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Proration, Return & Reissue

Prorating, returning, and reissuing WIC food packages have undoubtedly been recognized as some of the more challenging WICSIS procedures. Since Build 51, programming changes have occurred and CPAs now have the ability to manage checks and benefits differently. This one-day WICSIS training program will cover state policies and guidance on using these features in WICSIS. Topics will include:

• Recognizing how to manage proration in the “Actual” tab when:

  • Checks are issued after the NGB date.

  • There is an overlap of benefits from a previous certification

  • Categorical eligibility ends during the issuance month
     

• Following guidelines when conducting a return- reissue.
   

• Using professional judgment to determine when it is appropriate to override:

  • Proration in the “Actual” tab of the “Prescriptions Instruments” window.

  • The “Allowed” amount in the “Reduce Quantities” window of the Reissue window.
     

• Understanding when it is appropriate to use the Additional Foods button.

Target Audience: WIC coordinators, CPAs, dietitians

Please note: This training provides 6 CPEUs.
 

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Proration, Return & Reissue for NYSDOH Regional Office Staff

Prorating, returning, and reissuing have undoubtedly been recognized as some of the more challenging WICSIS procedures. Since Build 51, programming changes have occurred and CPAs now have the ability to manage checks and benefits differently. This one-day WICSIS training will cover state policies and guidance on using these features in WICSIS. Topics will include:

• Recognizing how to manage proration in the “Actual” tab when:

  • Checks are issued after the NGB date.

  • There is an overlap of benefits from a previous certification

  • Categorical eligibility ends during the issuance month
     

• Following guidelines when conducting a return- reissue.
   

• Using professional judgment to determine when it is appropriate to override:

  • Proration in the “Actual” tab of the “Prescriptions Instruments” window.

  • The “Allowed” amount in the “Reduce Quantities” window of the Reissue window.
     

• Understanding when it is appropriate to use the Additional Foods button.

Target Audience: NYSDOH Regional Staff only

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WICSIS Refresher for CPAs

Do you want to ace your QA Checklist? WICSIS is a complicated system even for experienced staff. With this training, you can make sure that you are performing the many complicated aspects of your job correctly. This is a three-day training for CPAs who need a refresher on WICSIS functionality and policies such as:

• The most efficient way to navigate WICSIS and decrease the time you spend in the system

• Return/reissue, additional foods, and new guidance on proration and overriding

• Documenting nutrition education

• Aligning family members – the most efficient way to do it fast and accurately

Target Audience: WIC coordinators, CPAs, dietitians

Please note: This training provides 18 CPEUs 

Classroom Training ProgramS

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"16 and pregnant": Providing WIC Services to Adolescents

Adolescence is a time of growth- both physically and emotionally. Though many adolescents (ages 12-21) may be mature in appearance, due to developmental issues, they function differently than adults. Adolescent development impacts behaviors as well as how individual’s process information and make decisions. This one-day training will provide additional guidance on understanding adolescents and present strategies for maximizing staff interactions with teens as it relates to WIC-specific activities, including: scheduling appointments and promoting physical activity, nutrition, and breastfeeding.

Target Audience: All WIC staff

Please note: Application is pending for CPEUs and WIC Continuing Education Credits.

 

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Learn many fun physical activities that family adults can do at home with one or more 6-month to 5-year-old children. These easy-to-lead activities can be done in small living spaces with readily available, inexpensive equipment. Use these practical ideas to motivate families with young children to participate in healthy, enjoyable physical activities together. This training will be utilizing the information in Active Play! Fun Physical Activities for Young Children book/DVD set by Diane H. Craft and Craig L. Smith, published by Active Play Books.

Topics covered include:

• Overview of the importance of physical activity and the purpose of this training

• Recommended physical activity guidelines for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and family adults

• Practical examples of developmentally appropriate physical activities that help children learn fundamental movement skills and develop physical fitness

• Modifications for including children with special needs in physical activities

• Additional physical activity resources for families and WIC staff

Target Audience: All staff

Please note: This training provides 6 CPEUs.

