Registered Dietitian

Position Summary

The Registered Dietitian is directly responsible for the day-to-day nutritional management and meal planning for clients at all levels of care in a highly specialized treatment facility.

Relationships and Contacts

Within the organization:  Maintains frequent and close working relationships with the Executive Director, Business Development team members, Admissions team members, Nursing leadership, milieu leadership, and all clinical team members.

Outside the organization:  Initiates and maintains professional working relationships with clients and their families, referral partners, clinical partners, and vendors, as needed.

Position Responsibilities

     Essential Responsibilities

1. Provides consultation with appropriate staff in screening client applications for the treatment program(s) based on nutritional status and making appropriate recommendations accordingly
2. Conducts initial nutritional assessments with each new client, including diet history, dietary preferences, weights, nutritional risk and eating disorder behaviors.
3. Writes orders for meal plans, supplementation, protocols, and special dietary needs.
4. Consults with the physicians on an as needed basis to ensure that the nutritional needs of individual clients are being met.
5. Educates and counsels clients to increase awareness of the importance of nutritionally balanced diets in achieving good health and recovery.
6. Formulates an individualized meal plan, nutritional care plan and set weight goals with each client.
7. Adjusts nutrition care plans with the clients as needed. The incumbent will supervise meals/snacks and portioning as deemed necessary. S/he will provide on-going nutritional consultations to clients and their families based on individual dietary needs.
8. Follows meal plans, supplementation, protocols, and special dietary needs.
9. Completes follow up assessments and appropriately summarizes the results.
10. Participates in treatment team meetings and provides clinical recommendations.
11. Evaluates and monitors clients’ compliance with their meal planning, provides grocery store education (including grocery store challenge).
12. Maintains contact with clients’ outpatient dietitian to provide updates on progress and recommendations for discharge.
13. Conducts nutrition group, cooking group, and physical activity groups, conducting the nutrition talk during Family Days and conducting individual weekly or twice weekly sessions with clients.
14. Collaborates and works with food vendors, delivery services, food/grocery pick-up, and other related food sources to ensure nutritional operations and supplies are maintained for the outpatient center.
15. Responsible for proper documentation and charting and ensure that all documentation is completed promptly.
16. Approves menus, snacks for the clients, and ensures that the quality and quantity of food is adequate and works closely with the dietary care specialist team in meal planning for clients including food preferences and allergens.
17. Sets up aftercare as it pertains to nutrition.

     Additional Responsibilities

1. Prepares reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing treatment and results data and trends.
2. Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
3. Functions within the guidelines of the facility’s Code of Ethics and in accordance with corporate compliance.
4. Consistently arrives to work on time, rarely missing scheduled shifts, and promptly notifies supervisor when absent.
5. Demonstrates an ability to adapt to changes in the facility function, management styles, and facility routines.
6. Reads, understands, adheres to, and models all company policy statements on ethics, conduct, and conflict of interests.
7. Adheres to facility policies, procedures, rules, and regulations, implementing regularly.
8. Maintains positive attitude and acts as a team player with others on the treatment team.
9. Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Education and Experience

Position requires bachelor's degree and employee must hold Ohio State Licensure. Position requires a minimum of 2 years of experience in a behavioral healthcare setting, preferably with clients with eating disorders area.

Physical Requirements

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to communicate with peers, clients and/or vendors.
• Job performance will require the ability to move throughout the building as well as participate in activities outdoors and off facility grounds.
• Performs duties that require the employee to stand and walk for extended periods of time.
• May sit or remain stationary for periods of time.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to talk or hear, sit, stand, walk, reach, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, taste, or smell.
• Ability to move twenty-five pounds.

Additional Requirements

• Position requires incumbent to have a valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record.
• Clearance of criminal background, TB test, and any other mandatory state/federal requirements.
• Current CPR and First Aid certification

Skill Competencies

• Ethics and Values – demonstrates adherence to and promotes the ethics and values outlined in the company and accrediting/licensing bodies Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance. Consistently upholds and models a high level of Integrity in clinical services and team member interactions.
• Clinical Knowledge – demonstrates working knowledge of current theory and evidence-based practice. Proactively seeks supervision, consultation and continuing professional development to ensure knowledge and skills are maintained relative to position and clinical program delivery.
• Cultural Competence – demonstrates the ability to provide client-centered, culturally competent care, recognizes, and affirms cultural and linguistic diversity through therapeutic alliances and ongoing professional development.
• Screening and Assessment – demonstrates a high level of clinical skill in assessing the clinical needs of clients, determining appropriate interventions, and conducting individual and group therapy sessions in accordance with client needs.
• Care Planning and Intervention – demonstrates the ability to develop and implement evidence-informed care plans that promote clinical excellence throughout the client-centered continuum of care. Care plans outline necessary steps, identified collaboratively with the care team, to achieve objectives identified in the biopsychosocial assessment. Leverages evidence-informed, clinically excellent treatment interventions.
• Advocacy – Demonstrates the ability to appropriately advocate for the needs and interest of clients and families; promotes clinical excellence through quality improvement initiatives, improved outcomes, access to care, and service delivery.
• Interdisciplinary and Interorganizational Collaboration – demonstrate the ability to promote cross functional collaboration among team members and referral partners to support and enhance clinical service delivery and support.

Aster Springs and d/b/a if applicable provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, genetic information, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment. Aster Springs reserves the rights to modify, interpret, or apply this job description in any way the organization desires. This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties, including essential duties, to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities. This job description is not an employment contract, implied or otherwise. The employment relationship remains “At-Will.” 

ISJPOP