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The Center for Breastfeeding’s Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) Training Program Click here to download a PDF of the Spring 2012 flyer. Click here to download a PDF of the What is a CLC flyer.
The Certified Lactation Counselor®, (CLC) certification is the premier National Certification in Lactation Management for the United States. CLC certification holders have demonstrated competence in the lactation skills, knowledge and attitudes that are essential to helping women in the United States. The course and competencies have been evaluated by the ANCC who has approved as Nursing Skills Competencies. CLC certification means that a person has received training and competency verification in breastfeeding and human lactation support including assessing the latching and feeding process, providing corrective interventions,, counseling mothers, understanding and applying knowledge of milk production including in special circumstances and other commonly encountered situations. All of this give CLCs a strong foundation with which to help moms and babies. CLCs are members of the health care team who can provide knowledge and counseling about optimal and sub-optimal breastfeeding. CLCs understand that breastfeeding decisions are made by the mother, who may have values and goals different from the counselor. A counseling approach is used to elicit information and provide appropriate support to the mother and her family. CLCs work as part of the health care team, assuring appropriate referrals and recommendations. CLCs provide breastfeeding counseling and lactation management in: • Maternity units in hospitals and birth centers. • Neonatal intensive care units and special care nurseries. • Outpatient lactation clinics. • WIC programs. • Visiting nurse programs. • Maternal and child health services at the state, county and local level. • Parenting centers, including military family support centers. • Physician and midwife offices.
Research has shown that the education required of CLCs prior to certification is associated with improved breastfeeding outcomes. Working in a variety of settings, including hospitals, WIC agencies, health departments, clinics, health care provider offices, and private practice, nationally certified CLCs are key to the US strategy of increasing breastfeeding rates in our communities, advocating for positive change in societies attitudes and behavior regarding breastfeeding, teaching breastfeeding classes, and assisting mothers to optimally breastfeed.
This research and competency based lactation management training provides
newborns affected by medications, and more
This comprehensive, evidence-based, breastfeeding management course includes practical skills, theoretical foundations and competency verification. Technical issues are explored within the context of counseling the mother in the hospital and in public health and community settings. This course prepares participants for professional work helping mothers and babies: this program trains participants how to gain insight into clients' problems, with a strong focus on counseling skills.
The CLC training program offers continuing education credits for RNs (45 contact hours through ANCC), RDs (45 CPEUs through CDR), IBCLCs (45.0L CERPs through IBLCE) and Nurse-Midwives (3.9 CEUs through ACNM). This course is worth 3 college credits for students at Union Institute and University, MCH 330. This course has been approved by AARC. Click here to download a PDF of the Spring 2012 flyer. Or call, fax or write to us for more information. Or you can fill out the request at the bottom of this page. The Healthy Children Project is pleased to announce that on April 5, 2011, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a registration certificate for the certification mark Certified Lactation Counselor®. The Certified Lactation Counselor® mark communicates to the public that individuals authorized to use the mark have met the Healthy Children standards of excellence and possess knowledge and skills essential to competent practice in lactation management and counseling. Certified Lactation Counselor® is a registered certification mark owned by the Healthy Children Project, Inc. CLC is a certification mark owned by Healthy Children, Inc. The page below answers the following questions: What are the Upcoming Locations and Dates? Who should take the CLC course? What Does this Course Qualify Me To Do? What National Credentialing Organizations Recognize this Course? What Books are Recommended for Reference During the Course? What Is the Scope of Practice of a CLC? What About Recertifying my CLC? How can I get more information about becoming a CLC?
Breastfeeding is an important public health issue. In order to better support breastfeeding families, it has been recommended by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, among other international and national health authorities, that all maternal/child health care workers be educated in skills necessary to support breastfeeding families. The art and science of breastfeeding is not a matter for specialists alone, but is a foundation of health that should be widely understood and respected. To further this goal, the World Health Organization and UNICEF have recognized the need for four different levels of breastfeeding training: a 10 hour course for administrators and policy makers; an 18 hour course for maternity staff in Baby-Friendly birth facilities; and a more advanced 40 hour course for breastfeeding counselors, and an 80 hour course for trainers or Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative assessors.
