Mentorship-Only Pathway (IBLCE Pathway 3)

The HEAL Academy Mentorship-Only Pathway 3 Program is a structured, competency-based clinical mentorship model for individuals who have completed 95+ hours of lactation-specific education and seek formal supervision, verification, and professional accountability to meet IBLCE Pathway 3 eligibility requirements. This program emphasizes regulatory compliance, ethical clinical practice, competency mastery, and equity-centered, trauma-informed lactation care with a specific focus on Black maternal and infant health contexts. Operating under a Chief Mentor–Led Model, HEAL Academy serves as the administrative and educational authority responsible for oversight, verification, and compliance. The Chief Mentor serves as the Primary Mentor of Record, ensuring adherence to IBLCE requirements, consistency across mentorship experiences, audit-ready documentation, and ethical and professional accountability. Each mentee receives a customized Pathway 3 Plan including verified education hours, identified competency gaps, approved clinical settings, hourly clinical supervision structure, competency evaluation schedule, and documentation requirements. Participants must complete a minimum of 500 directly supervised clinical hours involving direct interaction with breastfeeding families. Competency evaluation is aligned with the IBLCE Detailed Content Outline across domains including Development & Nutrition, Physiology & Endocrinology, Pathology & Special Circumstances, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Psychosocial & Cultural Factors, Counseling & Communication Skills, and Public Health, Ethics & Professional Practice. The program includes asynchronous video lectures, interactive case studies grounded in Black maternal health contexts, knowledge checks, and a Capstone Reflection Project integrating clinical experience, ethics, and public health principles. Upon successful completion, mentees will meet IBLCE Pathway 3 clinical and competency requirements, possess audit-ready documentation, demonstrate advanced lactation competency, practice with ethical equity-centered confidence, and be prepared to submit for IBCLC exam eligibility.