WIC Clerk

Sea Mar Community Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) founded in 1978, is a community-based organization committed to providing quality, comprehensive health, human, housing, educational and cultural services to diverse communities, specializing in service to Latinos in Washington State. Sea Mar proudly serves all persons without regard to race, ethnicity, immigration status, gender, or sexual orientation, and regardless of ability to pay for services. Sea Mar's network of services includes more than 90 medical, dental, and behavioral health clinics and a wide variety of nutritional, social, and educational services. We are recruiting for the following position:

Sea Mar is a mandatory COVID-19 and flu vaccine organization

Position Summary

The WIC Clerk is responsible for clerical support, WIC participant prescreening, enrollment, orientation, benefit delivery and termination of clients on the Sea Mar WIC program. The WIC Clerk performs preliminary participant risk assessment, which may include, providing basic nutrition education, identifying and making nutrition and other health and community service referrals. The WIC Clerk is responsible for maintaining client flow, receiving and scheduling patients for WIC, MSS and Medical Appointments. The WIC Clerk is required to assist the Front Office Certifier Supervisor and WIC Coordinator as requested.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following listed below. The WIC Clerk may be required to perform other duties as assigned. • Greets and schedules WIC, MSS, and Medical appointments and considers all programmatic and client needs. Will demonstrate familiarity with WIC guidelines, assess client needs and preferences and obtain interpreters as needed. • Assists with WIC and Nutrition participant prescreening, enrollment, orientation and re- evaluation; distributes the needed forms or surveys to clientele. • Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. • Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span. • Able to identify and categorize each patient’s age-specific grouping needs, such as those for infants, adolescent, or geriatric patients. • Conducts preliminary screening of applicants either on the phone and/or in person. • Maintains applicant waiting list according to nutrition risk code during times of maximum caseload enrollment. • Issues appropriate WIC food package, identifies contracted food vendor, issues manual or computerized food benefits and documents benefit issued. • Maintains complete and up-to-date WIC charts and statistics, including the birth outcome log, schedule and Nutrition encounters. Files all program maintenance information in a timely and accurate manner. • Triages client issues to the appropriate WIC personnel; provides brief nutritional counseling, encouragement (on breast feeding and formula use), and information on other Sea Mar services. Serves as liaison between Nutrition/WIC department and other clinic and community services, making appropriate referrals as needed. • Initiates and maintains daily and end of the month activities, including but not limited to sending out WIC warning and termination letters, making reminder calls to confirm WIC appointments, following up on failed appointments, and compiling monthly statistics. • Documents vendor and participant complaints and infractions and keeps Front Office Certifier Supervisor and WIC Coordinator abreast of the trends. • Attends selected clinic and WIC meeting and participates in continuing education, including local agency staff in-service meetings. • Assists with breastfeeding promotion and community nutrition education as needed. • Provides relief for front desk switchboard as assigned. • Assures timely, friendly and effective quality of services from reception to provider services

. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• This person must sign an oath of permanent confidentiality covering all patient-related information. • This person must receive a background check from the Washington State Patrol. • The WIC Clerk shall sign and date the job description to affirm the validity of the information herein and to signify compliance with the conditions of employment, minimum qualifications and an understanding of the job responsibilities. Qualifications To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty at a satisfactory level. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. • Works efficiently and with self-direction. • Possess the ability to deal patiently and empathetically with multicultural clientele, even under stressful conditions. • Possess the ability to work cooperatively as a member of the health care team.

LANGUAGE SKILLS • Computer experience is desirable. • Possess writing skills sufficient to be understood by Registered Dietitians, WIC Clerks, Nutrition Assistants, the WIC Coordinator, and the WIC participant. • Bilingual, Bicultural - English/Spanish or English/Russian preferred.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS • Possess the ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

REASONING ABILITY

• Possess the ability to understand a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Education, Certificates, Licenses, Registrations, and Medical Screening

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• High School or GED diploma is required. • Previous experience as receptionist and/or in WIC Program. • Interest and experience in basic nutrition and childhood development is desirable. • This person must have and maintain a TB test annually. Additional Requirements • This position must obtain Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR within 90 days of hire date and is required to maintain current BLS CPR throughout employment. • Pre-hire and annual employee health screening required • Annual influenza vaccine required. Only exception is for employees with a medical or religious exemption approved by Administration. Employees with an approved medical or religious exemption must wear a mask at all time during the flu season.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to moderately high.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to fingers; required to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; speak and hear. Specific vision abilities are required in this job, including close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The person must be able to sit at a computer terminal for extended periods of time. Acknowledgement I have read and understand my job description as noted above.

Hourly - Hourly Plan, 21.30 USD Hourly

What We Offer:

Sea Mar offers talented and motivated people the opportunity to work in a dynamic and growing community health organization. Working at Sea Mar Community Health Centers is more than just a job, it’s a fulfilling career with opportunity for advancement. The fringe benefits surpass most companies. For example, Full-time employees working 30 hours or more, receive an excellent benefit package of:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Prescription coverage
• Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• EAP (Employee Assistance Program)
• Paid-time-off starting at 24 days per year + 10 paid Holidays.
• We also offer 401(k)/Retirement options and an exciting opportunity to work in a culturally diverse environment. 

Sea Mar is an equal opportunity employer.

Please visit our website to learn more about us at www.seamar.org. You may also apply thru our Career page at this link.