FAMILY CONSUMER SCIENCE SPECIALIST

SUMMARY:

The Family Consumer Science Specialist is responsible for providing nutrition guidance to patients and families and conducting nutritional education programs. This position is governed by state and federal laws and institution policy

TYPICAL FUNCTIONS:

Counsels patients and families concerning nutrition risk conditions, such as anemia and low or high weight gain, for disease prevention and control.

Collects and evaluates patients’ medical history data and tests results to determine physical changes and problems attributed to diet for care plan development.

Develops individual care plans for patients and monitors progress to measure plans’ effectiveness.

Maintains records of nutrition assessment, care plan development, and counseling materials for follow-up monitoring and possible home visits.

Conducts in-service nutrition education programs for other department staff and presents programs to schools, churches, community groups, and organizations to educate members of the public on the importance of proper eating habits.

Advises patients and families on meal preparation and budget planning.

Consults with Nutritionist/Dietician concerning special diets for patients referred from other agencies and/or makes appropriate patient referrals.

Performs other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES, AND SKILLS:

Knowledge of nutrition/dietetic theories, functions, and issues. Knowledge of nutrition needs assessment, counseling, and care plan development processes and techniques. Knowledge of rules and regulations governing in-home nutrition counseling and care plan development. Ability to assess nutrition needs at different stages of the life cycle and develop individual nutrition care plans. Ability to counsel and advise patients and families on disease prevention and control meal preparation and budget planning. Ability to conduct in-service nutrition education programs and present information to the public. Ability to consult with nutrition/dietetic and other health professionals concerning special diets or referrals to other health care services. Ability to maintain nutrition assessment and care plan development records and monitor plan’s progress.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

The formal education equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in home economics, dietetics, or a related field, plus one year of experience in nutrition planning or dietetics.

Additional requirements determined by the agency for recruiting purposes require review and approval by the Arkansas Division of Higher Education.

OTHER JOB RELATED EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE MAY BE SUBSTITUTED FOR ALL OR PART OF THESE BASIC REQUIREMENTS, EXCEPT FOR CERTIFICATION OR LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS, UPON APPROVAL OF THE QUALIFICATIONS REVIEW COMMITTEE.