Clinical Dietitian II - Registered Dietitian - Nutrition Services- CMHHIP.

State of Colorado; Pueblo (CO); Hybrid; USD 90.000 - 120.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo (CMHHIP) seeks a Registered Dietitian to provide medical nutrition therapy and oversee nutrition care for patients in a mental health hospital setting. The role collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate nutrition care within the Nutrition Services Department.

This is a hybrid position working at the Pueblo campus with potential remote arrangements as discussed; candidates must meet licensure requirements

Qualifikationen

• Five (5) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position.

Aufgaben

• Nutrition Assessment: Independently assesses the nutrition status of patients by systematically collecting, recording, and interpreting relevant complex data from patients, hospital clinicians, caregivers, and other individuals and groups.
• Nutrition Diagnosis: Writes PES statements describing problems, etiology, and signs/symptoms.
• Nutrition Intervention/Plan of Care: Formulates plans prioritizing diagnoses and coordinates care with other healthcare professionals.
• Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation: Measures patient outcomes and determines progress toward goals.
• Documentation and Communication: Documents care in the EMR and collaborates with food service staff and other RD/RDNs.

Jobbeschreibung

Department Information

Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo (CMHHIP)

1600 W 24th St, Pueblo, CO 81003

Shift details will be discussed during the interview process.

A hybrid work arrangement will be offered.

This position has a residency waiver and will be accepting applications from residents and non-residents of Colorado. This announcement is open to potential candidates who are legal residents of the United States. All legal residents of the United States are eligible to apply and compete. If appointed to a position, applicants from outside of Colorado will be required to relocate to Colorado prior to their start date, at their own expense

About us As a cornerstone of the Pueblo community for over a century, the Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo is a leading employer, provider of quality mental health services, and a community partner.

About The Nutrition Services Department

The Nutrition Services Department exists to provide quality food service and medical nutrition therapy to more than 1600 clients in a mental health care facility and the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC). With over 100 employees, the department strives, within available resources, to provide adequate nutrition to clients based on medical, spiritual, ethnic, cultural, and mental health needs.

Description Of Job

This position is required to work at the assigned work location during your scheduled work times.

Please note: Work arrangements are subject to change at any time.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

About This Position

Registered Dietitians fulfill a didactic role in providing clinical dietetic services and managing the food service subsystems/resources in the execution of the department's mission as stated above. The purpose of this position is to provide medical nutrition therapy to patients in a mental health hospital setting. The position works closely with departmental and interdisciplinary teams to provide inpatient care. Utilizes the Nutrition Care Process and Terminology to assess nutrition status, identify nutrition diagnoses, and develop, implement, and evaluate outcomes of nutrition care plans for patients at nutrition risk.

Please read this entire announcement to ensure you meet the minimum qualifications, failure to provide current and accurate work history will exclude your application from consideration

Position Duties

• Nutrition Assessment: Independently assesses the nutrition status of patients by systematically collecting, recording, and interpreting relevant complex data from patients, hospital clinicians, caregivers, and other individuals and groups. Utilizes food/nutrition-related history; anthropometric measurements; biochemical data, medical tests and procedures; nutrition-focused physical findings; and patient history to determine factors affecting nutrition and health status, and compares data to criteria, relevant norms, and standards for interpretation and decision-making. Organizes and categorizes the data in a meaningful framework that links nutrition assessment parameters with nutrition diagnoses, and determines when a problem requires consultation with or referral to another health care professional.
• Nutrition Diagnosis: Finds patterns and relationships among the nutrition assessment data to identify a nutrition problem that can be resolved or improved through medical nutrition therapy. Prioritizes the relative importance of problems for patient safety. Utilizes standard nutrition diagnostic terminology to write a PES (problem, etiology, and signs/symptom) statement that describes the problem, its root cause, and the assessment data that provides evidence for the nutrition diagnosis.
• Nutrition Intervention/Plan of Care: Formulates a nutrition intervention plan based on the nutrition diagnosis and its etiology that prioritizes diagnoses based on urgency, impact, and available resources including Standards of Practice (SOPs), up-to-date medical nutrition therapy practices/evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines; coordinates care with other healthcare professionals; and considers patients’ rights and expected outcomes.
• Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation: Studies and identifies patient outcomes relevant to the nutrition diagnosis and intervention plans and goals to determine the amount of progress made and whether goals/expected outcomes are being met. Monitor and measure outcomes by selecting nutrition care indicators that are relevant to the nutrition diagnosis and its etiology and signs/symptoms, as well as to the nutrition intervention, medical diagnosis, and quality management goals for nutrition, patient population, and disease state and/or severity.
• Documentation and Communication: Documents relevant, accurate, and timely information performed in the Nutrition Care Process in the patient’s electronic medical record. Communicates and influences treatment interventions determined by the healthcare team through interdisciplinary team meetings, rounds, and nutrition-related in‑services; serves as a subject matter expert and resource of nutrition. Works collaboratively with food service staff and other RD/RDNs to ensure conformance and continuation of the individualized nutrition care plan.

