Registered Dietitian - WIC - Health Department

About the role

Provides specialized nutritional counseling, medical nutrition therapy, and follow-up for medically nutritionally compromised clients. Develops, plans, and provides nutrition education. Determines eligibility of clients in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program. Promotes, supports, and educates breastfeeding women.

Responsibilities

• Develops, plans, and provides nutrition education.
• Evaluates and assesses high-risk clients to provide medical nutrition therapy.
• Consults with family physicians or other health care providers on nutrition-related medical problems to ensure proper food prescriptions.
• Evaluates special formula requests related to diagnoses.
• Approves and/or obtains prescriptions from a prescriptive authority.
• Determines and establishes appropriate nutrition intervention based on client assessment.
• Initiates tracking, follows high-risk clients to monitor health status, and refers for necessary treatment.
• Assigns and tailors food packages to meet the nutritional needs of the client.
• Assists the supervisor in planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating the Nutrition Education plan.
• Assesses and evaluates clients’ education level, cultural background, values, and beliefs to personalize nutrition counseling to better meet their needs.
• Determines eligibility of Women’s, Infants and Children (WIC) applicants using State WIC policies and procedures.
• Assesses and assigns nutrition risk factors using biochemical, anthropometric, medical, and diet data.
• Refers clients to other community resources as needed.
• Promotes breastfeeding among clients to increase breastfeeding rates.
• Provides breastfeeding support, technical assistance, and education to WIC clients, breastfeeding peer counselors, and staff.
• Issues electric breast pumps and other breastfeeding aids per state protocol. Evaluates, tracks, and counsels clients regarding the use of the breast pumps and/or breastfeeding aids.
• Provides timely, accurate, and professional legal documentation using SOAP format per State WIC policies and procedures.
• Assists in quality assurance activities and self-monitoring tools.
• Schedules appropriate nutritional education visits to meet the assessed nutritional needs of clients.
• Reviews clients’ immunization records and refers when needed to promote up-to-date status.
• Educates clients on the appropriate use of food instruments and vendor policies.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Dietetics, Human Nutrition, Community Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, Public Health Nutrition, Nutritional Sciences, Food Systems Management, or Food Sciences, plus an approved dietetic internship.
• Must be registered and certified as a Dietitian; OR must be eligible for certification under the Dietitian Certification Act within six (6) months of hire.
• Must complete a 45-hour lactation educator course within two (2) years of hire.
• Preference will be given to applicants who are Bilingual in English and Spanish, and requires the ability to read, write, and speak both English and Spanish fluently.
• Due to the nature of this position, the successful applicant must pass a required background check through fingerprinting and enrollment in the continuous RAP Back (Record of Arrest and Prosecution Back) program in accordance with current County Human Resources policy requirements.
• Due to the nature of this role, vaccination or proof of vaccination may be required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of Principles of diet and nutrition
• Skills and Abilities to utilize basic computer functions
• Work cooperatively with clients, coworkers, professionals, and others
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
• Communicate effectively with persons of various social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

Work is performed in a busy clinic, where the employee may be exposed to contagious or infectious diseases. Employee sits for long periods, and regularly walks, stands, or stoops; may occasionally lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects weighing up to 25-30 pounds. The working environment may be noisy.

Schedule

Work schedule is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Wednesday 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM. This position may require some travel within Salt Lake County.