To ILCA members and all IBCLCs:
 
You may be aware that IBLCE recently published an IBCLC Scope of Practice
that has generated a great deal of dialogue. IBLCE removed the document from
their website on November 6th to permit review of that document in light of
the numerous issues raised about the contents. The ILCA Board applauds the
IBLCE decision to remove from their website a document which requires
substantial internal review and revision.
  
The ILCA Office staff and Board of Directors have been working diligently in
the last two weeks researching the matter of an IBCLC Scope of Practice.
ILCA published a Scope of Practice prior to 2000. It was developed by the
Professional Education Council, a group of educators which at the time took
on special projects for the association. Such work is now done by a formal
Professional Development Committee within ILCA.
 
Much of what appeared in the ILCA Scope of Practice was used to develop
ILCA¹s Standards of Practice, which are a best-practices guideline for
professional lactation consultants (available at www.ilca.org
<http://www.ilca.org/> ). This document also contained a detailed framework
of competencies that were incorporated into the Clinical Competencies for
IBCLC Practice, a collaborative effort between ILCA and IBLCE (available at
www.iblce.org <http://www.iblce.org/> ). Material from the original ILCA
Scope of Practice was also used to develop ILEAC¹s accreditation guidelines
and to identify subject areas for ILCA¹s Core Curriculum. The ILCA Scope of
Practice also acknowledges and supports the IBLCE Code of Ethics, containing
the mandatory code of conduct expected of IBCLCs (also at www.iblce.org
<http://www.iblce.org/> ).
 
The ILCA Board of Directors remains in discussion with the IBLCE Board and
its Executive Director regarding the contents of and appropriate venue for
the profession¹s Scope of Practice. Some question whether the existence of
IBLCE¹s document entitled "IBCLC Scope of Practice" binds an IBCLC to a
practice methodology which seems to contradict the ILCA Standards of
Practice as well as several sections of the IBLCE Code of Ethics. There is
also a question of whether such a document would be more rightly vested with
the professional association (ILCA), rather than an independently-run
certifying authority (IBLCE).
 
A copy of ILCA¹s Scope of Practice will be posted on the website on Monday,
13 November 2006 (www.ilca.org <http://www.ilca.org/> ) and is currently
available on the Discussion board on the Members Only side of the website.
Until such time as a new Scope of Practice is available, ILCA encourages all
IBCLCs to use this document in addition to the current ILCA Standards of
Practice and IBLCE Code of Ethics as a guideline for optimal professional
lactation consultation. Thank you for your patience as your professional
association works to resolve the inconsistencies and confusion generated by
IBLCE¹s recent publication.
 
 
Rebecca Mannel
President 
ILCA Board of Directors

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