 

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“What are whole grains? Why do I only get low-fat milk in my food package?” Do you know why certain foods were selected for the WIC food packages? Have you ever been asked a question about nutrition information and had no idea what to say? This one-day training program will provide support staff with basic information that will improve not only their knowledge about nutrition but also their ability to effectively interact with WIC participants. All WIC staff need a basic understanding of nutrition. Join us for a fun interactive day to learn about food and its impact on health!

Target Audience: Clerks, aides, receptionists, other front line staff

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This training will help build staff awareness, skill, and competency in the ability to provide breastfeeding support and encouragement for all WIC participants. This program will cover:

• How WIC compares to the national health objective goals for breastfeeding

• WIC food packages and how they support breastfeeding

• How to identify best practices for establishing a good milk supply

• The role of all WIC staff in promoting, supporting, and protecting breastfeeding

• How to move mothers from worry to confidence

Target Audience: Mandatory for all CPAs, nutrition support staff, clerks, WIC coordinators/directors, site managers. This training is not intended for breastfeeding coordinators or peer counselors. Peer counselors should attend the Peer Counselor Training program.

Please note: This training provides 6.5 CPEUs and is approved by the NYS DOH for 5 WIC Continuing Education Hours.

Training Requirement: You MUST first complete the Breastfeeding…It’s What We Do! Basic Competencies for All Staff training program before attending this program.

This training program was designed specifically for CPAs. The focus is on opening the conversation about breastfeeding with WIC moms. Attendees will also practice counseling skills and how to work with moms through common issues related to breastfeeding such as:

• Low milk supply

• Positioning and latching

• Separation between mom and baby

Target Audience: Mandatory for all CPAs; optional for all other staff. This training is not intended for breastfeeding coordinators or peer counselors. Peer counselors should attend the Peer Counselor Training program.

Please note: This training provides 6 CPEUs and is approved by the NYS DOH for 6 WIC Continuing Education Hours. This program was approved by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners for 5.5 L-CERPs.

This one day, topic-focused training will assist Breastfeeding Coordinators and Peer Counselor Coordinators obtain the skills necessary to manage the Peer Counselor Program. Attendees should have completed the Managing a Peer Counselor Program. The first in this series will assist attendees in learning the skills to supervise such as delivering the difficult message and organizing your program for success (e.g. planning for the year).

Target Audience: Breastfeeding Coordinators, Peer Counselor Coordinators

During this five-day training program WIC staff will practice providing information on lactation and support services to participants from prenatal to birth and beyond. Topics covered include:

• Lactation basics—an overview of milk production and how to properly and successfully breastfeed

• Common scenarios and how to handle them Adolescence is a time of growth- both physically and emotionally. Though many adodddlescents (ages 12-21) may be mature in appearance, due to developmental issues, they function differently than adults. Adolescent development impacts behaviors as well as how individual’s process information and make decisions. This one-day training will provide additional guidance on understanding adolescents and present strategies for maximizing staff interactions with teens as it relates to WIC-specific activities, including: scheduling appointments and promoting physical activity, nutrition, and breastfeeding.eastfeeding.ticultural awareness, and critical thinking.

  Target Audience: CPAs, peer counselors

  Please note: The Pocket Guide for Lactation Management by Karin Cadwell and Cindy Turner-Maffei is utilized in this training. Trainees who attend the full training and pass an exam will be issued a CLC certificate. This training provides 45 CPEUs. This programs was approved by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners for 45 L-CERPs.

As NYS WIC programs start and continue to implement Public Health Detailing in their communities, many will find that the communication skills of the staff person(s) selected to do the detailing will have a strong impact on the success of the initiative. This two-day program will provide public health detailers with fundamental skills such as making the first introduction, integrating key WIC messages into presentations, and using motivational interviewing techniques to engage medical providers. In addition, trainees will examine strategies for identifying medical providers in their communities, and discuss methods for developing record-keeping systems.

