental delays
• Discuss strategies for sharing concerns with health care providers

Target Audience

All WIC local agency staff that interact with WIC program applicants/participants and their supervisors

Recorded Webinar

• Please contact your RNC to review this webinar.

Part 1: The Nutrition Assessment

The purpose of the Nutrition Assessment training is to provide North Carolina WIC staff with an overview of the components to be collected during the nutrition assessment. This training reviews categories of assessment data to be used when establishing nutrition risk.

Target Audience

NC WIC Certified Professional Authorities (CPAs), NC Local Agency WIC Directors

Objectives

• Define the nutrition assessment and its importance.
• Discuss the frequency of when nutrition assessments should be completed.
• Identify sources of nutrition assessment information.
• Review the various categories of nutrition assessment information, and where it is input into Crossroads.
• Review how to establish nutrition risk eligibility for WIC.

Recorded Webinar

• Nutrition Assessment and Care Plan Training Webinar, Part I: The Nutrition Assessment

  If you are having issues viewing the recorded webinar, see document below with presentation slides and notes
  NACP Part I Slides with Notes

Handouts

• PowerPoint Slides (PDF, 1.4 MB)
• NACP Part 1 Resource Handout (PDF, 159 KB)
• Family Assessment Questions (PDF, 150 KB)

Attendance

• Certificate (PDF, 130 KB)

Part 2: The Care Plan

The purpose of the Care Plan training is to provide North Carolina WIC staff with an overview of the components required in a comprehensive WIC nutrition care plan. This training demonstrates how to build a summary statement from the nutrition assessment and develop an individualized plan of care.

Target Audience

NC WIC Certified Professional Authorities (CPAs), NC Local Agency WIC Directors

Objectives

• Review each component of a comprehensive WIC nutrition care plan.
• Demonstrate how to summarize a participants’ nutrition status and develop a plan of care.
• Review documentation standards for the nutrition assessment and care plan.
• Discuss the importance of routine follow-up to assess nutrition risk and relevancy of the care plan.

Recorded Webinar

• Nutrition Assessment and Care Plan Training Webinar, Part II: The Care Plan

  If you are having issues viewing the recorded webinar, see document below with presentation slides and notes
  NACP Part II Slides with Notes

Handouts

• PowerPoint Slides (PDF, 2.1 MB)
• NACP Part 2 Resource Handout (PDF, 143 KB)
• Building Blocks of a Nutrition Summary Statement (PDF, 147 KB)

Attendance

• Certificate (PDF, 130 KB)

Part 3: Effective Data Collection and Counseling

The purpose of the Data Collection and Counseling training is to provide North Carolina WIC staff with an overview of strategies that may be used during the nutrition assessment process to facilitate positive behavior change and support participant health outcomes.

Target Audience

NC WIC Certified Professional Authorities (CPAs), NC Local Agency WIC Directors

Objectives

• Describe the use of critical thinking skills to create an appropriate plan of care for WIC participants.
• Review participant-centered counseling strategies to support positive behavior change.
• Discuss techniques to engage participants in the counseling process using participant-centered services.
• Review the importance of cultural awareness to effectively communicate with diverse groups of people.

Recorded Webinar

• Nutrition Assessment and Care Plan Training Webinar, Part III: Effective Data Collection and Counseling

  If you are having issues viewing the recorded webinar, see document below with presentation slides and notes
  NACP Part III Slides with Notes

Handouts

• PowerPoint Slides (PDF, 1.8 MB)
• NACP Part 3 Resource Handout (PDF, 224 KB)

Attendance

• Certificate (PDF, 130 KB)

Description

Three-Step Counseling Strategy training module: This training module from the Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals has been adapted from the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor module, and teaches effective strategies for helping participants move towards making healthy lifestyle changes.

Description

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) is a federal statute that mandated dramatic changes to states' voter registration procedures by January 1, 1995. North Carolina met the deadline and implemented all aspects of the Act.

The purpose of NVRA is to:

• Increase the number of eligible citizens who register to vote
• Enhance the participation of eligible citizens who register to vote
• Protect the integrity of the electoral process
• Ensure that accurate and current voter registration rolls are maintained

This training conducted by the State Board of Elections NVRA Coordinator will review NVRA policy as it relates to the NC WIC Program.

Target Audience

• All local agency WIC staff.

Dates and Registration

• Date: Tuesday, January 18, 2022
• Time: 2:00 – 4:00 PM
• Register Here

• Date: Wednesday, January 19, 2022
• Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• Register Here

Description

The purpose of WIC Basic Training is to provide an overview of the North Carolina WIC Program for newly hired local agency staff.

WIC Basic Training is composed of nine (9) modules, each fully online and available at any time. These modules are designed to complement local agency on-site, role-specific training. It is recommended to complete the modules in order. Once the series has been completely viewed, the modules may be revisited at your discretion. As a reminder, the best reference for any specific policy and procedural question is always the WIC Program Manual.

Target Audience

All WIC local agency staff, as well as any non-local agency staff who represent WIC or who have direct contact with WIC participants.

Handout

WBT Training Checklist (PDF, 168 KB)

Modules

Description

WIC providers play a critical role in the health and wellbeing of children. This course is intended to offer a basic introduction to child development to help WIC staff feel more comfortable talking to WIC participants about their child’s development. In addition, participants will learn about the free resources available to help WIC staff engage and educate families about their children’s development using free materials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.”

