Re: What does PPACA mean for the future of IBCLCs

[Guest guest]

Please clarify for me: we are not lactation counselors, so would we not be licensed to practice lactation *counsulting* and then others like LLLLs could have the *counseling*? Or would there truly be no distinction?Dee, yes, you are correct. If IBCLC's were to become licensed to provide lactation counseling then anyone providing lactation counseling without that license, regardless of what they call themselves, is "practicing lactation counseling without a license".

[Guest guest]

Regarding La Leche League Leaders and other volunteers the model

legislation we are proposing states:

Individuals who are members of board-recognized volunteer organizations shall be exempt from licensure requirements if:

(a)

They do not hold themselves out as being licensed or having

clinical skills and abilities associated with licensure.

(

Their volunteer service is performed without fee or other

form of compensation, monetary or otherwise, from the individuals or groups

served.

©

The individual volunteer receives no form of compensation,

monetary or otherwise, except for administrative expenses such as mileage.

(d)

This shall not prevent a licensed lactation consultant from

providing care on a reduced or no-fee basis.

I am

the Chair of the USLCA Committee for Licensure and Reimbursement. I am

currently working with about 11 state initiatives. I am the person to contact

if anyone is interested in helping with efforts. You can see our page on the

USLCA website for information about licensure and reimbursement. PLEASE read

your USLCA newsletters to receive ongoing information about Licensure and

Reimbursement. There is something in almost every issue from Marsha

or myself about this. There is no one single way to go about licensure because

each state process is different. We have to figure it out state by state. It

also depends on the folks in a state who are willing to work with us so it can

be public health or legislators or non-profits who spearhead the work. In all

cases we need to have the State Breastfeeding Coalition and the State USLCA

Chapters on Board and ideally leading the work. You can find those here:

The

state breastfeeding Coalitions http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/Coalitions/CoalitionsDirectory/tabid/74/Default.aspx

USLCA

chapters http://www.ilca.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3887

If

you are not involved in these groups they need you and you should be involved,

not only for licensure and reimbursement, but for advocacy and to improve the “networking”

of IBCLCs in your state and local communities. Networking is how we improve

breastfeeding and how we progress as a profession.

On a

separate note, is anyone else having their digests come through with words in

the posts in a long column rather than lines?? It is so annoying.

Judy

Judith

L. Gutowski, BA, IBCLC, RLC

135 McGrath Lane

P Box 1

Hannastown, PA 15635-0001

Cell

Phone

Fax

[Guest guest]

Whoa, Judy!

This does NOT protect WIC Peer Counselors! These wonderful ladies *are* paid, at least in IL. I am pretty sure the ones in Missouri are also paid. So, you've protected LLL, Breastfeeding USA, and Nursing Mothers Council volunteers, but there are others who *get paid* and you've knocked them into being illegal to continue their work with this wording.

Dee Kassing

Regarding La Leche League Leaders and other volunteers the model legislation we are proposing states:

Individuals who are members of board-recognized volunteer organizations shall be exempt from licensure requirements if:

(a) They do not hold themselves out as being licensed or having clinical skills and abilities associated with licensure.

( Their volunteer service is performed without fee or other form of compensation, monetary or otherwise, from the individuals or groups served.

© The individual volunteer receives no form of compensation, monetary or otherwise, except for administrative expenses such as mileage.

(d) This shall not prevent a licensed lactation consultant from providing care on a reduced or no-fee basis.