After taking this program, participants will be able to:

• Demonstrate building rapport in initial conversations with providers

• Be able to name 3 steps in the sequence of a detailing visit

• Develop strategies for prioritizing public health detailing efforts

• Give examples of which materials to use in support of WIC detailing goals

• Describe how to use active listening to roll with resistance and overcome objections

Target Audience: WIC staff who conduct (or will conduct) public health detailing visits

Please note: This training provides 12 CPEUs.

This one-day training program will focus on how culture can impact the messages we send and receive. Trainees learn about how to build rapport with and engage participants in meaningful conversations and avoid “cultural collisions”. The training will also look at common threads throughout cultures as a method to increase cultural competency.

Target Audience: All WIC staff

Please note: This training provides 6 CPEUs.
 

The most important goal of all service providers is to have a satisfied customer. Satisfaction is often measured by interpersonal relationships with staff and staff’s ability to manage dissatisfied customers. Another important aspect is the extent to which the service is convenient to the customer. In this one-day program, trainees will identify and examine those elements that lead to participant satisfaction with services and explore how to enhance the WIC participant’s level of satisfaction with the WIC experience.

Trainees will learn and practice skills that can enhance customer service including:

• Communication skills for different methods of communication (face-to-face and telephone)

• Identification of and response to participant feedback that is both positive and negative

• Setting and maintaining a client-centered environment that is both user-friendly and convenient

• Communicating messages appropriately and sensitively in order to encourage and support WIC participants

Target Audience: All staff

Please note: This training provides 6 CPEUs and is approved by the NYS DOH for 6 WIC Continuing Education Hours.

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Finessing the Front Desk

The pulse of every WIC agency is the front desk area. There, WIC families are greeted, phones calls are managed, participants are arriving for appointments, and participants wait to be seen. With so much activity, front desk staff must feel comfortable juggling many responsibilities, while still ensuring the clinic runs smoothly and participants are satisfied. This training will highlight tips managing this challenging yet crucial task. As a result of this program, attendees will:

• Apply best practices in front desk management.

• Increase skills in handling challenging participants.

• Manage telephone responsibilities.

• Discuss methods to maintain clinic flow.

Target Audience: WIC clerical staff, nutrition support staff, managers, site coordinators

Please note: Application is pending for CPEUs.

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Fit WIC Basic

Obesity has become a major public health problem in the United States. In 2004, the CDC ranked it as the “number one health risk facing America.” Coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon), hypertension, stroke, and liver and gallbladder disease are just a few of the health problems associated with obesity. And the problems don’t stop there – struggles with weight have also been shown to lower self-esteem, cause depression, and increase discomfort in social situations. Overweight and obesity are especially troubling problems among children, who are just starting to develop their eating habits and often have very little – or no – influence over what food and exercise options are available to them.

This one-day training program will concentrate on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes nutritious foods and physical activity. Topics covered include:

• Overview of Fit WIC and its purpose

• Importance of physical activity

• Examples of age-appropriate physical activities

• Resources for families and staff

Target Audience: All new staff

Please note: This training provides 4 CPEUs and is approved by the NYS DOH for 5 WIC Continuing Education Hours.

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Improving Communications with Spanish-Speaking Participants
(previously titled Spanish for Nutritionists)

Hola ¿se hablan español? If you have ever felt at a loss with how to communicate with your Spanish-speaking participants, this training is for you. You will spend one day immersed in the Spanish language and culture. Using experiential exercises, role-plays, repetition, games, and practice conversations, you will learn:

• Common greetings and polite expressions

• How to talk to participants about nutrition and medical information

• How to help families with the medical documentation and the medical referral forms

• How to ask questions in WICSIS, and much more!

Target Audience: All staff

Please note: This training provides 6 CPEUs.

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IBCLE Lactation Exam Preparation Course

Prepare for the IBLCE Exam in two exciting, information packed days! This course will review and update information in all disciplines and chronological stages on the IBCLE exam. A 50-question practice exam similar to the format of the IBCLE will be given and self-graded on site.

Prerequisite: Prior to attending this training program, you must purchase the textbook, Comprehensive Lactation Consultant Exam Review 3rd edition (by Linda J. Smith), and take/grade at least one practice exam.

