The VENA Journey in Massachusetts: From Theory to Practice

What is VENA?

VENA is a participant-centered, health outcome-based approach to the WIC nutrition assessment, and puts the participant's needs and the goal of a healthy outcome at the core of WIC nutrition services.

VENA Guidance assists WIC State agencies in developing policies and procedures related to the WIC nutrition assessment. The USDA, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) first issued VENA Guidance in 2006. Since then, State and local agencies have put new approaches into action and discovered more effective strategies to foster participants’ engagement in the WIC appointment and to encourage participants to adopt positive nutrition and physical activity behaviors.

Read more about VENA, and access the guidance right here on WIC works.

Bridging the Gap between the Nutrition Assessment and Quality Nutrition Services is a series of webinars as a follow up to the original VENA guidance. The webinars focus on the work of WIC State agencies. Massachusetts WIC presented The VENA Journey in Massachusetts: From Theory to Practice in May 2014.