WIC Nutrition Aide III

About the Role

Optimus Health Care, the largest provider of primary health care services in Fairfield County, is recruiting a WIC Nutrition Aide III for its location in Waterbury, CT. With multiple locations in Bridgeport, Stratford, and Stamford, Optimus Health Care's mission is to be a lifelong health care partner, dedicated to achieving optimal wellness for the communities it serves, through a team-based model of care delivered in a kind and compassionate manner.

The WIC Nutrition Aide III provides nutrition care to low risk women, infants, and children under the supervision of the Program Nutritionist. This role plays a vital part in promoting positive health outcomes through education and assessment and culturally sensitive counseling. The WIC Nutrition Aide collaborates with healthcare providers and community resources to ensure participants receive comprehensive support and appropriate nutrition services.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

• May perform duties of a Program Assistant, as required.
• Performs all duties of a Nutrition Aide/Assistant I or Nutrition Aide/Assistant II.
• Collect and enter information for the certification process, including anthropometric and hematological data collection and plotting on the appropriate growth chart.
• Provide and document referrals to health and social service programs and appropriate documentation of follow-up.
• Document participant contacts as outlined in the WIC Nutrition Services Documentation Guidance to ensure continuity of care, including identifying where participants are in the process of change, agreed upon goals, and other pertinent information essential for supporting participants.
• Promote and support breastfeeding as the normal infant feeding method.
• Assist in the preparation of nutrition education materials (e.g., newsletters, pamphlets), visual aids (e.g., bulletin boards, displays), and activities (e.g., groups).
• Attend and participate in all training and continuing education sessions offered by the State agency.
• Conduct a complete WIC nutrition assessment to determine program eligibility and prescribe appropriate food packages for low risk prenatal and postpartum women (non-breastfeeding) and children 1–5 years old. May perform mid-certification for infants and breastfeeding women. Initial certification for infants and breastfeeding women must be completed by a Nutritionist.
• Prescribe, tailor, authorize, and issue food packages that do not require medical documentation (all categories).
• Provide secondary nutrition education to low-risk women, infants, and children.
• Identify and refer (yield) participants to Nutritionist when an issue or concern is beyond the established scope of practice.
• Track participants' progress and document outcomes.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• The ability to establish rapport with individuals and small groups.

Education

• Completion of an accredited Dietetic Technician program, or
• Completion of programs not accredited by ACEND may be considered on an individual basis, or
• High school diploma or GED equivalency and successful completion of the Nutrition Assistant/Aide II training.

Experience

• Experience in a WIC clinic setting and health agency environment.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate in both one-on-one counseling sessions and group education settings.
• Skilled in delivering clear, compassionate, and culturally sensitive nutrition education tailored to participants' individual needs.
• Proven understanding of and sensitivity to the needs of multicultural populations, with a strong awareness of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Adept at fostering trust and engagement with participants to support healthy nutrition practices and improve overall well-being.

Language Skills

The ability to communicate clearly both orally and in writing in English and another language when the Program Coordinator or Program Nutritionist deems appropriate.

Values

To be part of our organization, every employee should understand and share in Optimus' Vision, support our Mission, and live our Values. These values — outstanding, patient-centered, trustworthy, integrity, multicultural, understanding, and supportive — help guide what we do, as individuals and professionals, every day.

Benefits

• OHC provides a fun, fast-paced working environment, where our commitment to quality is present in every job function.
• Excellent health & welfare benefit
• Competitive Compensation