Mixing Causes or Not?
Joan Peloso
Plantation, Florida, USA
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 35 No. 3, June-July 1999, p. 69-70
As Leaders, we encourage
mothers to learn through their mothering. In turn, through our experiences
with LLL, we expand our own horizons. For some Leaders, our interests
develop into involvement with another nonprofit organization or a home
business. How can we continue to be involved as volunteers in an organization
to which we are so committed while at the same time pursue other interests
without mixing causes?
Many questions come to mind.
Can a Leader refer a breast pump rental client to herself? What if she
knows that the other rental stations are out of pumps and the mother
really needs one? What does a Group Leader who is employed as a lactation
consultant do when a mother at a Series Meeting says, "Seeing Lucy
Leader as a lactation consultant helped me a lot!" Can the Leader
then tell the Group about her lactation consultant business? If the
nearest lactation consultant is 40 miles (64 kilometers) away, can the
Leader/lactation consultant refer mothers to herself? What if a mother
knows a Leader sells kitchen products or children's toys and asks for
a sales catalog at the meeting? When discussing childbirth and its effect
on breastfeeding, can a Leader say that she is a childbirth instructor
with a certain organization?
The LLLI policy on not mixing
causes or promoting drives, products, political activities and or businesses
was published in "Report from the Board" LEAVEN July/August
1994, page 52. In part it reads,
LLL Groups are not to
be used as a forum for a Leader's non-LLL interests or to do the work
of organizations other than LLL. Leaders may not use their Leader
status for commercial gain derived from non-LLL activities or to promote
their personal non-LLL interests.LLLI Policies and Standing Rules,
Appendix 10
What does this mean in practical
terms? How can the Leader act in accordance with LLLI policy and still
pursue other interests? What can we do to prevent mothers from being
confused by these situations? "Guidelines
for Active Leaders Who Also Work as Paid Lactation Consultants,"
LEAVEN May/June 1990, pages 39-41, give several guidelines. You may
want to read the entire article. A few key points are worth repeating
here.
An active Leader who
is also a lactation consultant does not make referrals to herself for
pay. When a Leader accepts an LLL-referred phone call, she
is expected to help the mother to her fullest capability without charge.
If that particular situation requires more time or extra care after
the phone call, the volunteer Leader still does not charge for her services,
even if she is the only paid lactation consultant in the community.
If referrals are received from professionals in the community, a Leader/lactation
consultant needs to decide if a call is an LLL or lactation consultant
call. In this case she may want to install a second phone line for business
calls or refrain from accepting LLL phone calls. Another option is to
spend time at the beginning of the conversation to determine in which
capacity the contact was made, then help the mother to the best of her
ability in that role.
If the mother needs to be
seen in person or needs extended help beyond the usual telephone call,
the Leader can make a personal visit to the mother's home or hospital
or invite the mother to the Leader's home. If a Leader doses not wish
to make home visits, she can refer the mother to a Leader who does.
It is not appropriate to offer LLL phone help and then charge as a lactation
consultant for a visit. Such cases can be referred to another lactation
consultant if a Leader who does home visits is not available.
One reason it is not appropriate
to offer LLL phone help and then charge as a lactation consultant is
that we want to preserve the special relationship created when a mother
contacts an LLL Leader. As Leaders, we are in a unique position: we
choose to give of our time and expertise. Because what we gain through
this relationship is something other than money, we build a special
peer relationship with a mother.
If a mother is referred to
an LLL Leader and needs the services of a breast pump rental station,
a Leader who runs one may rent her a pump. The mother can expect to
pay the rental fees no matter where she gets a pump; however, the help
she receives from an LLL Leader is given as a volunteer. Therefore,
no service charge may be added to the rental fee.
An active Leader who
is also a lactation consultant cannot advertise herself as a lactation
consultant on LLL phone recordings. An LLL phone number is any
number that is listed in a phone directory under "LLL" or
paid for with LLL funds. For many of us, it is the residential line
that is listed in the Area Directory or Group information sheet and
given out for LLL purposes. When a mother calls, we want to be sure
it is clear to her that she has reached LLL, an organization providing
volunteer support and information in her community. This means that
mothers needing LLL help may not be referred to telephone lines that
have answering services or machines that advertise lactation consultant
services. In order to avoid confusion it would be wise for a Leader/lactation
consultant to have a separate line for business purposes. This also
makes it easier for her to record the calls in separate phone logs.
The advertising of
individual businesses or services is not allowed at La Leche League
meetings. This means arrangements need to be made to show business
catalogs, return rental breast pumps, discuss enrollment in childbirth
classes, etc., at some other time and place away from the meeting location.
Business cards may not be passed out at any time before or during the
meeting because Leaders act only on behalf of LLL during an LLL meeting.
The Sign-up sheet may not be used for business contact purposes (by
a Leader or a mother); a Leader cannot sign in at meetings with designations
other than LLL Leader nor should a mother sign in with a business affiliation.
So, what do we do when our
outside business or interest is mentioned at a meeting? One of the main
responsibilities of Leaders at meetings is to guide the discussion.
The LEADER’S HANDBOOK, 1999 edition, states on page 65,
When a topic that has
nothing to do with LLL objectives is brought up, have a ready-made
statement that LLL has a primary purpose: breastfeeding information
and support. As an organization, LLL is neither for nor against any
other cause. Our goal is solely to offer information and support to
women who want to nurse their babies. Empathize with the mother's
feelings and proceed with the regular discussion.
This works well for interests
other than breastfeeding. When outside business concerns such as lactation
consultant services come up at a meeting, the Leader may reply that
she is representing LLL as a volunteer Leader at the meeting. She can
then re-focus the conversation according to the meeting plan.
Does LLL support Leaders
as they expand their horizons? The answer is a resounding yes. Can we
balance other interests and LLL while remaining effective Leaders? Yes
again.
If you have a specific question
regarding mixing causes, please contact your District Advisor/Coordinator
for further clarification. She has many resources at her fingertips
and will help you find an answer.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:31:22 UTC 2007.