Target Audience: All staff who plan to sit for the IBLCE Exam or wish to re-certify their IBLCE credential

Please note: This course requires the use of Comprehensive Lactation Consultant Exam Review, Third Edition by Linda Smith.  This course was been approved from the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners for 11 L-CERPS and 1 E-CERP.

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Interviewing Skills for Behavior Change (formerly Motivational Interviewing)

Prior attendance at the Rapport Building & Behavior Change training program is highly recommended before attending this program

This two-day training will focus on developing trainee skills in using various techniques to engage and support WIC participants through behavior change. Using the spirit of Motivational Interviewing, an evidence-based strategy that has been proven effective in increasing participant motivation and commitment for behavior change, trainees will learn how individuals are motivated to change and the role providers can play in this process. Fun interactive activities will be used to practice techniques for supporting participants in developing outcomes-based individual nutrition plans.

Target audience: CPAs, dietitians

Please note: This training provides 11 CPEUs and is approved by the NYS DOH for 7 WIC Continuing Education Hours.

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Investigative Interviewing for Vendor Management Agency Staff

This one-day workshop examines techniques for interviewing WIC vendors and vendor applicants for purposes of fact-finding and obtaining information for a variety of critical functions performed by vendor management agency (VMA) staff. This course will focus on developing skills to enhance the application review process and onsite monitoring visits. The taking of vendor statements and preparations for and testifying at fair hearings will also be discussed. A variety of key topics will be addressed, including the style and manner of questioning, active listening skills, language barriers, and methods to document interviews. This workshop will be presented by Laurie Shanks, Esq., Professor of Law, Albany Law School.

Target Audience: VMA staff only

Working together is an essential component of providing quality services in any organization. However, effective teamwork can be challenging when there are some colleagues we relate to quite easily and others we just find “difficult.” As professionals, we cannot simply avoid individuals we find challenging. We are all responsibility for finding productive ways to work together. This workshop will present a framework for WIC staff to learn about the different working styles and explore practical strategies for engaging more successfully with others at work. Trainees will have the opportunity to explore:

• How different interaction styles can impact the work environment

• Their strengths and weaknesses in interacting with others

• Strategies to help that will improve their communication with co-workers

Target Audience: All WIC Staff

Please Note: This training provides 6 CPEUs.

As the New York State WIC Program continues to grow and develop, leadership and management skills have become pivotal to its success. This two-day training program will help NYSDOH staff examine the issues of leadership and management, and learn how to cultivate these skills within local agency coordinators/directors.

Participants will:

• Explore the differences between managing and leading

• Demonstrate coaching skills

• Strategize how to assist local agencies in moving toward “greatness” over the next few years

Target audience: NYSDOH Regional staff only

This training is scheduled for June 14th from 12 – 5pm prior to the Managers' Retreat and will include a review of WIC, a budget and fiscal overview, and an introduction to managing quality services. Guest trainers will be Mickey Rimkunas and James Featherstone from the NYS DOH, Resource Planning and Operations Unit, Bureau of Supplemental Food Programs, Division of Nutrition. This session is focused on skills for new managers but all managers are welcome to attend.

This training program will provide attendees with a basic framework to aid in designing, building, maintaining, and sustaining a Healthy Lifestyle Program. Attendees will learn how to develop, plan, implement and evaluate healthy lifestyle promotion activities. This training will utilize materials from the NYS Healthy Lifestyle Promotion toolkit. Collaboration building and partnerships are very important and will be emphasized. 

Target audience: WIC coordinators and key staff involved in the planning, development, and evaluation of healthy lifestyle nutrition education activities.

Please note: Application is pending for CPEUs.

About one in four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that the overall rate of current illicit drug use and prescription drug use in the United States rose from 2008 to 2009. This two-day training will introduce WIC staff to common mental health and substance use issues. Trainees will learn how to identify signs and symptoms of possible mental health disorders and of substance use intoxication and abuse, along with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Engagement, referral and follow-up strategies will be also discussed.

Target audience: WIC coordinators, CPAs, dietitians

Please note: This training provides 12 CPEUs.