The Center for Breastfeeding's Certified Lactation Counselor training program is a forty hour course designed to provide a solid, up-to-date, research based body of information regarding lactation as well the art of counseling. This course is offered at a variety of locations throughout the United States and around the world, training over 1,500 participants annually. Learners are engaged in over forty hours of didactic and experiential activities during this five-day course. On the final day, an examination is offered by the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP). The exam consists multiple choice questions (some of which refer to photographs). A certificate, and the designation Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), is awarded by the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice to all learners who pass all of the competencies and who agree to comply with the Scope of Practice and the Code of Ethics. Participation in the exam is not required of learners. However, it is only after successful completion of the course and examination that the Lactation Counselor Certificate is conferred. Participants of the course receive continuing education credits regardless of the outcome of the examination. The certificate expires after three years, and may be renewed by submission of a minimum of 18 hours of continuing education.
The course is intended for professional and volunteer health care workers, such as nurses, midwives, physicians, dietitians, nutritionists, WIC staff, breastfeeding peer counselors, mother-to-mother counselors, childbirth educators, doulas, speech and occupational therapists, child welfare workers, etc. While professional and personal experience with breastfeeding are of benefit to learners, there are no pre-requisite requirements for this program, other than a sincere desire to learn about breastfeeding. What do people have to say about our course? Click here to find out!
What Does this Course Qualify Me To Do? Successful completion of the course signifies that the learner has obtained the CLC and has a firm grounding in information and counseling skills required to provide basic support to breastfeeding mothers and children. CLCs have demonstated competency in breastfeeding counseling, breastfeeding assessment and support skills. In fact, the CLC is the only lactation credential recognized by ANCC as a Nursing Skills Competency Program. This mean that ANCC is verifying that our CLCs have this valuable competency based nursing skill, even if they are not nurses. CLCs work in hospitals, at WIC, at pediatric offices, in private practice, in community programs... They are L&D nurses, NICU nurses, mother baby nurses, public health nurses, LPNs, doctors, nutitionists, SLPs, OTs, doulas, peer counselors, midwives, perinatal outreach workers, volunteer breastfeeding counselors, and moms who want to learn more. CLCs teach breastfeeding courses, counsel new mothers and babies, help with breastfeeding issues in the hospital and community and more. To see the scope of practice, please click here. Completion of this course satisfies the 20-hour staff member training requirement of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. The credit hours received through this five-day course may be applied to the continuing education hours required to sit for the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (“IBLCE”) examination, or to renew the IBLCE credential by CERPs. Many participants have reported that completing this course helped to broaden their knowledge of breastfeeding, identify their strengths as a counselor as well as the areas for growth. Many also pursue additional courses and sit for the IBLCE exam. Experienced IBCLCs have told us that taking this course was helpful in preparing to renew their credential through examination. This course is also one of the pre-requisites for the Advance Lactation Consultant and Advanced Nurse Lactation Consultant certifications. Completion of this course does not expand the practice parameters of any health professional (neither does any other available lactation training program). Participants are encouraged to undertake ongoing study. The goal of the Center for Breastfeeding faculty is to provide a sound framework of research-based knowledge and to whet the appetite of learners so that they may build upon and enhance this framework with life long education.
What National Credentialing Organizations Recognize this Course? Healthy Children is recognized nationally by the following credentialing bodies: ·
What Books are Recommended for Reference During the Course? During the CLC training program, you will be using the required textbook: Pocket Guide for Lactation Management by Karin Cadwell and Cindy Turner- Maffei. It is available for purchase on the registration form, or you can purchase it from Amazon.com by clicking on the link below. There can be multiple participants using the same text book.
