The program is administered by Family Health Council, Inc. faculty and supervised by registered dietitians at affiliated sites throughout the Pittsburgh area. Affiliate sites are institutions or community agencies which serve as settings for dietetic interns' supervised learning experiences. Each site provides interns with the opportunity to identify with the specific role of the dietitian in a particular setting and to reach a defined level of competence. The assignment of interns to affiliate sites and the length of practice at each site are determined by the faculty, affiliate site personnel, interns, and interns' mentors. The internship features a variety of sites and offers interns both observation and supervised practice experience in all areas of dietary practice.
Interns develop observation, assessment, interpretation and counseling skills.
Community Needs Sites include social service agencies, public health programs, community organizations, and educational facilities. Intervention skills are developed to meet the specialized needs of the individuals within a community. Emphasis is placed on needs assessment, instructional design, implementation and evaluation, and media skills. Food Service Sites include Family Health Council's Signature Caf and Catering, hospitals, food banks, community feeding sites, and schools. Food service skills are developed with an emphasis on food production, budget and cost control, quality assurance, marketing, and environmental and waste management.