Objectives

• Describe developmental milestones
• Learn the importance of monitoring a child’s development
• Recognize ways to support parental role in monitoring developmental milestones
• Identify areas of support and referrals for families

Target Audience

WIC Staff

Learning Module: Introduction to Child Development for WIC Staff

Description

Baby teeth are important! Hear the latest on early childhood oral health – everything from national statistics to policies of the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. If you work with young children or their parents, you’ll want to know this valuable information and how you can help prevent tooth decay.

Objectives

At the end of the session, the learner will be able to:

• Describe the most common chronic childhood disease.
• Explain why baby (primary) teeth are important.
• Describe the best way to prevent tooth decay.
• Explain why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends pacifiers.
• Identify resources for early childhood oral health information.

Target Audience

Childcare providers, WIC staff, other community partners.

Contact Information

Emily Horney, Early Childhood Oral Health Coordinator
Division of Public Health, Oral Health Section
NC Department of Health and Human Services
Emily.Horney@dhhs.nc.gov
(828)406-4097

For more information: Click Here

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released in December 2020. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans provides advice on what to eat and drink to meet nutrient needs, promote health, and prevent disease. It is developed and written for a professional audience such as policymakers, healthcare providers, nutrition educators, and nutrition program operators.

• Make Every Bite Count: USDA, HHS Release Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025
• 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight serves as a translational engine for pediatric obesity prevention, assessment, management and treatment and moves policy and research from theory to practice in American healthcare, communities, and homes. Access continuing education and maintenance of certification modules, skill-building modules as well as webinars on the Resources page.

Description

This one-hour online course will review evidenced based strategies to increase breastfeeding for healthy full-term infants. There is no charge for this online course.

Registration

This is a self-paced course. Register here.

The CDC Learning Connection is your source for information about public health training developed by CDC, CDC partners, and other federal agencies. Through website features, social media, and an e-newsletter, the CDC Learning Connection keeps you informed about training opportunities, including many that offer free continuing education (CE).

CDC Learning Connection

Description

The purpose of the online training is to provide health care providers and public health professionals in the United States with expertise on using and interpreting the growth charts. There are seven sections in this course including the following:

• Recommendations and Rationale for Using the WHO Growth Charts in the United States.
• Creating the WHO Growth Standard for Infants and Young Children.
• Comparing Methodologies Used to Develop WHO and CDC Growth Charts for Children Birth to 2 Years of Age.
• Breastfeeding as the Norm for Infant Feeding.
• Using the WHO Growth Standard Charts.
• Summary.
• Case Examples.

Self-assessment questions are included in each section, and five case studies provide scenarios to guide interpretation of the growth charts. The course can be completed in 45 minutes.

Description

For more information on educational opportunities from the March of Dimes and preconception health in North Carolina, please visit: Information

Description

The second webinar in the National Academy of Medicine’s Culture of Health Program Webinar Series. The National Academies report, Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity, concluded that health equity is crucial and health inequity is costly. Communities across the country are deploying action strategies to reduce health inequities. However, it can be challenging to effectively communicate and message the value of health equity and ongoing efforts to diverse stakeholders. Voices for Healthy Kids, a joint initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American Heart Association, developed a messaging guide that provides custom-built messages and insights for policy advocates to further the advancement of health equity. This guide provides an overview of shared values and the need to harness these values in mobilizing decision makers to take action. Experts will provide research-based tips and techniques for advancing health equity in public policy. A case study will illustrate how value-based messaging has proven effective in creating common ground while unifying communities and decision makers to create needed change.

Date and Time

• Recorded Webinar

The National Institute for Children's Health Quality is a mission-driven nonprofit dedicated to driving dramatic and sustainable improvements in the complex issues facing children's health. The NICHQ is committed to building and managing effective change strategies that align partners and engage stakeholders to achieve better outcomes for children and their families. The organization has always focused its impact in the healthcare arena. Now we are expanding our impact to the population health level and the many touch points that support healthy children. This includes a focus on health equity and the significant needs and opportunities in addressing social determinants of health.

NICHQ Recorded Webinars

For the most current webinar schedule and information, please check the NWA Webinars site here.

Description

The North Carolina Institute for Public Health (NCIPH) Training Website was developed to offer public health professionals and other interested persons immediate access to short, high quality trainings on a variety of public health topics. Trainings address core public health and epidemiology competencies, as well as public health preparedness capabilities.

These trainings are designed to address the most basic level of cognitive learning. They are short knowledge-level trainings that are designed to be completed on-the-job with very little time commitment.

Description

Nutrition Care Process Tutorials are offered by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. These video modules explain the Nutrition Care Process. The NCP Tutorial is a series of 15 videos. Each module is approximately 10 minutes long. The modules are free to everyone and 2 CPE hours can be earned.

Access the Modules

Description

PBH offers webinars that help expand your knowledge through new research, trends, product innovations and culinary inspirations from a diverse group of expert speakers. PBH webinar include a variety of pertinent topics including the impact of nutrition on emotional well-being, active aging and sustainability.

Recorded Webinars

Description

Established in 2014, the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions engages leadership from multiple sectors to solve the obesity crisis. Through meetings, public workshops, background papers, and innovation collaboratives, the Roundtable fosters an ongoing dialogue on critical and emerging issues in obesity prevention, treatment, and weight maintenance.

Roundtable on Obesity Solutions Information and Recorded Webinars

Description

A new continuing education program in the Gilling’s School of Global Public Health’s Department of Nutrition is being designed to support dietitians and health-care practitioners throughout their careers. Click the link below for more information.

Department of Nutrition Continuing Education

WIC Learning Online is a series of online courses designed to train all levels of staff working in the WIC program. Select WIC Learning Online courses are approved for CPEUs by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.