Careers

Description:

Public Health - Seattle & King County has 2 exciting opportunities for Nutrition Assistants at our WIC clinics in the Midway and Federal Way Public Health Centers. The Nutrition Assistant will provide services to clients participating in the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Program, assess eligibility, and provide nutrition education to individuals and families - both through individual appointments and in a group or classroom setting.
 

The Nutrition Assistant works closely with Registered Dietitians, Public Health Nurses, Social Workers, Community Health Workers in the Maternity Support Services and Infant Case Management (MSS/ICM) programs, and with community partners. 

The successful candidate will exhibit excellent customer service skills, can develop and maintain positive relationships with our clients from various cultures, and communicate effectively with English as a Second Language (ESL) clients with the assistance of an interpreter.

The candidate will also exhibit flexibility in managing tasks such as teaching classes, providing administrative support, and assisting with certification appointments.

• Gather and assess information for determining health and nutrition risk factors, program eligibility, client education, and referrals 
• Provide group nutrition education and individual nutrition education, which includes lactation support 
• Obtain and document anthropometric measurements for infants, children and adults, which includes obtaining blood samples for hemoglobin testing 
• Respond to telephone inquiries – screen, schedule, and interview diverse clients to determine the appointment type and appropriate provider 
• Document client information and services, and manage appointment schedules in various electronic records, including Cascades and Epic, to support both the WIC and MSS/ICM programs. 
• Provide direct customer service to a diverse clientele, providing WIC services, issuing and educating on the use of WIC benefits, determining appointment types 
• Conduct WIC outreach and program tasks, such as generating end-of-day reports and client letters 
• Participate in WIC-related committees, including lactation promotion activities, clinic health and information fairs, and the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program 
• Order and maintain program supplies and educational materials 
• Participate in quality assurance activities 
• Complete annual WIC trainings, and continuing nutrition and lactation education requirements 
• Use Microsoft Outlook and other electronic communication tools to coordinate work, and training requirements 
• Ability to work with a variety of computer programs, including, but not limited to, Microsoft Suite – Teams, Word, Excel, and Outlook 
• Ability to lift and lower a child weighing up to 35 pounds onto a surface more than 4 feet high with or without accommodation
• Ability to work with interpreters in multiple languages.

Skills/Eligibility:

• Ability to complete the Washington State WIC paraprofessional competencies within 6 months of hire 
• Ability to obtain a Washington State food worker card 
• A current BLS for Healthcare Providers with AED certification before hire 
• Ability to apply nutrition and health promotion knowledge/practices in working with clients from diverse backgrounds to make positive changes in health behaviors 
• Demonstrated ability to provide direct client services in a health care setting 
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills related to basic cooking and food demonstration techniques 
• Ability to understand various perspectives and listen to others without conveying judgment. 
• Excellent problem solving, priority setting, and organizational abilities.
• Ability to travel between sites in a timely manner. 

The most competitive applicants will have the following experiences and qualifications (Desired):

• One or more years working in a community-based health setting.
• Experience working with pregnant, postpartum and lactating individuals; experience working with infants and children up to the age of five years.
• Demonstrates regular and consistent work attendance.
• Demonstrates effective communication and team collaboration skills.
• Bilingual in high need languages such as Spanish, Dari, Pashto, French, and Russian.
• Working knowledge of basic nutrition theory and practice, medical terminology, asepsis practices, and universal precautions