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Frequently Asked
Questions about WIC Nutrition Assistant Certification:
- What is a certified WIC Nutrition
Assistant (WNA)?
- What is the difference between a
certified WIC Nutrition Assistant (WNA) and a Registered
Dietitian (RD)?
- How do you become a certified WIC
Nutrition Assistant (WNA)?
- What California Community College
Certificate Programs are available as training to
become a certified WIC Nutrition Assistant (WNA)?
- What is the difference between a
Competent Professional Authority (CPA) and a certified
WIC Nutrition Assistant (WNA)?
- What is a certified WIC Nutrition Assistant (WNA)?
A WNA is a paraprofessional who is certified in California
to perform all or some of the following tasks for
WIC participants: Nutrition and health assessment
Eligibility determination (certification) Determination
or prescription of the appropriate food instrument
for participants Individual and group education on
general nutrition topics Paraprofessional is a broad
term used to refer to a wide variety of support personnel.
Within WIC, paraprofessional staff may range from
professionals with degrees in fields other than nutrition
(e.g. registered nurses) to individuals who have little,
if any, formal education in nutrition but have received
some training by the State or local WIC agency Certification
for WNAs is statewide and competency based. A WNA
is certified to work as any local WIC agency in California.
- What is the difference between what a Certified
WIC Nutrition Assistant (WNA) and a Registered Dietitian
(RD) Does? Generally, the WNA provides routine
nutrition services while the WIC RD provides more
comprehensive and individualized nutrition services.
WNAs: are paraprofessional staff work under the direction
of professional and management staff often learn needed
skills on the job may also have college certificates
or four year degrees are granted certification from
California WIC In California WIC, WNAs may: provide
individual nutrition education to low risk participants
teach group education sessions determine eligibility
for the program issue food instruments (coupons for
nutritious foods) to participants refer participants
to health care and other community services Registered
Dietitians (RD): are professional staff complete at
least a bachelorís degree in dietetics complete an
American Dietetic Association (ADA) approved dietetic
internship program pass a national registry exam administered
by the ADA may also complete a masterís degree program
In California WIC, RDs: work as managers, nutrition
education specialists, trainers, and breastfeeding
or high risk counselors provide services to high risk
participants develop nutrition education materials
design and evaluate participant classes conduct outreach
and advocacy activities implement, coordinate, and
integrate nutrition services with other healthcare
programs train paraprofessionals or professional staff
supervise paraprofessional or professional staff and/
or administrate WIC programs including fiscal planning.
- How do you become a certified WIC Nutrition Assistant
(WNA)? A WNA must demonstrate mastery of the tasks
performed everyday on their jobs. This method is called
competency based certification. The required competencies
are: communication and cultural competence certification
health and nutrition assessment individual education
group education food instrument (prescription and
issuance) nutrition education plan referrals/outreach
The minimum qualifications to take the certification
assessments are a High school diploma or GED and 6
months full time experience at WIC. Many times, a
WNA first works in an entry level position such as
answering the phone, translating during participant
sessions, or issuing food instruments. The competencies
to be a WNA are assessed through: observations quizzes
and case studies file audits (review of case records)
interviews A WNA can gain the expertise to pass the
WNA assessments in many ways: group training (WIC
provided), using a combination of classroom training
and clinic experience self paced methods (with oversight
from WIC agency)-training manual, videos and other
materials, mentoring/coaching-working with another
staff person to practice the clinic skills workshops
and other outside training events (often used to supplement
other training) community college courses or certificates
combination of the above All these methods work well.
For upcoming training events approved by the WIC Branch,
(link to training event section).
- What California Community College Certificate
Programs are available as training to become a
Certified
WIC Nutrition Assistant (WNA)? Programs (two
semesters) with Supervised Community Nutrition Field
Experience:
The City College of San Francisco (CCSF)- Nutrition
Assistant Program (includes job placement
services). For more information at CCSF, visit http://www.ccsf.edu/Departments/Health_PE/consumer_ed/index.html.
Orange Coast Community College in Costa Mesa- Community
Nutrition Assistant Program (with
specialization options). City College of Sacramento
- Nutrition Assistant Program. Programs without
Field
Experience: Consumnes River College in Sacramento-
Community Nutrition Specialist Program (one semester-more
emphasis on food service). Ohlone College in Fremont-Applied
Nutrition (two semesters).
- What is the difference between a Competent Professional
Authority (CPA) and a Certified WIC Nutrition Assistant
(WNA)? USDA defines CPA as an individual on the
staff a WIC local agency staff who is authorized to
determine nutritional risk, and to prescribe supplemental
foods. This can include RD's and MD's. For many years,
California WIC approved CPAs based on information
about the candidateís education, work experience and
the local agency training program. California WIC
now uses the title "WNA" to differentiate between
the old certification method and the new method. WNAs
are certified based on competency rather than training.
By using competencies, California has standardized
the certification of CPAs throughout California. A
WNA in one agency is authorized as a WNA in any agency
in California.
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