Nutritionist I At North Meridian

Salary: $35.81 - $45.39 Hourly
Location : WA. 98133, WA
Job Type: Special Duty Assignment or Term Limited Temp (TLT)
Job Number: 2024CF20863
Department: DPH - Public Health
Division: Community Health Services
Opening Date: 01/11/2024
Closing Date: 1/24/2024 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Bargaining Unit: C9A : PROTEC17-DPH, DCHS-Health Prof
Full- or Part-Time: Full Time
Summary
The Nutritionist I is responsible for providing direct nutrition services to individuals and groups at the busy public health MSS clinics at the North Meridian Center for Health. These clinic serves a culturally diverse population with many clients speaking a language other than English as their primary language. Services are focused on improving the nutrition status of individuals and populations through nutrition assessment, counseling, education, care planning, and evaluation.
The successful candidate will exhibit excellent customer service skills, have the ability to 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 ideal candidate will demonstrate initiative, flexibility, compassion, and positive team skills. Applicants bilingual in English and Spanish are desired.
Background
Maternity Support Services (MSS): Maternity Support Services are multidisciplinary preventive health services funded for pregnant and postpartum Medicaid recipients. The goal of this service is to improve pregnancy and parenting outcomes for these women. Nutritionists provide office visits to pregnant and postpartum women. Responsibilities include nutrition assessment, care planning, education/support, and referrals and linkages. Appropriate interventions and education will be based upon nutritionist and client identified needs according to a multidisciplinary care plan.
Infant Case Management (ICM): The Infant Case Management program serves high-risk infants and their biological parents. The goal of ICM is to improve the self-sufficiency of the birth parents in accessing needed medical, social, educational and other services. Nutritionists provide linkages, referrals, and advocacy based on a therapeutic relationship with the parent.
Temporary opportunity. Term-Limited Temporary positions are "at-will" positions but are eligible for benefits. This TLT is currently anticipated to last until December 31, 2024. However, funding sources for this work remain uncertain and dependent upon decisions actively being made at both the federal and local levels. As a result, the end date of this position may be adjusted based on those decisions. The County and the Department continue to work to secure long term funding sources.
This vacancy can also be filled as a Special Duty opportunity. For Special Duty Assignment interest, you must be a Career Service, Career Service Exempt or other regular (non-temporary) employee in King County who has completed their initial County probation. You must have supervisor approval prior to taking a Special Duty Assignment.
Commitment To Equity and Social Justice
Named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.
The county government has a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all - in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from all communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.
We recognize that structural racism consists of principles and practices that cause and justify an inequitable distribution of rights, opportunities, and experiences across racial groups. Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis in June 2020, King County and Public Health committed to being intentionally anti-racist and accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.
To learn more, please visit
Work Schedule This position is budget for up to 0.8 FTE (32 hours per week). However, there is flexibility to negotiate the FTE in this position and final FTE and work schedule will be determined at time of hire based on business needs. It is subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act and overtime eligible.
Work Location The work for this position is performed completely onsite at the Meridian Center for Health, located at 10521 Meridian Ave N in Seattle and will not telework.
Job Duties

• Provide group nutrition education and individual nutrition education, which includes breastfeeding support.
• Gather and assess information for determining health and nutrition risk factors, program eligibility, client education, and referrals.
• Conduct individual nutrition assessment and counseling through the use of anthropometric, biochemical, clinical and dietary information. Create, implement, and document care plans developed through nutrition assessment.
• Provide Medical Nutrition Therapy services to children and adults.
• Assess the changing needs of medically complex and high-risk clients, primarily pregnant, post-pregnant, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children.
• Coordinate care with team members and other health care providers, and make referrals to appropriate services; provide and document case management, as appropriate.
• Accurately obtain and document anthropometric measurements for infants, children and adults, which includes, but may not be limited to, hematocrit/hemoglobin, height/length, weight, occipital frontal cortex.
• Document client information and services, and manage appointment schedules in various electronic health records, including Epic, to support MSS/ICM programs and services.
• 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.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
Our ideal candidate will demonstrate the following (Minimum):

• Current Registered Dietitian (RD) registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration or have the ability to attain registration by date of hire.
• Bachelor, Masters of Science, or Masters in Public Health Nutrition required.
• Must be a Washington State Certified Dietitian or have an application in process and be able to obtain within 30 days.
• Candidates selected will also be required to successfully complete the department credentialing process and maintain credentialing for the duration of employment.
• A National Provider Identification (NPI) must be obtained within the first 30 days of employment.
• Ability to obtain Washington State Medical Assistant-Registered or Phlebotomist license within 30 days of hire in order to perform hemoglobin/hematocrit testing on WIC participants.
• A current BLS CPR certification and AED training required at time of offer. CPR/AED Heartsaver courses do not meet this requirement.
• Ability to complete Washington State WIC new employee trainings within 6 months of hire
• Ability to lift and lower a child weighing up to 35 pounds onto a surface more than 4 feet high with or without accommodation.
• Experience providing direct client nutrition services.
• Knowledge of theoretical and practical principles and practices of nutrition and dietetics.
• Ability to maintain positive interpersonal interactions with clients and co-workers as a member of a multi-disciplinary public health team with a diverse, multi-cultural population.
• Experience providing nutrition education in a group setting; as well as clear ability to organize, lead, and facilitate group discussions and staff training.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully perform a number of tasks simultaneously, meet deadlines and work under strict time constraints and remain flexible to changing work responsibilities based on staffing.
• Public Health relies on computer technology and web-based tools; candidates must be proficient and comfortable with computer use and programs, such as Microsoft Office Suite and electronic health records, to perform work.
• Ability to travel in a timely manner within King County to locations that may have limited access to public transportation.

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

• Familiarity with WIC Cascades and/or Epic electronic health record (EHR).
• Work experience providing WIC and/or First Steps (Maternity Support Services and Infant Case Management).
• Work experience providing training on nutrition services and principles to other staff.
• Established knowledge of local health and social service resources available in the community and skill in establishing working relationships with community partners.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Supplemental Information
Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.
Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.
Guided by our , we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.
King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.
To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.
Who May Apply
This position can be filled as either a Special Duty Assignment (SDA) or a Term Limited Temporary (TLT) opportunity. SDAs are open to current Career Service King County employees whom have completed their initial probation and have permission from their supervisor to take an SDA. TLTs are open to all qualified applicants.
Application Process
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.
The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy:

• NeoGov Job Application (The responses on your job application should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
• Supplemental Questions (The responses to the supplemental questions should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement
If you are the successful candidate for the position(s), as a condition of your employment, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to work in the medical clinic(s) outlined in this job posting prior to your start date. To ensure this condition is met, prior to your start date, the county will send you a conditional offer letter requesting you to provide proof of vaccination or have an approved request for medical or religious exemption and an approved accommodation. Philosophical, political, scientific, or sociological objections to vaccination will not be considered for an exemption or accommodation."
Necessary Special Requirements

• The selection process may include evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions, interviewing, and testing. You must completely fill out the application with your relevant education and work experience.
• The selected candidate must be able to provide proof of Basic Life Support (BLS) / CPR ( if applicable).
• The selected candidate must be able to pass a thorough background investigation, but findings may not necessarily...