I am the Chair of the USLCA Committee for Licensure and Reimbursement. I am currently working with about 11 state initiatives. I am the person to contact if anyone is interested in helping with efforts. You can see our page on the USLCA website for information about licensure and reimbursement. PLEASE read your USLCA newsletters to receive ongoing information about Licensure and Reimbursement. There is something in almost every issue from Marsha or myself about this. There is no one single way to go about licensure because each state process is different. We have to figure it out state by state. It also depends on the folks in a state who are willing to work with us so it can be public health or legislators or non-profits who spearhead the work. In all cases we need to have the State Breastfeeding Coalition and the State USLCA Chapters on Board and ideally

leading the work. You can find those here:

The state breastfeeding Coalitions http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/Coalitions/CoalitionsDirectory/tabid/74/Default.aspx

USLCA chapters http://www.ilca.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3887

If you are not involved in these groups they need you and you should be involved, not only for licensure and reimbursement, but for advocacy and to improve the “networking†of IBCLCs in your state and local communities. Networking is how we improve breastfeeding and how we progress as a profession.

On a separate note, is anyone else having their digests come through with words in the posts in a long column rather than lines?? It is so annoying.

Judy

Judith L. Gutowski, BA, IBCLC, RLC

135 McGrath Lane

P Box 1

Hannastown, PA 15635-0001

Cell Phone

Fax

[Guest guest]

WIC Peer Counselors are also paid in New York State. I am pretty sure that this is true of many other states too.normaNorma Ritter, IBCLC, RLCBreastfeeding Matters in the Capital Regionwww.NormaRitter.com

Join us on Facebook for the latest birthing and breastfeeding news and views:http://tinyurl.com/BMCRonFB

 

Whoa, Judy!

   This does NOT protect WIC Peer Counselors!  These wonderful ladies *are* paid, at least in IL.  I am pretty sure the ones in Missouri are also paid.  So, you've protected LLL, Breastfeeding USA, and Nursing Mothers Council volunteers, but there are others who *get paid* and you've knocked them into being illegal to continue their work with this wording.

    Dee Kassing 

Regarding La Leche League Leaders and other volunteers the model legislation we are proposing states:  

Individuals who are members of board-recognized volunteer organizations shall be exempt from licensure requirements if:

(a)    They do not hold themselves out as being licensed or having clinical skills and abilities associated with licensure.

(    Their volunteer service is performed without fee or other form of compensation, monetary or otherwise, from the individuals or groups served.

©    The individual volunteer receives no form of compensation, monetary or otherwise, except for administrative expenses such as mileage.

(d)    This shall not prevent a licensed lactation consultant from providing care on a reduced or no-fee basis.

I am the Chair of the USLCA Committee for Licensure and Reimbursement. I am currently working with about 11 state initiatives. I am the person to contact if anyone is interested in helping with efforts. You can see our page on the USLCA website for information about licensure and reimbursement. PLEASE read your USLCA newsletters to receive ongoing information about Licensure and Reimbursement. There is something in almost  every issue from Marsha or myself about this. There is no one single way to go about licensure because each state process is different. We have to figure it out state by state. It also depends on the folks in a state who are willing to work with us so it can be public health or legislators or non-profits who spearhead the work. In all cases we need to have the State Breastfeeding Coalition and the State USLCA Chapters on Board and ideally

leading the work. You can find those here:

 The state breastfeeding Coalitions http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/Coalitions/CoalitionsDirectory/tabid/74/Default.aspx

USLCA chapters http://www.ilca.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3887

If you are not involved in these groups they need you and you should be involved, not only for licensure and reimbursement, but for advocacy and to improve the “networking” of IBCLCs in your state and local communities. Networking is how we improve breastfeeding and how we progress as a profession.

 

On a separate note, is anyone else having their digests come through with words in the posts in a long column rather than lines?? It is so annoying.

