Lactation Counselor in FHI 360

General information

FHI 360 is implementing a nutrition program aimed at on providing assistance to pregnant women and breastfeeding women in the field of infant and young child feeding, as well as building the capacity of health facilities to provide high-quality breastfeeding counseling services. FHI 360 implements this project in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions.

Detailed description of tasks to be completed:

Under the technical supervision of the nutrition program specialist, the breastfeeding consultant carries out measures to build the capacity of medical workers of public health care institutions (specialists responsible for feeding infants and young children age) by conducting on-site training and providing mentoring support; if necessary, conducts professional consultations on feeding infants and young children for pregnant and breastfeeding women in medical facilities; provides assistance to women in the format of online consultations and through messengers (in particular, using the Telegram application); participates in basic training for health workers on feeding infants and young children (in particular, obstetricians, gynecologists, neonatologists, nurses and midwives), and also provides mentoring support after trainings; coordinates the activities of volunteers of public health programs in communities with the aim of redirecting women in labor to receive professional consultations and further support.

Among the activities that Breastfeedingconsultant, such as:

• Build the potential of specialists responsible for feeding infants and young children in each to the medical institution involved in the project in providing high-quality breastfeeding consultations by conducting regular initial events and providing mentoring support (in online and offline formats).
• Conduct individual consultations and group consultations on breastfeeding issues, introduction of complementary foods, feeding with mixtures for pregnant women and women in labor in health care institutions, according to the "Operational instructions for personnel in emergency situations and Heads of Infant and Young Child Feeding Programs in Emergencies", "International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes", "Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards for Humanitarian Assistance" SPHERE. Provide basic, non-specialized and non-clinical psychological assistance within the scope of consultations.
• Responsible for the referral of pregnant and lactating women who need psychological support from health care facilities involved in the project to psychologists FHI 360 or other approved service providers. Provide inclteaching of topics related to mental health in consultations conducted by specialists responsible for feeding infants and young children in health care institutions.
• Identify gaps in the provision of consultation services in the field breastfeeding in supported healthcare facilities, provide FHI 360 with recommendations for their elimination, in particular, mother-child spaces and other operating room assistance.
• Responsible for collecting data on breastfeeding counseling in assisted living facilities, entering them into relevant data collection tools (in particular, the Kobo platform).
• Responsible for providing healthcare facilities with breastfeeding counseling kits, informational and educational materials about breastfeeding, materials with organization logos, etc.
• Brothers participation in trainings for medical workers on feeding infants and young children in emergency situations (NPR in emergency situations), visits to medical facilities to provide mentoring support after training and monitoring the implementation of NPR services.
• Ensure implementation referral mechanisms for women identified by volunteers of community-based public health programs for professional breastfeeding counseling in in online or offline formats.
• Ensure compliance with the Standard Operating Procedures adopted in FHI 360 in the process of operating and managing the activities of mother and child spaces in healthcare facilities.
• Participate in the assessment of needs for assistance in the field of nutrition in health care facilities and communities in their service area. 
• Compile and submit weekly activity reports to line manager
• Attend and actively participate in internal nutrition programs department meetings, trainings and seminars.

Required:

• Qualification of midwife, nurse, doctor, doula or certified breastfeeding consultant.
• Fluency in the Ukrainian language.
• 0-2 years of breastfeeding consulting experience in Ukraine. 
• Fluency in Microsoft Office programs (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
• Ability to comply with confidentiality requirements in work with patients and beneficiaries.

Preferably:

• A certificate that allows you to provide breastfeeding consultations.
< li>Awareness of the Operational Guidelines for Emergency Personnel and Managers of Infant and Young Child Feeding Programs in Emergencies, the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards for Provisionof humanitarian aid" (SPHERE), "International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes" and relevant regulations adopted on their basis.
• 0-2 years of experience in direct provision of medical services.
• Excellent communication skills skill, ability to manifest empathy.
• Training/certification in the field of PPSSP, previous experience in providing psychological assistance within the scope of counseling with GNDRV in emergency situations will be an advantage.
• Proficiency in English will be an advantage.
• Readiness and desire to help affected communities and representatives of vulnerable population groups.

Candidates with disabilities are encouraged to apply