Position Summary:Cooks Main meals for client including breakfast, lunch, and dinner as needed and/or scheduled as a cook. The preparation and service of all meals and special diets for Northlake Behavioral Health System. Assists in the general duties in the kitchen and dining areas of the hospital including cleaning, mopping floors, washing dishes, organization, and serving patients. Works closely & cooperatively with other dietary employees to stock serving line, help serve food, fill delivery bags, and helps with meal deliveries. Cooperates and works closely with Team Lead regarding census count and foods to prepare for special diets throughout the day.

Responsibilities:

• Able to concentrate on work amidst distractions such as noise, conversations and foot traffic
• Able to consistently meet deadlines and finish all food preparation at specified serving time
• Flexible in work hours in order to meet patient and organization operational needs.
• Maintain self-control in volatile or hostile customer service interactions.
• Able to work independently, in a restricted physical environment for extended periods of time.
• Ability to perform several tasks concurrently.
• Maintain information as highly confidential.
• Must be able to lift crates, and cartons, boxes of food.
• Follow proper procedures for inventory rotation such as FIFO method.
• Proper storage & handling of food, proper food temps, and record daily food temperatures of meals prepared daily.
• Performs other duties as assigned or needed per hospital needs.

Work-related Responsibilities

• Perform regular cleaning tasks: removing garbage, sweeping, mopping, washing dishes, and as duties outlined on cleaning list.
• Assist in keeping delivery bags clean & sanitized.
• Label and date all foods.
• Rotate all foods using FIFO method.
• Voluntarily help fellow employees and patients.
• Assists with meal services and meal deliveries.
• Follows proper infection control standards regarding food temps & food prep.
• Prepare foods according to diet orders and recipes.
• Effectively use slicer, mixer, oven, stove, fryer, grill, steamer, steam table, tilt skillet, and dish machine.
• Ensure that foods are attractive and tasty.
• Able to serve meals on the serving lines.
• Replenishes serving lines as needed.
• Record all meal temps.
• Implement TEAMWORK in daily routine.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: High school diploma or GED preferred.

Experience: At least one (1) year experience as a cook, or a combination of education and experience relevant to position. Needs knowledge of the essential hygiene factors involved in food preparation; knowledge of cleansing and the appropriate methods of cleansing a variety of surfaces. Understand the guidelines for HACCP, HIPPA, JACHO, and DHH.

Competency: Position and Age-Related

Licensure/Certification: May require CPI and CPR Certification within 120 days of employment.

Other: Ability

HIPAA: Must comply with all standards set accord to HIPAA. Access to PHI is limited to information required for special diets.

Work Demands/Environment:

Ability to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, stand, walk, push, pull, lift moving about in work area and throughout organization to accomplish tasks. Must be able to finger, grasp, and feel objects. Perform repetitive motions with wrists, hands and fingers. Have the ability to express ideas via spoken word, conveying information to others in an audible, accurate and on occasion quick manner. Able to perceive the nature of sounds with no less than 40 db loss @ Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz with or without correction; perceive detailed information through oral communication and to make fine discriminations in sound. Work is considered medium in nature requiring occasional exertion of up to 80 pounds of force and 60 pounds of force frequently and/or up to 60 pounds of force to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Must be able to operate all the kitchen equipment. Worker is subject to both indoor and outdoor environmental conditions; activities that occur both inside and out. Worker is subject to a variety of physical conditions, such as proximity to moving mechanical parts, electrical current and exposure to high heat. Worker may be subject to one or more of the following conditions that affect the respiratory system or the skin: fumes, odors, dusts, mists, gases or poor ventilation.