Specifications include, but are not limited to: 1. During the period of the contract the agency shall provide benefits and services as follows: a. To ensure equal access to quality health services, RIDOH expects the Agency shall provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services according to the following guidelines: • Assess the ethnic/cultural needs, and resources of their community; • Collect race, ethnicity, and language data of the population served; • Promote the knowledge and skills necessary for staff to work effectively with consumers with respect to their cultural and linguistic needs.; • Provide clients of limited English skills and/or communication barriers appropriate services; • Offer consumers a forum in which clients have the opportunity to provide feedback to the Agency regarding cultural and linguistic issues that may deserve response.; b. The Agency shall provide Breastfeeding Peer Counseling services to all WICenrolled pregnant and breastfeeding women.; c. The Agency shall adhere to all rules promulgated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA, governing the WIC Program, the Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program, the FMNP program, Nutrition Service Standards and the WIC State Plan and Policy and Procedure Manual.; 2. The Agency shall be responsible for the on-going recruitment of participants, which shall include at a minimum: a. Use of local media and social media; b. Agency shall maintain website with current and accurate WIC information; c. Coordination and planning of at least six (6) outreach activities annually; either virtual or in person (as defined in the Nutrition Education Plan Guidelines); d. Coordination of services and referrals with other health and social service programs within your agency or with other agencies in the community; e. Maintenance of participant waiting list, if appropriate; 3. The Agency shall provide non-traditional, flexible hours of operation to accommodate needs of families by providing non-traditional hours of operations, meaning weekends or evenings (evening hours are defined as 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.).; a. Provisions shall incorporate non-traditional hours for remote services provided during the public health emergency; b. The Agency must follow Federal guidelines when providing appointments to new applicants according to the 10/20-day rule. Pregnant, breastfeeding and infants and/or high-risk participants must be given an appointment in ten (10) working days; postpartum and children participants shall be given an appointment within twenty (20) working days from the initial request; 4. The Agency shall certify the eligibility of individuals applying for benefits in accordance with procedures contained in the RI State Plan, using residence, categorical, income, and nutritional risk criteria provided by the State for the WIC Program. The Agency shall: a. Shall utilize the Crossroads management information system (MIS) for initial certification and subsequent certification of all eligible WIC applicants.; b. Shall require WIC staff to attend all required trainings to adapt to a new MIS system or any changes in the certification processes required by the WIC Program.; 5. The Agency shall make referrals to Medicaid/Rite Care and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