In the WIC clinic, height and weight measurements are used to correctly assess and identify anthropometric risks for women, infants and children (e.g., underweight, overweight, short stature, inadequate growth, etc.) These risks are not just about qualifying someone for the WIC program; they often impact maternal and child health outcomes. In addition to the counseling nutritionists provide, WIC participants also benefit from a strong referral network that can help identify medical providers and other services to address serious medical conditions. Measuring and recording anthropometric data correctly will assure that risks are not missed or generated erroneously.

Trainees will learn how to:

• Use anthropometric equipment to measure infants and children using the recumbent technique

• Use anthropometric equipment to measure women and children using the standing technique

• Avoid reading and recording errors

Target Audience: All staff who perform anthropometric measurements

WICSIS…computers…so many questions to ask and information to be obtained! Don’t you just want to get back to talking about what’s important? Join us for this interactive training, where we focus on conducting a complete nutrition assessment – one that guides the conversation to obtain the mandatory and relevant information, while still using the participant centered a• Applying counseling and nutrition education strategies that are relevant to the high risk criteria trition education sü Checks are issued after the NGB date. the high risk criteria also explore how the nutrition assessment impacts your ability to work with participants to obtain behavior change goals.

Target audience: WIC coordinators, CPAs, dietitians

Please note: This training provides 6 CPEUs and is approved by the NYS DOH for 6 WIC Continuing Education Hours.

This training retreat will focus on the skills and knowledge that managers need to possess in order to grow and develop the WIC staff. Participants will explore issues of managing staff, including "difficult" or "marginal" employees, providing feedback, conducting performance appraisals, cross-training staff, balancing performance issues with personal life situations and managing change in the organization. WIC Managers will have an opportunity to develop or enhance supervisory skills utilizing case studies and other relevant practice scenarios.

As a result of this training participants will be able to:

• Develop enhanced communication skills to effectively give feedback and address performance issues

• Demonstrate knowledge of the steps to performance appraisals

• Examine issues regarding managing change

• Develop strategies for cross-training and task shifting to create a more cohesive WIC work force

• List some of the stages of organizational change and how to utilize them strategically

Target Audience: WIC directors, managers, coordinators, site directors

To facilitate group discussions effectively, WIC staff need to be able to maximize participant involvement in identifying discussion topics and to elicit interactions among group 16Services to AdolescentsServices to AdolescentsServices to AdolescentsServices to Adolescents program will provide opportunities for trainees to learn and practice group facilitation skills including:

• Encouraging group participation

• Working with group dynamics

• Managing conflicts as they arise in the group

• Setting and maintaining norms and boundaries

In addition, trainees will practice using communication skills and cultural competency in a group setting.

Target Audience: Mandatory for all CPAs and nutrition support staff who plan to conduct groups

Please note: This training provides 11 CPEUs and is approved by the NYS DOH for 7 WIC Continuing Education Hours.

This 1.5 day program will introduce NYSDOH regional staff to the basics of performance management, specifically focused on the use of the LACASA tool. Attendees will examine their role in providing guidance and support with local agency staff, practice documentation of site visits and findings, and examine methods to ensure consistency when completing local agency assessments.

Target Audience: NYSDOH Regional Staff only

The purpose of this training program is to assist agencies in training peer counselors. New peer counselors may attend as well as those who have completed the training but would like a refresher. This two-day training program is based on the NY State Peer Counselor Curriculum and the Loving Support Through Peer Counseling Curriculum, and it will cover the following sections of the NYS Curriculum:

• Breastfeeding Basics
• Counseling
• Breast Anatomy
• Birth and the First Days of Breastfeeding
• Latch and Positioning

Target Audience: peer counselors, breastfeeding coordinators, peer counselor supervisors

Rapport Building & Behavior Change

This two-day training program addresses two VENA principles that are essential skills for all staff to master – building rapport and behavior change. Building rapport is key to establishing and maintaining a trusting relationship. During this program, trainees will discuss the importance of engaging participants in decision-making and will practice using key communication skills to build and enhance rapport with WIC participants. In addition, trainees will explore environmental, cultural, and socio-economic issues, using a participant-centered, strength-based approach to enhance rapport. Through a variety of activities and role plays, trainees will learn and practice key skills including:

