Introduction
The State of Connecticut, Department of Developmental Services (DDS) - North Region - has a full-time, first (1st) shift, job opportunity for a Dietitian in the North Region Public Programs, located in East Hartford, CT.
Position Highlights:
- PCN: 18850
- First (1st) Shift
- Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 am - 4:30pm (Regular Days Off: Saturday, Sunday)
- Location: North Region, Public Programs, East Hartford CT
- However, work schedule flexibility is required in order to meet the demands of the job.
- Hybrid schedule may be requested upon the successful completion of a Working Test Period.
Please Note:
- Incumbents in this class must possess a current certification as a Dietitian issued by the Connecticut State Department of Public Health, and be a registered Dietitian (RD) through the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
- Incumbents must have a valid driver's license.
- Travel between DDS locations on site.
Working Conditions:
- Incumbents in this class may have some exposure to communicable/infectious diseases and to risk of injury from assaultive/abusive patients/individuals; may be exposed to disagreeable conditions.
The Role:
This position will be responsible for individuals that are served both in ICF, as well as 17 North Region CLA settings with public programs. Ensures the professional practice of nutritional services, complies with local, state and federal regulations; advise agency how to translate nutritional science into practical and applicable daily food and nutrition choices; develop, implement, monitor and evaluate Nutritional Care Plans for medical nutritional therapy in accordance with an individual’s medical goals and objectives; accurately obtains and interprets medical, psychological, cultural and environmental information pertinent to individual’s nutritional care in both an inpatient or an outpatient setting; develop specialized nutritional care plans which simultaneously address multiple disease processes; record and interpret pertinent information in medical records; communicate recommendations to appropriate healthcare team members and collaborate with outside agencies, other healthcare professionals and program providers; accept or transmit verbal or electronic diet prescriptions from physicians; recommend medical laboratory tests consistent with established protocols of Medical Nutrition Therapy; recommend nutritional modifications and coordinate changes with clinicians, provide nutrition education/counseling to all staff, clinicians, individuals and/or their family/guardian on therapeutic diets, food-drug interactions, enteral feeding management, and/or any dietary intervention associated with medical nutrition therapy; develop and present training to agency employees, meal observations, participates as a member of the interdisciplinary team and other healthcare committees; inspects and consults on care and maintenance of kitchen and dietary supplies and equipment; works to provide food items and nutritional supplements to meet individuals needs and budgetary constraints; conducts and calculates intake studies and nutritional analysis of menus and diets to confirm compliance to dietary standards; maintains and prepares nutritional reports in accordance with ICF regulations; menu development including individualized meal plans; evaluate and report on current nutritional trends and the impact on daily nutritional needs and costs; performs related duties as required.
What’s In It For You:
- Professional growth and paid professional development opportunities.
- A healthy work-life balance to all employees.
- State of Connecticut is an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loan forgiveness after 10 years of service. Click here for more information.
Discover the opportunity to:
- Engage in a rewarding career
- Assist our employees so they can achieve success
- Make a difference in the public sector
- Work together in a collaborative team environment
About Us:
DDS partners with the individuals we support and their families, to support lifelong planning and to join with others to create and promote meaningful opportunities for individuals to fully participate as valued members of their communities.
Selection Plan
FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:
Check out our Applicant Tips on How to Apply! Need more resources? Visit our Applicant Reference Library for additional support throughout the recruitment process.
BEFORE YOU APPLY:
- Meet Minimum Qualifications: Ensure you meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening by the job closing date. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements listed must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
- Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below.
- Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21-69, resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency.
- Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
- Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State. Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
- Salary Calculations: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.
- Note: The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting.
AFTER YOU APPLY:
- Some email providers may experience delays or issues delivering messages. To avoid missing important updates—such as referral questionnaires or interview scheduling links—please check your Personal Status Board regularly. For added convenience, you can also enable text (SMS) notifications. To do this, log in to your Personal Status Board and select “Update My Contact Information.”
- Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire’s expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section).
- Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this helpful Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression!
- Stay connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks.
- The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
- Note: This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
QUESTIONS? WE’RE HERE TO HELP:
Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions about the recruitment process, reach out to at Christopher.Lavallee@ct.gov.
Join the State of Connecticut and take your next career step with confidence!
If you require an accommodation to participate fully and fairly under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact Edward Magnano, EEO Manager at (860) 418-6148 or (Edward.Magnano@ct.gov)
PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)
In a state facility or region this class is accountable for independently planning and coordinating the delivery of nutritional and food services to individuals in order to render optimal nutritional health.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
- Performs nutrition assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation;
- Evaluates nutritional, psychological and cultural needs of individuals and plans dietary care accordingly;
- Reviews medical history for conditions impacting dietary needs;
- Develops and implements individualized nutritional care plans for assigned caseload;
- Monitors and documents individual diet and weight changes;
- Plans regular, therapeutic and special diet menus for individuals;
- Orders and checks food items and kitchen supplies;
- Supervises food preparation in residences and dietary department;
- Consults on care and maintenance of kitchen supplies and dietary equipment;
- Monitors food processes and sanitation procedures and recommends alterations as appropriate;
- Provides nutrition and/or food service consultation and education to individuals, staff and family members;
- Records pertinent nutrition information in medical records;
- Maintains diet manuals;
- Ensures nutritional services comply with relevant federal and state standards;
- Oversees service of meals in dining rooms, cafeterias, cottages or other units;
- Trains food service and direct care staff in the purchase, preparation and service of food according to dietetic principles and within a predetermined food budget;
- Maintains records and prepares reports;
- Performs related duties as required.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY
- Knowledge of
- relevant state and federal laws and regulations;
- food values and dietetic principles;
- human physiology;
- principles and practices of food production and services;
- Joint Commission regulations and standards;
- Skills
- interpersonal skills;
- oral and written communication skills;
- Ability to
- independently plan and coordinate the delivery of nutritional services;
- utilize computer software.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE
Registration as a Registered Dietitian (RD) through the Commission on Dietetic Registration and certification as a Dietitian issued by the Connecticut State Department of Public Health in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes Section 20-206n and 20-206r.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Preference will be given to candidates who possess the following experience:
- Experience working with individuals with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities.
- Registered as a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist (RDN) through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
- Experience with menu development, including individualized meal plans.
- Experience developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating Nutritional Care Plans for medical nutritional therapy in accordance with an individual’s medical goals and objectives.
- Experience with interpreting medical, psychological, cultural and environmental information pertinent to individual’s nutritional care in both an inpatient or an outpatient setting.
- Experience with verbal and electronic diet prescriptions from physicians; and recommending medical laboratory tests consistent with established protocols of Medical Nutrition Therapy.
- Experience preparing nutritional reports in accordance with ICF regulations.
- Experience developing specialized nutritional care plans which simultaneously address multiple disease processes.
- Experience working with an interdisciplinary team, as well as verbal and written communications to internal and external stakeholders.
- Experience developing and presenting training to staff members, clinicians, individuals/guardians on therapeutic diets, food-drug interactions, external feeding management, and dietary interventions.
- Experience using Microsoft Office Suite including Outlook, Teams, Word, and Excel.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
- Incumbents in this class must possess and retain registration as a Registered Dietitian (RD) through the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
- Incumbents in this class must possess and retain certification as a Dietitian issued by the Connecticut State Department of Public Health in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes Section 20-206n and 20-206r.
- Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator’s license.
- Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.
Conclusion
AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.