One Year Certification Periods

1. One Year Certification Periods November 2012

2. Agenda • Overview of one year certification periods • Rationale for change • Procedures for one year certifications • Timeline

3. Overview • One-year certification periods • New for Children • Breastfeeding Women (Current but guidance new) • Infants (current) • Similar to requirements for one year certification of infants. • Option for states to utilize. • Transfers from other states may have 6 month certification periods

4. Certification Periods • Infant: To the last day of the month the infant turns one year old • Breastfeeding Woman: To the last day of the month in which her infant turns one year old or until the woman stops breastfeeding • Child: Yearly ending with the last day of the month in which the child turns five years old

5. Why extend certification periods? • Increase time spent on providing nutrition services • Critical to achieving mission of WIC Program • Prevent nutrition-related health problems • Improve health status • Not intended as a cost saving measure

6. Mid Certification Appointments • One year certifications must include midpoint nutrition assessment • Similar to infant mid certification

7. Components of Mid Certifications • Anthropometric measurements • Bloodwork (when necessary) • Health and Nutrition Assessment • Immunization check or follow up • Nutrition counseling or education • Referrals, if needed • Food package changes, if needed

8. Not Required • Proof of Income • Proof of Address • Proof of ID • Rights and Responsibilities

9. Height and Weight • Collect at mid certification • Referral data less than 60 days old acceptable

10. Bloodwork • According to bloodwork schedule • Infants: screening between 9-12 months of age • Children over 1: • 6 months after infant test • Around 15-18 months of age • Most vulnerable time for children to manifest iron deficiency anemia • 2-5 Years Old: Yearly, if normal • Breastfeeding women: At Certification • Follow up for low hemoglobin • Referral data acceptable

11. Health and Diet Assessment • Abbreviated assessment to identify major changes in health status • Found at end of each VENA Tab listing of questions • Includes • Review of last certification information (1st question) • New concerns of participant • New medical diagnosis • Changes in eating pattern/food intake • Changes in physical activity • Check on immunizations, if appropriate • Follow up on nutrition risks identified at certification

13. Other components • Nutrition education • Referrals • Food Package

14. Enhancement to HuBERT • Mid Certification Assessment screen • Similar to CGS • Only Height, Weight, Blood required link • Others to help guide appointment

15. HuBERT Guidance • Enter information via the participant folder • Height, Weight and Blood Tab • VENA Tab • Referral, if needed • Nutrition education • Food package, if needed • Benefit issuance

16. Timing of Mid Certifications • Infants: at 9 months SAME • Children: 6th month of certification (5-7 month time frame) • Breastfeeding women: 6th month of certification OR with Infant’s mid-certification appointment

18. QUIZ (True or False) • Income verification is not a part of the mid certification appointment. • An infant certified on his birthday will be certified for one year. • The Infant Mid Cert appointment should take place at 6 months. • All of the questions asked at certification should also be asked at the mid certification appointment. • Bloodwork will never be required at a mid cert appointment.