Quality Improvement And Regulatory Compliance

• Operates independently as a fully operational professional to design and implement continuous quality improvement activities for nutrition care services.
• Utilizes professional discretion and creativity to evaluate patient council and surveys client input to enhance food service operations.
• Interrelates with other departments to exchange information, elicit support, and in collaborative decision‑making.
• Serves on committees and oral boards at the hospital, CDHS, and state level.
• Participates in planning, developing, and implementing nutrition‑related policies, procedures, and goals.
• Assists in developing and revising patient or staff education materials, clinical forms and protocols.
• Demonstrates accountability with rules for use and disclosure of patient/client protected health information requested by HIPPA.
• Assures the care delivered to each patient is in accordance with state regulation and licensing, certification, or registration for the nutrition and dietetics practitioner.
• Assists in achieving compliance with the Joint Commission and other accrediting agency standards to continuously improve both the safety and quality of care for the patient/client and the organization’s overall performance.
• Complies with state and federal requirements set forth under CMS.
• Maintains accurate record keeping of daily clinical activities.
• Develops and maintains positive and trusted working relationships.

Standards of Practice

• Responsible for creating and finalizing designated menus in compliance with regulatory standards, the defined diet manual, the menu guide, and explicit facility needs.
• Uses nutrition software to build and manage patient‑specific menus, food allergies, and specialized texture modifications.
• Assesses and updates nutrition standards of practice for the Registered Dietitian at the CMHHIP.
• Develops recommendations and provides critical evaluation on clinical nutrition‑related policies and procedures.
• Supports review and development of clinical nutrition protocols and menus for use within the hospital.
• Participates in nutrition projects and communicates findings through reports, presentations, etc.
• Develops and implements an individualized portfolio plan based on competencies and performance indicators that demonstrate professional growth and development.
• Continuously improves performance to advance knowledge based on applied practice‑informed evidence and feedback from others.
• Applies Scope of Practice and Standards of Practice (SOPs) tools for credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioners.
• Communicates effectively with patients and staff through professional communications, writing, and presentations.

Other Duties as Assigned

• Other duties as assigned by supervisor or Appointing Authority.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions Of Employment & Appeal Rights

Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications listed below to continue in the selection process for this position. Work experience must be specifically documented in the work experience section of your application. Do not use “see resume” or “see attached” statements on your application.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must attach a CURRENT and VALID Registered Dietician license to be considered for this position. Failure to provide the required documentation will remove your application from consideration.

Experience

• Five (5) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position.

Education And Experience

• A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position equal to five (5) years
• Bachelor’s degree in dietetics, food and nutrition, or related area, granted by the US regionally accredited college or university, or foreign equivalent. Complete a minimum of a Master’s degree (or a higher doctoral degree) from a college or university accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) if graduated after January 1, 2024. Completion of required dietetics coursework and supervised practice through a Didactic Program in Dietetics accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Position must possess a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist credential by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Please submit a copy of credentials at the time of application

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency using Google Suite
• Proficiency in using specialized clinical nutrition software for menu building and food allergy tracking, as well as electronic medical record systems Master's degree in nutrition;
• Clinical experience providing Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) within an inpatient psychiatric, behavioral health, or high‑security facility setting.
• Experience evaluating and modifying institutional menus for dietary adequacy within budget, security, and facility constraints, as well as contributing to clinical protocols and Standards of Practice (SOPs).
• Practical experience managing texture modifications and complex multi‑restriction therapeutic diets
• Familiarity with Joint Commission (TJC) standards, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations, HIPAA guidelines, and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) processes.

