ORGANIZATION:
Area Agency on Aging and Community Action Agency for Northwest Indiana, founded in 1965, the CoAction Mission is to aid people experiencing financial hardship find opportunities, resources, and respect at CoAction. CoAction envisions the people of Northwest Indiana flourishing regardless of income, ability, or age.
Serving residents in Lake, Porter, Jasper, Newton, LaPorte, Pulaski, and Starke Counties
FUNCTION:
MUST BE REGISTERED NURSE OR REGISTED DIETITIAN OR NUTRITIONIST!
The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program is a supplemental nutrition program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Education, EBT benefits and referrals are offered, free of charge, to low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, and infants and children younger than five years of age. The goal of the program is to improve the health of this at-risk group.
The commitment of the WIC program is to provide nutritional support (i.e., education and strategies for a healthy diet, supplemental foods, referrals and breastfeeding promotion/support), during critical times of growth and development to improve health and achieve positive outcomes for the above mentioned at risk group.
Under the direct supervision of the WIC Manager, the WIC Site Manager/Competent Professional Authority’s (CPA) primary responsibility is to ensure the delivery of program services in compliance with NWICA, Indiana State Department of Health, Federal and other WIC program identified guidelines, policies and procedures.
The responsibilities of the WIC Site Manager/CPA would include providing eligibility determination of WIC clients, educate and counsel in the areas of nutrition, determine nutritional risk, develop and implement care plans, and provide supportive community referrals, positively promote breastfeeding, engage in community outreach activities, prescribing food packages, while providing the accurate documentation and reporting requirements in accordance to the guidelines, policies and procedures of the WIC Program.
The WIC Site Manager/CPA is expected to be an active participant in the agency’s mission, vision, and values and an active participant in promoting and fulfilling the principles and ethical standards of professional case management. He/she shall work to ensure that consistent, reliable, responsive, and high-quality services are provided to the agency’s constituents, partners, and customers. He/she will demonstrate enthusiasm, initiative, and flexibility and will maintain positive working relationships with all agency personnel, will be inclusive and communicative with all staff, and will establish herself/himself as a primary resource within the agency for consumer empowerment and independence and to those supervisees.
MAJOR DUTIES:
Site Manager:
- Is an active participant of the WIC Administrative Team.
- Provides day-to-day supervision and evaluates the work of employees who perform WIC Clinic functions.
- Review, approve and process time sheets and office supplies for staff.
- Advises and assists staff with issues pertaining to assistance being provided.
- Performs quality review of WIC Clinic work to ensure accuracy and compliance with state and federal guidelines related to assistance programs and ensures that timelines and reporting deadlines are met to avoid federal funding and fiscal sanctions.
- Gather statistical information as directed/requested and participates in internal and external audits; assists with the development and implementation of corrective action plans. Prepares and/or directs the preparation of records and reports and ensures the staff members enter and update information into the State mandated software program.
- Reviews, develops, or modifies work plans, methods, and procedures, determines work priorities, and develops work schedules to provide adequate staff coverage and staff utilization. Provides work instruction and assists employees with difficult and/or unusual assignments and encourages innovation. Assigns and distributes work, reviews for accuracy and completeness and maximum service utilization, and returns assignments with recommendations for proper completion.
- Provides orientation and training for WIC Clinic staff.
- Conducts at least monthly team meetings with staff.
- Resolves problems and mediates conflicts encountered during daily operations, determines appropriate solutions, and promotes teamwork. Encourages regular communication and informs staff of relevant business issues and their impact on the organization.
- Creates and maintains enhanced and progressive communication, within the team and with the team and agency, insuring both that agency values, priorities, and projects are shared with assigned staff and that staff concerns are communicated to manager(s) and senior management.
- Develops the performance enhancement plan, documents performance, provide performance feedback, evaluates the work of employees, and provides reward and recognition for proper and efficient performance. Develops and implements training and development plans and opportunities.
- Documents causes for disciplinary action and makes formal recommendations for disciplinary action.
- Participate in regular staff meetings, staff training programs, supervisory sessions and accept responsibility for aiding the development of positive team relationships.
- Assist with outreach and recruitment of program participants as well as the promotion of the WIC program.
- Other duties as assigned.
WIC Competent Professional Authority (CPA):
- Is an active member of the WIC and NWICA team.
- Screens applicants for eligibility. This requires interviewing applicants to determine and verifying income for the household as well as documenting appropriately in the designated software system participant determination.
- Assist WIC clerk with the responsibilities of checking in clients, making appointments, keeping the client data base updated and any other integral part of providing excellent customer service to WIC participants.
- Perform all aspects of WIC participant certification. This includes but is not limited to medical updates, hemoglobin testing, lead screening, review and access immunization records, formula changes and breastfeeding issues. These will be performed in accordance to and set forth by NWICA and IDOH WIC program policies and procedures.
- As required, perform health measurements on all participants. This includes height and weight. These measurements need to be completed following methods of the IDOH WIC Program.
- Completes nutrition assessments for WIC clients and accurately assesses nutrition risk.
- Provides participant centered nutrition counseling and referral services for WIC clients.
- Positively promotes Breastfeeding to all WIC clients, educate through facilitation of breastfeeding classes and complete outreach on the benefits of breastfeeding to community partners and healthcare providers.
- Must be able to conduct breastfeeding class. Work jointly with the Breastfeeding Supervisor providing classes and ensuring breastfeeding initiation and duration.
- Must have basic knowledge of infant formula and preparation. Have the ability to tailor and document food packages.
- Facilitate approved nutrition education classes as assigned by the site manager.
- Required to attend all identified trainings relative to WIC Program Operations and NWICA Management of that program. Included are but not limited to: IDOH Clinic Orientation, Nutrition Services, Breastfeeding Orientation, Breast Pump Training and any other identified orientation/training/conferences offered and deemed necessary by NWICA and IDOH.
- Promote; issue and document Farmer’s Market checks in accordance to WIC policies.
- Required to monitor and maintain program supplies and inventory in accordance to WIC Program and NWICA policies and procedures.
- Performs detailed participant record maintenance and accurate documentation of services performed in accordance to WIC Program policies.
- Provides clerical assistance as needed to support clinic operations and performs light office housekeeping duties to maintain infection prevention/universal precautions
- Participate in regular staff meetings, staff training programs, supervisory session (if applicable), and accept responsibility for aiding the development of positive team relationships as requested.
- Ensure required continuing education requirements are met according to funding source regulations.
- Other duties assigned.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- A Qualified Nutritionist, Licensed Registered Nurse or Dietitian. Also a Bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences (Home Economics) with an emphasis in Nutrition defined as a minimum of 9 hours in nutrition which include; 3 hours of introductory nutrition, 3 hours in life cycle nutrition or maternal/infant nutrition, 3 hours in advance nutrition.
- CPA (Competent Professional Authority) or desire and completion of the CPA program within 12 months of hire.
- Excellent writing/editing and verbal communication skills.
- Self-starter, able to work independently, service oriented with attention to detail.
- Commitment to work collaboratively with all constituent groups, including staff, volunteers, program participants, and other WIC Program supporters.