Nutrition Assistant

King County•Wa 98106, WA

18h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Public Health - Seattle & King County is seeking a Nutrition Assistant to provide services to clients participating in the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Program. This role involves assessing eligibility, providing nutrition education to individuals and families through individual appointments and group settings, and working closely with a multidisciplinary team including Registered Dietitians, Public Health Nurses, Social Workers, and Community Health Workers. The successful candidate will possess excellent customer service skills, the ability to build positive relationships with diverse clients, and effective communication skills, especially with English as a Second Language (ESL) clients with interpreter assistance. Flexibility in managing tasks such as teaching classes, providing administrative support, and assisting with certification appointments is also important. This posting aims to create a list of qualified candidates for potential future vacancies within the next six months.

Requirements

Ability to complete the Washington State WIC paraprofessional competencies within 6 months of hire.
Ability to obtain Washington State Medical Assistant-Registered or Phlebotomist certification within 30 days of hire in order to perform hemoglobin/hematocrit testing on WIC participants.
Ability to obtain a Washington State food worker card.
Possesses 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.
Working knowledge of basic nutrition theory and practice, medical terminology, asepsis practices and universal precautions.
Demonstrated ability to provide direct client services in a health care setting and through phone-based services.
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.
Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
Public Health relies on office automation (Microsoft Office) and web-based enabled tools, therefore candidates must be proficient and comfortable with computer use to perform functions associated with on-going work.
Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing their mandatory trainings on time and obtaining required immunizations.
Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions.
When Public Health responds to an emergency, and in accordance with relevant CBA language and/or KC policy and procedures, we may assign duties outside your regular job description. This may involve responding at any time, including nights and weekends, with possible deployment to locations other than the department.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual is highly desired
Has previously completed WIC competency-based training
Experience conveying nutrition information

Responsibilities

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 breastfeeding 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 CIMS and Epic.
Provide direct customer service to a diverse clientele, providing WIC services, issuing, and educating on the use of WIC checks, 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 breastfeeding 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 breastfeeding 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 – 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.