Key Competencies

• Expert knowledge in medical nutritional therapy;
• Ability to complete complex nutritional evaluations based on a variety of client conditions;
• Knowledge of and ability to develop menus and conduct recipe and nutritional analysis/testing;
• Willingness and ability to conduct face to face, in person nutritional consultations with mental health patients;
• Strong communication skills for participating in interdisciplinary care teams, consulting with medical providers, and developing educational materials or training for dining services personnel.
• Determination to pay special attention to details and follow instructions;
• Ability to read and comprehend the English language;
• Ability to effectively communicate fluently in English both verbally and in writing.
• Maintenance of active registration as a Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) and the ability to pass state‑mandated direct‑contact background checks (including CBI, CAPS, and drug screening)

Conditions of Employment

• A pre‑employment criminal background check will be conducted as part of the selection process as this position is deemed to have direct contact with vulnerable persons. Felony convictions, conviction of crimes of moral turpitude, or convictions of misdemeanors related to job duties may disqualify you from being considered for this position. Should your background check reveal any charges or convictions, it is your responsibility to provide the CDHS Background Unit with an official disposition of any charges.
• Full Background - Name and fingerprint check, ICON Colorado court database, Medicare fraud database, Reference Checks, Professional License verification, Drug Screen, Trails check (direct contact with children), CAPS
• May be required to travel to offsite trainings, meetings and conferences
• May be required to work nights and weekends
• Must possess and maintain registration as a registered dietitian
• Use, Handling, or Exposure to hazardous materials
• Shall not initiate or engage in sexual, social, personal, or financial relationships with patients during or any time after hospitalization, even if the patient requests or initiates the relationship; all relationships with current or former patients must be disclosed on your application.
• Ability to read, write, and fluently communicate in English to successfully pass all modules of the CMHHIP New Employee Orientation core curriculum, relevant clinical competency assessments, and institutional safety and security protocols.
• Demonstrate the physical endurance to navigate a large, multi‑building hospital campus, which requires extended periods of walking, standing during interdisciplinary rounds, and the ability to safely maneuver through clinical units to conduct in‑person patient nutritional assessments.
• May be designated as a “Critical” or “Essential” employee, requiring compliance with mandatory emergency reporting requirements and attendance during adverse weather, facility emergencies, or public health crises to ensure continuous clinical and dietary operations for the hospital.
• Ability to work compliantly and safely in a high‑security, locked psychiatric environment, which includes strictly adhering to facility protocols regarding contraband, key control, and emergency de‑escalation, while maintaining composure during unpredictable or volatile patient interactions.
• Comply with mandatory emergency reporting requirements to ensure continuous facility operations during adverse situations.
• Must successfully complete a 2‑step TB (tuberculosis) screening upon hire and maintain compliance with annual influenza vaccinations and any other vaccinations required by the State of Colorado.
• This position requires State of Colorado residency at the time of application (unless otherwise identified in the posting), and residency within the state throughout the duration of employment in this position.
• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must:
  • Disclose that information on the application.
  • Explain why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify you from the current position.
  • Provide your employee number from your prior State employment. Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination and failure to provide this information will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with CDHS.

CDHS Selection Process Explanation

Employment history is calculated on a full-time basis (40/hrs per week). Part-time employment is calculated on a prorated basis to determine qualifications. Be sure your application specifically addresses your qualifications, experience, work products, and accomplishments as they relate to the position and minimum requirements.

Your Work Experience/Job Duties

Document your work experience/job duties to the extent to which you possess the skills, education, experience, minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications.

ADA Accommodations

CDHS is committed to a Colorado for ALL qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment.

We are committed to increasing a “Colorado for ALL” of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services.

Therefore, we encourage responses from people of all backgrounds and abilities.

The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them.

Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

We encourage application from all backgrounds; we provide accommodation for disabilities and are committed to accessibility in the employment process.