WIC Coordinator / RN

Franklin County•Union, MO

About The Position

Under general supervision of the Health Department Director, the WIC Coordinator is the administrative officer of the Women’s, Infant’s and Children’s Program and Program staff. The primary responsibility of this position is to assure the local agency's WIC Program is managed in the most effective and efficient manner possible in compliance with State and Federal standards, policies and guidelines. Staff must also work in the clinical nutritionist/registered dietician role 70% of the time.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Nursing; AND two (2) years of experience as a Registered Nurse, preferably in a public health program.
Must be a Registered Nurse in the state of Missouri at the time of hire.
Or Graduation from an accredited four-year 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 (1) course in diet therapy or medical nutrition therapy I & II and one (1) course in community nutrition or nutrition in the life cycle/life cycle nutrition
Must have a valid Driver’s License and be able to drive a county car to respond to patients in home setting, provide care at offsite clinics, outreach events and attend mandated trainings.
Must successfully complete SPIRT and WIC required training courses within six (6) months of employment.
Must maintain CPR and AED certification.
SPECIAL NOTE: All employees are considered First Responders in the Event of a Disaster Response Situation. All employees must report for duty upon request of the Director during a public health emergency.
Knowledge of: County policies and procedures.
Federal, State, and County laws, codes, rules, and regulations related to public health AND medical record retention and release.
Principles and practices of nutrition and dietetics, including health maintenance and wellness.
Case management methods, practices, and procedures for assigned client population.
Community resources and public health programs for appropriate referrals.
Principles of record keeping and records management.
Customer service and public relations methods and practices.
Social, cultural and economic problems and their impact on public health nutrition.
Knowledge of adult learning principles, stages of change, and basic counseling methods.
Knowledge of the benefits of breastfeeding and understanding how to support the breastfeeding mother
Skills in: Understanding, interpreting, and applying relevant statutes, ordinances, codes, and regulations.
Presenting nutritional information to WIC program participants and the public.
Counseling patients with a variety of health problems.
Working effectively with others to develop solutions for social services problems.
Interacting with people of all social, economic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.
Operating a personal computer utilizing standard and specialized software.
Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships.
Communicating clearly both verbally and in writing
Skills in planning and organizing work assignments.
Ability to effectively develop educational materials for participant- centered nutrition education and counseling.
Ability to gather, interpret, evaluate and use statistical data.
Basic computer skills and literacy.

Nice To Haves

Other specialized certifications may be required.

Responsibilities

Plans and coordinates all WIC activities to ensure goals are met and agency operates within program guidelines and rules.
Provides direct supervision to WIC staff to ensure program compliance.
Monitors the effects of clinic operations by reviewing appropriate management reports, charts/chart audit, and customer satisfaction surveys, revises local policies as needed, evaluates clinic work flow, and makes adjustments to clinic and staff work schedules.
Provides input to the state WIC office regarding overall WIC program operations and makes suggestions for statewide improvement.
Assures coordination of services and referrals between local WIC provider programs and other agencies.
Maintains contracted caseload for agency through on-going caseload management.
Develops, coordinates, and documents implementation of ongoing outreach activities in the community.
Handles participant complaints, violations and fair hearings in accordance with policies and procedures.
Reviews all new and revised policies annually and provide training to other LWP staff members.
Assures that food instrument accountability functions are appropriately assigned and performed.
Assures and monitors fiscal accountability.
Assures submission of timely and accurate reimbursement requests.
Provides nutrition counseling for qualifying women, infants and children; assesses nutritional needs of WIC participants based on clinical and socioeconomic information; certifies eligibility, and explains eligibility criteria, participant responsibility and WIC policies.
Carries a caseload of individual clients and families; develops an individualized case plan; monitors and follows-up regularly to reassess client status and reinforce personal improvement plans.
Teaches individual and/or group classes on nutrition, prenatal and breastfeeding education; monitors students and provides technical assistance as needed; maintains program documentation files
Prepares and maintains client records, reports, and other data to meet state laws, WIC program requirements, and quality standards.
Maintains absolute confidentiality of work-related issues, personnel records and County information; complies with the confidentiality standards of the Privacy Act and HIPAA policies and procedures.
Reports possible abuse, neglect, drug use and dangerous activities to the Missouri Division of Family Services; documents information; appears in court as needed.
Issues food checks in accordance with State policies; instructs participants about program regulations and requirements; reports lost or stolen checks.
Works with foster parents and children to review guardianship, custody, and safety plans; verifies notarized letter of custody papers.
Promotes breastfeeding among program participants, refers high risk participants to peer counselor; issues, collects, and maintains breast pump inventory.
Attends local, state and national continuing education and training sessions as required.
Participates in emergency preparedness exercises.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Administers TB, STD, pregnancy, and Hepatitis tests; collects blood and urine specimens; submits samples to lab for testing.
Contacts patients to deliver lab results; provides information and follows-up with referrals as needed.
Assesses records for immunizations for back to school; recommends and administers various vaccinations to all age groups.
Manages vaccine deliveries and storage; monitors vaccine temperatures daily; records vaccine counts, lots numbers, expiration dates, and names; monitors and records vaccine usage.
Responds to various questions from patients, staff, and insurance companies; reconciles billing statements received; addresses billing errors and insurance issues.
Participates in exercises to maintain preparedness in case of emergency or disaster.