Nutritionist (WIC)

The Nutritionist will determine eligibility, certify applicants, provide comprehensive nutrition assessments, and offer participant-centered nutrition counseling and education to participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), utilizing the AZ WIC Nutrition Care Guidelines and while following expectations, policies, procedures, and guidance of the Federal Agency, State Agency, and Local Agency (Mountain Park Health Center).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Abides by all policies, procedures, rules and regulations of the State Agency and Local Agency.
• Conducts interviews and accurately documents information in the HANDS system (a computerized participant database) to determine WIC Program eligibility in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations and procedures.
• Provides excellent customer service in person, on the telephone or on a video call.
• Explains program procedures, regulations, processes, timeframes, and expectations to clients.
• Provides guidance for clients who are not in compliance with program procedures and regulations.
• Provides accurate height/length, weight, and hemoglobin assessment techniques.
• Using the nutrition assessment as a basis for the nutrition care plan, the Nutritionist will obtain and synthesize relevant and accurate information in order to assess an applicant’s nutrition status, identify WIC Codes, provide appropriate nutrition education, counseling and follow up by providing participant-centered interview techniques, including open-ended questions, affirmations, reflective listening, and summarization to conduct a complete nutrition assessment and to develop a participant-centered, individualized plan for behavior change.
• Provide nutrition education to emphasize the relationship between proper nutrition and good health based on the needs of the participant and assist the participant in achieving a positive change resulting in improved health.
• • All nutrition education activities are to be provided in the context of the participant’s environmental and educational limitations, their interests, and cultural preferences with consideration as to where the participant is in the stages of change.
  • Provides medium-risk counseling to participants meeting one of the medium-risk criteria during their current Certification period.
  • • Document the type of nutrition education contact in the Care Plan screen by clicking on the Nutrition Discussion screen and selecting the contact type from the pick list then documenting the TGIF note for each individual participant in their individual care plan note.

• Evaluates WIC client’s needs for health care, financial, and social assistance in order to make and document appropriate referrals.

• Refers all pregnant and breastfeeding participants to the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor.

• Tailor the food package to address nutrition needs.
• Issues Food Benefits at the time of Certification and subsequent contacts when applicable.
• Schedules or re-schedules participant appointments as needed and informs participants to contact us when benefits expire, in order to complete the follow up visit and reload benefits as applicable.
• In the clinic, completes the following:
• • Open and closing duties
  • Conducts ongoing quality assurance in laboratory procedures.
  • Maintains security and inventory of food benefit supplies.
  • Assists with breast pump tasks.
  • Other duties as assigned
• Participates in outreach activities as assigned.
• Attends meetings, trainings, and conferences as required.
• Promotes, encourages, supports, and protects breastfeeding.
• Submits appropriate documentation and reports to supervisor when required.
• • This includes, but is not limited to, requesting reimbursement for mileage, allowable expenses, and educational assistance or submitting timesheets and Continuous Personnel Activity Reports.

• Must be able to value diversity and uphold our Guiding Principles.
• If assigned to work remotely employee agrees to abide by expectations.
• Completes other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• WIC program requirements including the WIC nutrition assessment process
• Principles of participant centered education
• Principles of critical thinking
• Behavioral change theories
• Basic health care practices and techniques, human nutrition, normal nutrition issues for pregnancy, lactation, the postpartum period, infancy, and early childhood.
• Acceptable anthropometric measurement practices, including normal growth in children and pregnancy
• Data collection procedures
• Familiar with available health and human services/resources within the community
• General office practice and procedures
• Basic arithmetic to accurately perform computations

• Providing exceptional customer service
• Motivational Interviewing
• Open ended questions, affirmations, reflective listening, and summaries (OARS)
• Organizing and collecting information to evaluate and prioritize the information appropriately
• Communicating clearly and concisely to individuals and/or groups, both orally and in writing
• Analyzing participant information to determine nutrition education needs and developing the care plan
• Applying pertinent rules and regulations required to conduct eligibility tasks
• Time management
• Facilitating nutrition counseling and classes

• Work well with people of varied cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Listen actively, provide corrective feedback, and implement mentoring relationships
• Read and interpret documents such as participant records, safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions and policy and procedure manuals
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders.
• Work well under pressure and deal with problems which may be controversial or sensitive in nature
• Apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions in written, verbal, or diagram form
• Make decisions in accordance with established policies, procedures, and regulations
• Maintain confidentiality of WIC clients and ensure that no conflict of interest exists between any WIC agency personnel and participants and/or food vendor(s) within their respective jurisdiction.

• Operate a variety of office equipment to include: computer, copier machine, scanner, etc.
• Promotes positive client/patient/guest relation in accordance with Mountain Park Health Center (MPHC) policies, providing a high level of quality in personal attention and service to patients and visitors.

• Reads and abides by MPHC policies and procedures.

• Demonstrates an understanding of facility organizational structure by utilization of appropriate channels of communication. Maintain consistent, timely communication regarding all facets of departmental activities with co-workers, therefore, demonstrating good customer service skills with stakeholders.

None

• Holds a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in Nutritional Sciences, Community Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, Dietetics, Public Health Nutrition, or Home Economics with an emphasis in Nutrition, or completed a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD)-eligible or holds the Nutrition and Dietetic Technician Registered (NDTR) credential.
• Travel may be required at a minimum of 25% up to 50% of the time per pay period; schedule may vary.
  • Must have a valid Arizona Driver’s License.
  • Must have reliable transportation to commute to various facilities, as required, and maintain approved driver status.

Bilingual (English/Spanish) is preferred.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands to finger(s), handle or feel, talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to sit and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to communicable diseases, toxic substances, medicinal preparations and other conditions common to a clinic environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Mountain Park does not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment, because of race, ancestry, medical condition, religion, national origin, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, military status, citizenship status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local fair employment practice laws.

Mountain Park complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.