What Is The Scope of Practice of a CLC? Certified Lactation Counselors (CLCs) are individuals who have successfully completed the Healthy Children Project’s Certified Lactation Counselor Training Program, an Accredited ANCC Nursing Skills Competency Program™ * and are also certified by the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP). Ability to recognize one’s own and others attitudes, values and expectations about infant feeding and healthy lifestyles. According to the ANCC, the ANCC’s Nursing Skills Competency Program addresses concerns regarding competency by validating that a skills program meets national design standards. It offers a national performance benchmark for selecting continuing education and skills training courses. Participants can validate and claim continued proficiency in their specialized skills. ALPP develops and administers the CLC examination to assess the knowledge and skills that underlie competent practice in lactation counseling. The development, administration and scoring of the CLC exam, after participants have met the skills competency requirements, promotes competency in lactation management, skills, and knowledge and thereby fulfills the mission of ALPP. The purpose of the CLC certification is to protect the public by identifying individuals who are competent in lactation management skills and knowledge. This scope of practice addresses the foundation activities that CLCs have the knowledge and skill to accomplish. Many individuals who hold the CLC credential have other licensure and education, including nurses, peer counselors, doulas, dietitians, nutritionists, physicians, midwives, occupational and speech therapy, mental healthcounselors, etc. Because of the diverse background and training of CLCs, this listing does not encompass activities that many CLCs may conduct under the umbrella of other licensure, training, or knowledge. Knowledge and Competency of the CLC
Thus, the ALPP CLC has demonstrated readiness to:
To see the ALPP CLC Code of Ethics, please click here to go to the Academy's website. * The ANCC Accreditation Program and ANCC Accredited Organization are trademarks of the American Nurses Credentialing Center . All Rights Reserved. WHO/UNICEF. Breastfeeding counseling: a training course. Geneva: WHO, 1993. Accessed at http://www.who.int/child_adolescent_health/documents/who_cdr_93_3/en/ on August 28, 2009
What About Recertifying my CLC? The CLC credential lasts for 3 years, and requires 18 hours of continuing education in order to recertify. For more information, please contact The Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice at www.talpp.org . There is a recertification handbook available for download on their website under forms and you can always give them a call at (508) 833-1500.
Our CLC Training Program travels all across the country! Would you like to download a PDF version of our flyer? Click here for the Spring 2012 flyer. Or call, fax or write to us for more information.
Spring 2012 Locations and Dates
Louisville, KY on January 30 - February 3 Augusta, GA on February 6 - 10 Tallahassee, FL on February 13 - 17 Denver, CO on February 20 - 24 Dallas, TX on February 27 - March 2 Indianapolis, IN on February 27 - March 2 Maryville, IL on March 12 - 16 Cincinnati, OH on March 12 - 16 Princeton, NJ on March 19 - 23 Lincoln, NE on March 19 - 23 Portland, ME on March 26 - 30 New Port Richey, FL on March 26 - 30 Sheridan, WY on March 26 - 30 Des Moines, IA on April 16 - 20 Lander, WY on April 16 - 20 Lewiston, ME on April 23 - 27 Albany, NY on April 23 - 27 Ft. Defiance, AZ on April 23 - 27 Minneapolis, MN on April 30 - May 4 Pocatello, ID on May 7 - 11 Neenah, WI on May 21 - 25 Salinas, CA on June 4 - 8 Sylacauga, AL on June 4 - 8 Lincoln, NE on June 11 - 15 Jacksonville, FL on June 18 - 22 Memphis, TN on June 18 - 22 Landstuhl, Germany on June 25 - 29 Harlem, NY on June 25 - 29
Fall 2012 Locations and Dates more dates still being added! Louisville, KY on September 24 - 28 Rochester, NH on October 1 - 5 Rockford, IL on October 8 - 12 Des Moines, IA on October 8 - 12 Dover, OH on October 15 - 19 Rochester, MN on October 29 - November 2 Madison, WI on November 12 - 16 New London, CT on December 10 - 14 El Paso, TX on December 10 - 14 Sanford, FL on December 10 - 14
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