Job Description

Cole County Health Department

Job Title: Dietitian/Nutritionist

Full Job Description (PDF)

The Health Department seeks candidates for the position of full-time WIC Dietitian/Nutritionist within the WIC Clinic Team. This is a professional position that will conduct nutrition assessments, assign nutrition/health risk factors, provide nutrition and breastfeeding counseling, set nutrition/health goals, and prescribe food packages to WIC participants based on medical/nutritional needs.

Salary will be commensurate with experience. Schedule: Monday – Thursday, 7:15am – 5:15am

Duties:

• Conducts nutrition assessment and assigns risk factors on prenatal and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5.
• Explains program benefits, including purpose of food package, nutrition education available and health care referrals.
• Completes health, medical, and nutrition data into the MOWINS system during certification and nutrition education appointments.
• Provides all participants with evidence-based participant centered nutrition education and counseling.
• Assists participants in identifying their nutrition or exercise goals to improve health outcomes.
• Documents all certification and mid-certification appointments in SOAP note format.
• Completes breastfeeding assessments and provides education and support.
• Remains current in knowledge of breast pumps available to participants through the WIC Program and Medicaid.
• Communicates with breastfeeding peer counselor to coordinate breastfeeding services such as issuing a pump or support groups
• Provides participant with individualized nutrition/breastfeeding education handouts.
• Collaborates with local hospitals and physicians to coordinate health care of participant.
• Writes nutrition health articles for local newspaper at least once yearly.
• Posts breastfeeding and/or nutritional related information or recipes to social media.
• Follows confidentiality policy by keeping participant information private.
• Maintaining up to date on the latest research in nutrition and breastfeeding through continuing education opportunities.
• Know and apply any and all WIC policy changes.

Minimum Qualifications:

Knowledge of: Principles and practices of nutrition and food, particularly in relation to health and disease; current developments in public health nutrition and their application to the local nutrition program; benefits of breastfeeding and understanding of best practices to support the breastfeeding mother; adult learning principles, stages of change, and basic counseling methods; and basic computer skills and literacy; Windows Explorer; Microsoft Office Suite.

Skill in: Obtaining and/or accessing accurate anthropometric and hematological measurements; developing and building rapport to build effective working relationships with WIC participants, team members and other health and social services personnel; providing client-oriented nutrition education and counseling; and presenting ideas clearly and concisely, in oral and written form; Windows Explorer; Microsoft Office Suite.

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Dietetics, Public Health Nutrition, Human Nutrition, Nutritional Sciences, Nutrition and Fitness, Sports Nutrition, Restaurant and Food Service Management, Foods, Family and Consumer Sciences, Human Environmental Sciences, or Home Economics; including or supplemented by at least 15 semester hours in Foods and Nutrition from a 4-year program including at least one course in Diet Therapy or Medical Nutrition Therapy I & II and one course in Community Nutrition or Nutrition in the Life Cycle/Life Cycle Nutrition; OR

A Master's degree from an accredited college or university in Public Health Nutrition, Human Nutrition, Nutrition Education, or Dietetics, including or supplemented by at least 15 graduate or undergraduate semester hours in Foods and Nutrition from a 4-year program including at least one course in Diet Therapy or Medical Nutrition Therapy I & II and one course in Community Nutrition or Nutrition in the Life Cycle/Life Cycle Nutrition; OR

Completion of an undergraduate curriculum accredited or approved by The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) resulting in a verification statement from a Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics; OR

Completion of a dietetic internship program accredited or approved by The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) resulting in a verification statement from an Internship Program in Nutrition and Dietetics; or Registered Dietitian (RD), Licensed Dietitian (LD) in the state of Missouri (registration or current eligibility for registration by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

Cole County Commission offers a compensation package that includes pay based on qualifications, weekday hours, 13 paid holidays, 3 weeks paid vacation, 3 weeks paid sick leave, employer paid retirement/pension plan, short term disability, paid health, dental, life insurance, & more.

Application Instructions:

Resumes can be submitted to: Melinda Ridenhour at mridenhour@colecounty.org.

Benefits:

• Missouri Local Government Employee Retirement System – LAGERS
• CERF Retirement
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Healthcare insurance with HSA option
• Life insurance
• Short term disability
• Paid time off
• Paid Holiday leave
• Employee Assistance Program
• Vision insurance

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