Cook - Temporary

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 our team! This is a temporary position limited to 780 hours per fiscal year with opportunity for advancement, growth, and development.

Knowledge of the methods and practices of food preparation and service, including the principles of food sanitation. Responsibilities include:

• Prepares meals for the Cherokee campus, consisting of preparing and cooking meats, vegetables, special dishes and baking desserts.
• Preps meals for staff to cook for 240 patients and staff. Preps and prepares meals for the staff Café.
• Cleans kitchen equipment such as stoves, worktables, mechanical mixers, kettles, steam cookers, etc.
• Cleans dining room and kitchen areas.
• Stocks pantry and storeroom weekly when deliveries are received.
• Assists staff in routine security matters related to the food service operation.

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. If you enjoy helping adults and families connect with mental health and disabilities services, this is a great opportunity to consider.

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 .

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 ... 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 visit This is a temporary non-merit position with Health & Human Services- State Operated Specialty Care- Cherokee Mental Health Institute. Experience equal to one year of full-time quantity food production in a commercial, military, hospital, or institutional setting; OR successful completion of a military, vocational, or community college program in commercial cooking; OR 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 .