Duration: 6 Months

Shift timings:  24hrs to 40hrs per week

BG Check Required: Yes

Purpose of Position:

• Provides nutrition services to clients in a variety of settings within a district. Characteristic activities: conducts patient nutritional assessments and evaluations in the clinic, school, and community settings; develops and monitors nutritional care plans and food packages. Certifies clients for participation in available public health programs; schedules, provides and documents basic and secondary/high risk nutrition education; makes referrals to programs such as Medicaid, AFDC, and SNAP benefits. May perform other related administrative tasks.

Role & Responsibilities:

Direct Care/WIC Services:

• Provides WIC nutrition services and direct care in clinics; assures efficient delivery of patient care services that meet local, state and federal standards, policies and procedures
• Assesses the nutritional status of pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants and children using health and nutritional history, laboratory data and anthropomorphic measures to determine nutritional eligibility of applicants; assures assessment is appropriately documented and measures correctly obtained and recorded
• Develops and implements care plan based on assessment; involves patient in care plan development; refers patients with suspected or potential health problems to clinician for further evaluation/treatment
• Schedules, provides and documents basic and secondary/high risk nutrition education for all WIC participants according to WIC policies and procedures

Nutrition Education:

• Works with appropriate staff to create targeted nutrition education classes; ensures that nutrition education classes are made available for all participants; facilitates nutrition education classes to participants through individual or group discussion or a child focused setting utilizing interactive techniques to engage the in the activity; documents nutrition education for each participant according to guidelines
• Serves as a resource to representatives of the district and community organizations in interpreting WIC guidelines

• May develop educational material for WIC, nursing, and program support staff

Breastfeeding Support:

• Ensures breastfeeding support, encouragement, promotion and counseling is promoted to pregnant and breastfeeding women; strives to increase breastfeeding rates and duration of breastfeeding amongst WIC eligible clients in the district
• Assesses and counsels mothers with complex breastfeeding situations; provides breastfeeding support and follow up; refers mothers to community resources and encourages attendance in breastfeeding education classes
• Issues breast pumps and breastfeeding supplies/accessories when appropriate and documents all information as required
• Maintains a breastfeeding friendly environment
• Participates in continuing breastfeeding education
• May serve as the District Breastfeeding Coordinator: coordinates Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program and supervises Breastfeeding Peer Counselors; provides technical supervision to District WIC staff regarding breastfeeding initiatives

Administrative Support & Other Duties:

• Participates in other activities of the Nutrition Program and the Health Department, including program planning, staff meetings, orientation of new staff, and provision of in-service programs
• Provides reports to WIC Coordinator as requested; handles client records and other confidential information with care, according to established procedures and HIPAA policy
• Responsible for maintaining clinic functions as needed, including but not limited to reminder phone calls, missed appointment phone calls and letters, inventory, completing the failure to pick up benefit list, etc.

Typical Supervision/Independence of Action:

• Daily duties and activities are performed independent of supervision. Supervisor is contacted when there is a change of policy/procedure or problem with client management.

Required Licensure/Education: 

• Must meet requirements for use of title Dietitian/Nutritionist as authorized by Code of VA 54.1 – 2731.

Typical KSAs:

• Comprehensive knowledge of principles and practices of nutrition and dietetics and its relationship to public health and regulations/standards for the program
• Knowledge of nutrition principles and an ability to make appropriate nutritional assessments for all age groups, including women, infants and children; ability to obtain, interpret, and evaluate data to describe population served and outcomes of nutrition intervention.
• Strong communication, organizational and planning skills; ability to communicate effectively with patients and staff members individually and in group settings.
• Ability to respond to public inquiry regarding the WIC program.

Typical Preferred Qualifications:

• Registered Dietitian preferred.
• Prior public health experience and/or experience with WIC program preferred.