Cook 1 – Full-time – Cherokee Mental Health Institute

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Division of State-Operated Specialty Care, Bureau of Cherokee Mental Health Institute (CMHI) is seeking a Cook 1 to join the team! This is a full-time, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. position with rotating weekends and holidays, and opportunity for advancement, growth, and development.

As a Cook at Cherokee, you will prepare food for clients and staff. We’ll need you to complete pre-prep, cook various menu items according to recipe directions, handle needed modifications and monitor food to ensure service and storage at safe temperatures. Other duties include portioning prepared food items for serving or transporting, preserving food for future use, accurately documenting information and always utilizing safe food handling procedures. Cleanliness is a high priority and as a Cook, you will be expected to set a high standard of sanitizing equipment, utensils, all surfaces and the general work area. Our Cooks work as part of a team in the dietary department and should expect to gain experience in all areas of the kitchen.

If you enjoy cooking and would like to use your skills on a team that helps set the foundation at CMHI for connecting adults, children, and families to mental health services and long-term care, then this could be a great opportunity for you.

Applicants will be required to complete a background check to be considered for this position.

CMHI provides active inpatient treatment to adults in need of acute psychiatric care. The facility offers several services including individualized treatment plans. Support for patients with special education needs to continue their education is provided, and individuals are encouraged to collaborate with staff members in formulating their own plan. Medication, group counseling, and activities therapies might be included as well.

We have a great total compensation package, including:

• Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System (IPERS) (Employee contributes 6.29%/State of Iowa contributes 9.44%)
• Retirement Investors Club (RIC) (Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan) (State of Iowa matches up to $75/month)
• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance (See below for additional information)
• Vacation Leave (96 hours/year to begin, and increases with years of service)
• Sick Leave (144 hours/year)
• Paid Holidays (9 days/year)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Life Insurance ($20,000 paid for by the State of Iowa)
• Long-Term Disability Insurance

For additional information on benefits click here.

Click here to see how we compare with other employers or offers by using our Total Compensation Calculator.

Cherokee Highlights

CMHI is located in Cherokee, a city of approximately 5,000 set in the beautiful Little Sioux River Valley in Northwest Iowa. Residents enjoy fishing and canoeing on the Little Sioux River which winds through town providing a backdrop to a well-developed parks and trails system. In addition, Cherokee has over 1,000 acres of land devoted to parks and outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and horseback riding. Cherokee is the home of the first accredited museum and planetarium in Iowa, Sandford Museum and Planetarium, established in 1951. Cherokee may be the smallest town in the world to have its own symphony orchestra! This 60-member orchestra has been referred to as the “best kept secret in Northwest Iowa.”

Cherokee is home to Western Iowa Tech Community College and 1 hour or less from other educational institutions including Morningside College, Northwestern College, Buena Vista University, and Dordt College. This quintessential Iowa town is 1 hour from Sioux City and 2 hours from Omaha. Check out these 10 Reasons to Move to Iowa.

The State of Iowa is an EEO/AA Employer

HHS values those with “lived experience” and encourages adults who were fostered as youth, foster parents, and/or parents who were in the HHS system to apply. Minorities, women, persons with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply (Hearing and Speech Impaired – Relay Iowa 1-800-735-2942 TDD).

Our agency uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visitwww.e-verify.gov.

successful completion of a military, vocational, or community college program in commercial cooking;

employees with current continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes experience equal to six months of full-time work as a Food Service Worker.

For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description (Download PDF reader).