8947 - Health Assistant - WIC Certifier (Health & Human Services)

Jackson County; Medford (OR); On-site; USD 25,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Jackson County is seeking a nutrition-focused health worker to evaluate clients’ nutritional needs and provide basic health education and counseling within the WIC program. The role involves development and coordination of health activities, data entry, and referrals to services as appropriate.

Candidates should have a high school diploma and at least three years of direct care or health promotion experience; Spanish fluency may be required in some programs.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent with three years of direct care experience in a health care setting, health promotion or related teaching.
• Experience in health care, health promotion, or community teaching may substitute for formal education.
• Spanish fluency may be required for some programs.

Responsibilities

• Assess clients’ nutritional needs and provide counseling and education.
• Counsel individuals, families, and groups about basic disease prevention and health practices.
• Maintain accurate patient records and health program statistics.
• Coordinate program activities and assist in training other staff.

Skills

Nutritional counseling

Health education

Spanish (bilingual)

Education

High school diploma

Job description

Jackson County Employment Opportunity.

WIC (Women, Infant and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program) is a successful public health nutrition program that provides wholesome foods, nutrition education and community support for income eligible pregnant and postpartum women, infant and children up to 5 years old. The Oregon WIC Program is committed to creating systems of health equity for all individuals, families and communities. We strive to maintain a welcoming and trauma-informed work environment that reflects and supports the racial and ethnic diversity of our participants, local agencies, partners and communities.

Jackson County strives to recruit, hire and retain the best employees!

• Pass a criminal background check prior to hire.
• Submit an acceptable DMV certified court print prior to hire.

• Pass a pre-employment drug screen, which includes screening for Marijuana.

• This position is represented by union group SEIU.

I. Position Summary

Performs a variety of health related duties including evaluating clients’ nutritional needs; providing basic health care, instruction and counseling to patients; providing information and education to patients; and performing clinical related duties. May perform development and coordination of programs or activities. Performs a full range of journey-level duties to complex technical and analytical within a framework of established procedures and with only occasional instruction or assistance and work is normally reviewed upon completion and for overall results.

II. Examples of Essential Position Duties (The following duties represent some of the principal job duties; however, they are not all-inclusive. Other duties may be required or assigned.)

• Introduces clients to program procedures and department services; determines eligibility for programs based on approved criteria as appropriate.
• Provides client counseling; makes referrals to other health/social service agencies as appropriate. Teaches and/or counsels individuals, families, and groups about basic disease containment, treatment and prevention, family planning, general health; schedules and prepares for classes; may serve on committees, boards and task forces as appropriate.
• Performs certification tasks including determining nutritional risks, prescribing food packages, providing nutrition focused counseling, providing breastfeeding promotion and supporting and referring participants to health care and community services; identifies high risk participants and refers to the appropriate provider.
• Assists in obtaining patient health histories; establishes and maintains accurate and up-to-date patient records and health program statistics.
• May perform administrative and general office/clerical duties including verifying and entering data using the electronic health record management system, preparing reports, using communication systems, preparing mailings, making and receiving telephone calls, scheduling of appointments, answering complex questions, composing correspondence, performing billing functions, assisting the public.
• Performs routine screenings and anthropometric measurements such as height, weight, vital signs, head circumference, hematocrit/hemoglobin; may perform venipuncture; accurately records and explains results to client or parent/legal guardian; notifies nurse or other practitioner of abnormal test results.
• Operates medical equipment and instruments to perform a variety of basic health screening tests, including hemoglobin.
• Presents basic health and nutrition information to individuals and groups; assist in developing health education materials.
• May work with the planning, implementation, and coordination of programs, activities, and procedures for special project(s), programs, or sub-programs; provides training to other employees in project procedures, equipment operations, and other technical matters.
• Adheres to regulatory requirements, collective bargaining agreements, County and departmental policies and procedures, required trainings, as well as safe work practices.
• Develops and maintains effective internal and external working relationships at all levels.
• Has regular and reliable attendance.Overtime may be required.