• Validations and affirmations

• Reflective listening

• Questioning techniques

• Engagement strategies

• Ways to create a positive environment

• Nonverbal communication techniques

Understanding the process of behavior change is also very important for WIC staff who educate and counsel WIC participants and promote change. An introduction to an evidence-based theory called the Trans-Theoretical Model of Behavior Change (TTM), also known as “Stages of Change,” will be presented. The model involves “staging” a client in terms of their readiness for behavior change, then tracking their movement across stages.

Target Audience: All staff

Please note: This training provides 13 CPEUs.

WIC staff often hear mothers express doubt, concern, and frustration when they discuss feeding their babies. The number one reason why moms supplement with formula is because they think their breastmilk is not “enough”. This training will examine ways to build confidence in breastfeeding and assist moms with establishing a strong milk supply. Trainees will identify common myths around milk production and learn methods to help establish and maintain strong milk supplies.

Target audience: Peer Counselors, Breastfeeding Coordinators, WIC Staff that have completed the “Breastfeeding… It’s What We Do!” training series

Please note: This training provides for 6 CPEUs and is approved by the NYS DOH for 5.75 WIC Continuing Education Hours. This program was approved by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners for 5.25 L-CERPs.

There are times when mothers need to express breast milk; if they experience engorgement or latch difficulties, head back to work or return to school, have an occasional outing or want to introduce a bottle. The good news is that mothers can continue to breastfeed and WIC can play an important role in providing support and education to mothers when they are faced with separation. You will learn about hand expression and the ins and outs of breast pumps. 

As a result of this one-day program, participants will be able to:

• Describe and practice explaining hand expression

• Assess need for a breast pump

• Assist with selecting the most appropriate breast pump

• Describe the benefits and challenges of using a breast pump

• Share tips for breast pump maintenance

Target Audience: Peer Counselors, Breastfeeding Coordinators, WIC Staff that have completed the “Breastfeeding… It’s What We Do! Counseling Skills for WIC Staff” (Day Two) training

Please note: This training provides for 6 CPEUs and is approved by the NYS DOH for 5.75 WIC Continuing Education Hours. This program was approved by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners for 5.25 L-CERPs.

The NYS WIC Training Center is offering this exciting learning collaborative aimed at supporting WIC local agencies in examining their services and implementing a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Program. CQI has been embraced by many fields as a key mechanism of enhancing quality of care while preserving cost-effectiveness. This collaborative is designed for select WIC local agencies committed to examining and achieving methods of improvement in their day-to-day operations. Throughout this three part series we will explore the following:
 

Attributes of an integrated CQI process

The role of leadership

Collection and analysis of quality assurance and performance management data

Evaluation and lessons learned from data collection

Target audience: WIC directors, managers, coordinators, site directors.
 

Log in here for resources and assignments relating to the Learning Collaborative Series

In an effort to promote the new vision for WIC in NYS, lead agencies are looking for creative ways to increase caseloads, reduce wait times, and improve customer service. To make this a reality, strategic planning is needed around core services and service provision. This two-day program will focus on managing clinic flow in WIC clinics as a method for meeting this goal.

As a result of this one-day program, participants will:

• Review WIC core services and the strategic planning process

• Learn various models for managing clinic flow in settings outside of WIC

• Utilize assessment tools to determine barriers to clinic flow

• Develop an action plan for improving clinic flow

Target audience: WIC directors, managers, coordinators, site directors

Please note: This training provides 12.5 CPEUs.

NYS WIC agencies have a unique system to input and collect data about participants - WICSIS. While WIC staff and managers can feel overwhelmed by the amount of data inputted and generated in WICSIS, there are a number of data reports that can be used to support you in maximizing program outcomes and meeting funder requirements. This one-day program will help to begin the process of examining the utilization of a core set of reports to enhance your ability to manage your WIC program.

Target audience: WIC directors, managers, coordinators, site directors

Please note: This training provides 6 CPEUs.