 

Judy

Judith L. Gutowski, BA, IBCLC, RLC

135 McGrath Lane

P Box 1

Hannastown, PA 15635-0001

Cell Phone

Fax

 

[Guest guest]

Is there a way to have all??, it doesn't have to be so cut and dry. It could be as simple as having clearly defined scopes of practice. Which we should already have....The way I see it peer support or mother to mother support is not the same as professional lactation services. Peers already need to work under the supervision of an IBCLC in WIC and Is LLLL needed for mother to mother support and encouragement not to assess and treatment plan or communicate with dr or take medical history etc..For example; weight loss support groups, they ARE NOT all run by nutritionists or support groups for depression, may not be ran by therapists or physiatrists but by folks that had experienced issues themselves I guess my point is to protect the "gold standard" of support ; ibclc's. YES I support licensure. I understand this does not fix the insurance battle but needs to be worked on the same time. There are many levels of professionals in other fields as well Sent from my iPhone

Please clarify for me: we are not lactation counselors, so would we not be licensed to practice lactation *counsulting* and then others like LLLLs could have the *counseling*? Or would there truly be no distinction?Dee, yes, you are correct. If IBCLC's were to become licensed to provide lactation counseling then anyone providing lactation counseling without that license, regardless of what they call themselves, is "practicing lactation counseling without a license".

[Guest guest]

WIC peer counselors are not universally super used by IBCLC- a major hole in the program IMO. - EdenAtlanta, GaSent from my iPhone

Is there a way to have all??, it doesn't have to be so cut and dry. It could be as simple as having clearly defined scopes of practice. Which we should already have....The way I see it peer support or mother to mother support is not the same as professional lactation services. Peers already need to work under the supervision of an IBCLC in WIC and Is LLLL needed for mother to mother support and encouragement not to assess and treatment plan or communicate with dr or take medical history etc..For example; weight loss support groups, they ARE NOT all run by nutritionists or support groups for depression, may not be ran by therapists or physiatrists but by folks that had experienced issues themselves I guess my point is to protect the "gold standard" of support ; ibclc's. YES I support licensure. I understand this does not fix the insurance battle but needs to be worked on the same time. There are many levels of professionals in other fields as well Sent from my iPhone

Please clarify for me: we are not lactation counselors, so would we not be licensed to practice lactation *counsulting* and then others like LLLLs could have the *counseling*? Or would there truly be no distinction?Dee, yes, you are correct. If IBCLC's were to become licensed to provide lactation counseling then anyone providing lactation counseling without that license, regardless of what they call themselves, is "practicing lactation counseling without a license".

[Guest guest]

No, WIC Peer Counselors do **not** have to work under the supervision of an IBCLC in Illinois. I work with several IL WIC agencies to train their staff and they do not have an IBCLC supervisor. Some of them don't have any IBCLC at all, much less in a supervisor position.

Dee Kassing

Please clarify for me: we are not lactation counselors, so would we not be licensed to practice lactation *counsulting* and then others like LLLLs could have the *counseling*? Or would there truly be no distinction?

Dee, yes, you are correct. If IBCLC's were to become licensed to provide lactation counseling then anyone providing lactation counseling without that license, regardless of what they call themselves, is "practicing lactation counseling without a license".

[Guest guest]

I am the Lead for my organization's WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program.

The PCs in my state are paid WIC employees, as is almost universally the case

across the nation. They are either employees, or contractors to the WIC agency.

It is preferred in my state that the Lead be an IBCLC, however it is not a

requirement. This is a thorny area for me. The criteria to be a PC Lead can be

as minimal as having attended a lactation management training.

So our WIC PCs are overseen by an IBCLC and they have access to our staff IBCLCs

in the event they need support. They also offer referrals to our lactation

clinic.

The PCs I lead are not performing clinical tasks. I'm not sure how it is in

other WIC agencies because I hear of PCs using their work time to qualify to sit

the IBLCE exam. The work the PCs I supervise perform is specifically restricted

so as not to be performing evaluations and assessments. I would not consider it

clinical.

>

> > **

> >

> >

> > Whoa, Judy!

> > This does NOT protect WIC Peer Counselors! These wonderful ladies

> > *are* paid, at least in IL. I am pretty sure the ones in Missouri are also

> > paid. So, you've protected LLL, Breastfeeding USA, and Nursing Mothers

> > Council volunteers, but there are others who *get paid* and you've knocked

> > them into being illegal to continue their work with this wording.

> > Dee Kassing