Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves WIC staffing change to broaden hiring pool, reduce part-time breastfeeding counselor hours
Summary
Cole County commissioners approved a change to the WIC nutritionist position title to allow dual allocation as a "competent professional authority" and approved reducing the breastfeeding peer counselor role to part time to improve hiring prospects and clinic flow.
Cole County commissioners voted to approve staffing changes in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program that county staff said are intended to ease recruiting for a vacant nutritionist/dietitian position and improve clinic flow.
County public-health staff told the commission the WIC nutritionist/dietitian position has been vacant for about six months and the county has struggled to recruit for the certified role. Staff said the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) agreed to allow a dual allocation of the role, changing the title to add “Competent Professional Authority” (CPA) so the county can recruit a candidate who DHSS can train for the certification.
Staff also asked to reduce the current breastfeeding peer counselor position to part time, which will lower that line in the budget. The presenter said the nutrition coordinator/CPA title would maintain the same salary as the previous position; reducing the breastfeeding peer counselor to part time will decrease the county's salary expenditures for WIC.
Vote: a commissioner moved and another seconded the personnel changes. Commissioners voted in favor.
Why it matters: the county said filling the nutrition-coordinator role is important to clinic efficiency and program delivery; staff said the change will broaden the hiring pool by allowing DHSS training for the CPA designation and that the part-time change for the breastfeeding peer counselor responds to workload and budget realities.
Details: staff said the part-time peer counselor wage would be $21 per hour for that position when posted. The county presenter said job descriptions were circulated to commissioners in advance and that final budget adjustments will be reflected in next year's budget submission.
