UCONN DAHS Coordinated Program in Dietetics

Diet 3235 Winter/Spring 2023

WIC site reflection template

Name: Scarlett Ball WIC Site visited: East Hartford

**You may respond to this form and return it as an attachment.

The approximate number of clients served at this site on this day: is 54.

A. Discuss the counseling sessions you were invited to with the WIC nutritionist. How many
sessions were you able to sit in on? Discuss the nutrition topics the WIC counselor reviewed
with the mom/dad. Discuss the process of nutrition assessment at this WIC. What were the
nutrition messages that were repeated client to client? Were most of the messages about
children’s nutritional health, or adult’s nutrition health, or a balanced combination of
both? Were there any language issues/barriers you noted? If so, how were they handled?
I was able to sit in on three sessions. In the first nutrition session, the WIC counselor talked to a
mother who had an 11 month-year-old and a four-year-old. She went through each child one at a
time and asked them how each child was doing, if they had any concerns, how many meals a day
each child was eating, and what drinks they were drinking (water, milk, or juice). Also, the WIC
counselor asked if the mother was still breastfeeding the 11 month-year-old. The WIC counselor
asked the mother additional questions about the four-year-old, such as her dental health and
physical activity, since she is older. A message repeated to the client was that when the child is
drinking juice, it should be diluted with 50% water since there is so much sugar in juices. At a
young age, we don’t want to form the habit of drinking sugary beverages.

The other session I sat in on was with a 7-month pregnant mother due in April. This was her
certification meeting with the WIC counselor. However, her doctor still needed to send her
weight, height, and hemoglobin to process the benefits fully. The WIC counselor asked her about
her meal intake and whether or not she drinks milk. The client said she drank whole milk, and
the WIC counselor educated her on switching to 2% or 1% milk since it would be healthier for
her and the baby. However, the mother did not seem willing to change her habits. The WIC
counselor asked if it was her first pregnancy, and it was not. This was her second pregnancy. She
wondered if she would be breastfeeding this pregnancy. However, she said she was on methadone
treatment and would ask her doctor. Most likely not, since the previous pregnancy, she did not
either due to other drugs she had previously. This client also smokes; however, he has reduced
cigarette use from 1.5 packs to 6 cigarettes a day. The messages the WIC counselor gave her
were about her health and the baby’s nutritional health. Overall this client has many factors
affecting her life, and as the WIC counselor said, you have to be very careful talking to people if
they are set in their ways and unwilling to change something.

The third session I could sit on was for a mother with a year and 5-month baby. This was a
follow-up with the mother. The WIC counselor asked what she was drinking: whole milk and
water. She wondered how much milk was, and the mother said only 4 oz at daycare. She
recommended that she increase her milk intake to two (4oz) cups a day as she feels like she is not
getting enough calcium, and this way, this extra cup will boost her calcium in addition to the
cheese and yogurt she is getting. The baby has transitioned to a cup with a straw and uses her
fingers. The WIC counselor asked what her play looked like, and the mother said she was very
active. She also asked if she was using all the WIC benefits, and she said yes, she is even running
out at the end of the month. Therefore, the WIC provided her with information about the
Foodshare Mobile.

B. Discuss nutrition education materials. Were they in English and Spanish? Other
languages? Were the nutrition messages at this site also on the walls as posters, or was
there a supply of handouts? Did the dietitian distribute AND discuss the materials? Did the
WIC nutritionist use food models or product labels to make a point with a client?
There are many nutrition education materials at WIC, such as an Infant feeding guide,
Birth to 6-month guide, 6 to 12-month guide, etc. They also have tips for Healthy Pregnancy and
Breastfeeding. Plus, all their educational materials are on their website as well as physical
handouts. Yes, all the materials they have are in English and Spanish. There were nutrition
messages at this site and on the walls, posters, and many handouts that they even let us take
home. A lot of the signs had Myplate on them. The nutrition counselors distributed the materials
online to clients since their meetings were over the phone. We even got to see the booklet of what
each client can obtain using their WIC benefits, and they could choose from a lot of variety. I did
not see a WIC nutritionist use food models or product labels to make a point with a client.

C. When you think about behavior change theories and models you are learning about in
Val’s class, which ones could you apply to these WIC clients in these sessions? Select a
counseling session you sat in on and discuss the level at which you believe the mom/dad
appears to be in the Stages of Change Model and support your argument:
pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance.

The second counseling session I sat on with a 7-month pregnant mother was definitely in the
pre-contemplation phase regarding switching from whole milk to 2% to 1% milk. She likes the
taste of regular milk, and when the WIC counselor gave her a recommendation, she was not
adamant about changing since she doesn’t like the taste of 1% or 2%. Also, I think the client is
more worried about changes in her life, such as weaning cigarettes, so she is less focused on
switching kinds of milk now.

D. When you think about the client flow when you were there and how the site is physically
set up, at what points do you envision more direct and in-direct nutrition education could
take place?

The site is set up so that when you walk in, there is the main office area with big tables, and in
another room, the WIC counselors are in their little cubicles with walls.
I envision more direct nutrition education where clients are actively engaged and learning
one-on-one with their WIC counselor. This is more private, and the WIC counselor can tailor the
individual's needs. When you first walk into the WIC office, before getting to the room with
offices, there are tables set up where clients can come in and distribute handouts and resources.
This can inform general nutrition knowledge to everyone without focusing on an individual issue
but on the community's nutrition issue.