III. Minimum Requirements(Performance of the essential duties of this position includes the following requirements, physical demands and/or working conditions)

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent AND three years of responsible experience providing direct care service in a health care setting, health promotion, or related teaching experience; OR
• Any combination of education and experience which provides the applicant with the desired skills, knowledge, and ability required to perform the job.

License, Certificate or Other

Requires possession of a valid driver’s license and an acceptable driving record.Fluency in Spanish may be required in some programs. May require possession of various other certifications specific to the assigned community health program. May be required to complete the WIC Competent Professional Authority Training Program within Oregon WIC within six months of hire.May require first aid and CPR certification within six months of hire. Completion of an accredited lactation program with client counseling experience may be required for some positions.

IV. Other Requirements

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Position requires basic knowledge of health care and nutrition; available medical and community health resources; medical record-keeping practices; safety procedures and protocol in medical treatment and the safe utilization of medical instruments and equipment; modern office procedures and practices. Position requires ability to interpret and apply state and local laws, policies and procedures related to community health; grasp readily the principles of public health program delivery; administer routine medical tests and take anthropometric measurements with skill and accuracy; organize tasks and manage time effectively; work independently and as a team member; exercise initiative, tact and good judgment in dealing with people from various backgrounds; may need to communicate well with Spanish-speaking clients; understand and carry out detailed instructions of a technical and professional nature; understand and use mathematics to compute totals and analyze statistics; operate office equipment including a computer and basic medical equipment; read and understand medical reference manuals, equipment manuals, etc.; maintain records with accuracy and confidentiality; communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, and to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients; perform duties professionally despite frequent interruptions; respond professionally and responsibly in emergency or dangerous situations.

Physical Demands(Performance of the essential duties of this position includes the following physical demands)

Requires the ability to coordinate hands and feet in performing simple movements, such as bending, reaching and grasping; to exert physical effort in sedentary to light work involving moving from one area of the office to another and standing for extended periods of time. May require sufficient strength and coordination for lifting, pushing, pulling and/or carrying the weight of equipment. Requires ability to operate medical instruments and machinery in which manipulative skills and hand-eye coordination are important ingredients of safe and/or productive operation. Requires ability to operate a motor vehicle. Tasks involve color, sound and visual perception and discrimination, as well as oral communications ability. Tasks are regularly performed without exposure to adverse environmental conditions, but worker may frequently be exposed to illness and disease.

Working Conditions(Performance of the essential duties of this position includes the following working conditions)

Work is generally performed in an office environment and may include exposure to disruptive people and communicable diseases.

V. Additional Information

This classification description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties, knowledge, skills, abilities, or requirements, as any one position in this classification may be assigned some or all of these duties, in addition to other duties not explicitly listed here. The various duties, responsibilities and/or assignments of this position may be unevenly balanced and change from time to time based upon matters such as, but not limited to, variations in the shift, work demands, seasons, service levels and management’s decisions on how to best allocate department resources. Any shift, emphasis or rebalancing of these assigned duties, responsibilities and/or assignments does not constitute a change in the job classification. The County shall schedule employees and determine FTE consistent with its determination as to efficiency of operations, financial advantages to the County, and/or effective service to the public.

ADA and Equal Opportunity Employer

In accordance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and its amendments, Jackson County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices. A person who requires an accommodation for any part of the recruitment process should contact the Human Resources Office, Attn. ADA Coordinator, at [phone] or by TTY/TDD 711 or [phone] as far in advance as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled need.

Jackson County is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or disability. For a copy of Jackson County's Equal Employment Opportunity Plan, visit our web site atwww.jacksoncountyor.gov or call 541-774-6036.

Because of the Immigration Reform Act of 1986, persons hired by the County must be able to present acceptable documents verifying identity and authorization to work in the United States.