To: Board of Supervisors
From: Anna Roth, Health Services Director
Report Title: Position Adjustment Resolution No. 26309 to Add Two Home Economist Positions, Cancel One Vacant Public Health Nutritionist Position and Cancel One Vacant Nutrition Assistant Position in the Health Services Department. (Represented)
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ADOPT Position Adjustment Resolution No. 26309 to:
• Add two (2) Home Economist (V9WE) positions at salary plan and grade TC5-1376 ($6,126 - $7,447)
• Cancel one (1) vacant Public Health Nutritionist (V9WB) position # 8853 at salary plan and grade TC5-1430 ($6,463 - $7,856)
• Cancel one (1) vacant Nutrition Assistant (1K7B) position # 17322 at salary plan and grade TC5-1086 ($4,597 - $5,588) in the Health Services Department.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Upon approval, this request will result in an annual increase of approximately $27,937 with pension costs of $4,081 already included. (100% California Department of Public Health, WIC Funds). The WIC program has received an increase of $554,057 in funding for FYs 2024 and 2025, that will support the cost increase.
BACKGROUND:
The Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Program is a federal grant program administered in California by the WIC Division Administration. The program provides nutrition education, breastfeeding support, healthy foods and referrals to health care and other community services. Public Health’s Women, Infant, Children’s (WIC) Program Brentwood WIC site has one (1) vacant Public Health Nutritionist position # 8853 and the Concord WIC site has one (1) vacant Nutrition Assistant position # 17322. By cancelling both positions and adding two Home Economists, the program can provide a wider scope of functions supporting WIC participants than a Nutrition Assistant and Public Health Nutritionist can provide. This work includes lactation consultation for high-risk clients and support with Therapeutic formulas. The additional support in Brentwood will include providing food security services to the community. That site currently services an average of 2,248 participants/month (in 2024) and individual assigned caseloads are at about 150 participants/month, which the Home Economists would be able to mitigate.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If the positions are not approved, the county would be at risk of not being able to sufficiently staff the Women, Infant, Children’s (WIC) Program. This would offer less support services to WIC participants. It would also threaten to maintain current funding levels and opportunities to receive increased funding in the future, as the program would be unable to fully utilize the currently funded amount.