Dietetic Technician (Safety)

California State Personnel Board Specification

SALARY INFORMATION

Description

Under the direction of a Dietetics Assistant Director, the Dietetic Technician (Safety) is responsible for assisting Registered Dietitians in the development and implementation of nutritional care plans; monitoring clients' or patients' tolerance and acceptance of the diet; developing and presenting training programs for food service staff; and doing other related work.

Distinguishing Characteristics

This class is distinguished from the Dietetic Technician classification by the custody requirements imposed by the forensic nature of the clients or patients in State facilities and by the security features of these facilities.

Typical Tasks

Incumbents assist the Registered Dietitian in obtaining and utilizing diet history information in planning nutritional care; calculate nutrient intake and diet patterns through personal observation of clients or patients; assist in the identification of nutritional care needs and records response to nutritional treatment; may represent the Registered Dietitian at interdisciplinary team conferences and present nutritional care plans to the health team; monitor therapeutic diets for conformance to quality standards and dietary prescription; assist in the development and presentation of training programs; assist in the development of procedures which conform to established policies; gather data for use in evaluating food service systems; account for eating utensils to prevent their use as weapons; help to inspect facilities to identify security breaches that could lead to the escape of a client or patient; and observe and intervene as necessary in client or patient behavior that may injure people, damage property, or signal impending escape attempts.

Minimum Qualifications

Either I

Registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration, the credentialing agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; or

II

Education: Completion of an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics approved Dietetic Technician Program, with emphasis in nutritional care or food service management, and

Experience: Six months of experience in the practice of dietetics in a health care, school, or residential care setting. (A Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university or equivalent degree approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Vocational Education under the provisions of the California Education Code Division 10, Part 59, Chapter 8, which meets the academic requirements as approved by the Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics may be substituted for the required experience.) (Applicants who have completed 30 course units of the required education will be admitted to the examination but must complete the education and experience requirements in full before they will be considered eligible for appointment.)

Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of: Principles, practices, and theories of nutrition and dietetics; methods of planning, preparing, and serving food to a large number of persons; special dietary requirements of mentally or developmentally disabled persons and other client or patient groups.

Ability to: Apply the principles and practices of nutrition and dietetics; communicate nutritional data to the health care team and food service employees; keep records and prepare reports; analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action.

Some positions in this classification may be eligible for safety retirement in accordance with Government Code section 19816.20.

Preferred or Desirable Qualifications

All employees shall have general qualifications as described by California Code of Regulations, title 2, section 172.

Special Personal Characteristics

Sympathetic understanding of and willingness to work with the client or patient population of a State institution.

Special Physical Characteristics

Possession and maintenance of sufficient strength, agility, and endurance to perform during physically, mentally, and emotionally stressful and emergency situations encountered on the job without endangering their health and well-being or that of fellow employees, clients, patients, or the public.

Class History