Duties and Responsibilities  

As a mission-driven organization, the core values of, and the services offered at Sea Mar are based on the belief that everyone deserves to be respectfully treated in a way that preserves dignity and enhances self-worth. Sea Mar is an advocate for its clients and aims to achieve industry-leading, client-centered, culturally-aware services.

Sea Mar employees serve as an extension of this mission and demonstrate their commitment to an excellent client experience by:

• Understanding and empathizing with client needs
• Surpassing client expectations
• Demonstrating a high level of integrity
• Exhibiting compassion and commitment
• Advocating for social justice
• Taking pride in individual work as well as that of the team
• Continually learning to stay current with industry standards, best practices and technology

As a Sea Mar employee, the individual in this position commits to adherence to these values to their utmost ability and endeavors to strengthen and embody this mission daily.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following listed below. The Nutrition Assistant Certifier II may be required to perform other duties as assigned.

ADMINISTRATIVE

• Maintains complete up-to-date WIC charts (documenting counseling session as specified by program guidelines in legible form), and statistical program records including but not limited to; documentation flow sheet, WIC diet records, certification sheets, weight/height grids, child evaluation sheets, infant birth outcomes, and appointment scheduling.
• Establishes and maintains professional working relationships with WIC team members and other Sea Mar staff. Serves as liaison between Nutrition/WIC and other clinic and community services and makes referrals as appropriate.
• Assists with the clerical and statistical program work as needed.
• Attends selected clinic, MSS, Preventative Health Services division, and WIC meetings and participates in continuing education.
• Assists with breastfeeding promotion and community nutrition education, including travel as needed.
•  Works efficiently with self-direction.

CLINICAL

• Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span.
• Able to identify and categorize each patient’s age-specific grouping needs, such as those for infants, adolescent, or geriatric patients.
• Interviews clients from diverse populations, reviews and documents client history, anthropometric and laboratory data, and reviews current eating habits.
• Uses standard assessment tools and follows department policies and practices to perform screening procedures such as weighing and measuring, taking hematocrits hemoglobin, plotting growth grids, and reviewing dietary evaluations.
• Compares information collected to program criteria to accurately determine WIC eligibility and nutrition risk factors.
• Refers clients to appropriate health or community service resources. Identifies when high-risk clients need immediate attention of Dietitian and makes appropriate referrals and facilitates the appointment.
• Provides individual and group nutrition education according to program guidelines, utilizing client appropriate methods and materials.
• Provides program orientation, nutrition requirements and assists in scheduling client appointment, considering all programmatic and client needs.
• Determine appropriate food package, explains nutrient content of WIC foods, identifies contracted food vendor, issues manual or computerized food benefits, and documents benefit issued.
• Maintains patient rights and confidentiality; documents vendor and participant complaints and infractions.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• This person must sign an oath of permanent confidentiality covering all patient-related information.
• This person must receive a background check.
• Must have and maintain Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR certification bi-annually and TB test annually.

 Qualifications                                                                                                       

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Abilities and aptitudes for developing effective community and personnel relationships are important.
• Also important is the ability to work comfortably and effectively with individuals and groups from diverse cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Able to deal patiently and empathetically with multicultural clientele, even under stressful conditions.
• Able to work cooperatively as a member of the health care team.
• Works efficiently with self-direction.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Possess writing skills sufficient to be understood by a dietitian, receptionist, WIC coordinator, and the WIC participant.
• Bilingual, bicultural - English/Spanish preferred.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

REASONING ABILITY

• Ability to understand a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Education, Certificates, Licenses, Registrations, and Medical Screening                                                                                           

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Registration as Diet Tech or a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition or Nursing.
• Previous experience with WIC program desired.
• Interest and experience in basic nutrition and childhood development desirable.
• Completion of the Minimum Paraprofessional Competencies (a set of standards defined by Washington State WIC Program) within guidelines set in WIC/Nutrition Policies and Procedures.
• Must have and maintain a TB test annually.
• This position must obtain Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR within 90 days of hire date and is required to maintain current BLS CPR throughout employment.