Dining Services III / Cook - Rifle Veterans Community Living Center
State of Colorado
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Posted: January 29, 2026 (1 day ago)
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DINING SERVICES IV - Lead Cook - Ft. Logan Mental Health Institute
State of Colorado
Colorado Department of Human Services
Location
Colorado, --
Salary
$22.18 - $22.18
per hour
Type
Full Time
More Healthcare & Medical jobs →Closes
February 13, 2026More State jobs →
Job Description
Summary
This job is for a lead cook in the kitchen of a mental health hospital, where you'll prepare nutritious meals for patients while ensuring everything meets health and safety standards.
You'll supervise a team during shifts, handle cooking tasks, and focus on special dietary needs.
It's a good fit for someone with cooking experience who enjoys leading others in a supportive healthcare setting and can work flexible hours including weekends.
Key Requirements
- Experience in commercial food preparation and cooking using standardized recipes
- Knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and portion control guidelines
- Ability to supervise and lead a team, assigning tasks and monitoring progress
- Familiarity with preparing modified meals for medical, cultural, or nutritional needs
- Willingness to work 10-hour variable shifts, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays
- Adherence to federal, state, and local food service regulations
- Experience with commercial kitchen equipment and production documentation
Full Job Description
This position is open to current Colorado residents only.
Please note: This posting will be used to fill multiple positions.
The Colorado Mental Health Institute at Fort Logan (CMHIFL) is one of two state hospitals serving our community. The vision of CMHIFL is to provide the highest quality mental health services to persons with complex, serious, and persistent mental illness within the resources available. Our mission is to support those individuals in achieving their recovery goals and reaching their full potential. CMHIFL provides inpatient treatment to adult patients, generally between the ages of 18-59. The hospital currently has 138 adult inpatient beds and over six treatment milieus serving civil and forensic individuals. Medical services, occupational therapy, neuropsychological-rehabilitation services, and trauma-informed care services are available for all patients throughout the hospital.
Through our core values listed below, CMHIFL staff is committed to:
- Individual dignity and respect
- Person-centered, evidence-based care
- Trauma-informed recovery
- Multidisciplinary collaboration
- Diversity and inclusion
- Strong family and community partnerships
Requirements
This position works 10 hour variable shift work to include early shift (5:00am-3:30pm) and late shift (8:00am-6:30pm) as well as holidays and weekends. This position is also eligible for shift differential on the weekends.
About this Work Unit:
The Nutrition Services Department provides quality meals and medical nutrition therapy to patients in a mental health facility. Meals meet the nutritional, medical, spiritual, cultural, and mental health needs of the patient population and are prepared in a manner that meets established standards.
About the Position:
This position ensures safe, compliant, and effective completion of food service production within the Nutrition Services Department kitchen, to include meal preparation, cooking, portioning, sanitation, documentation, and work lead duties.
All work performed by this position adheres to federal, state, and local regulations, Colorado Mental Health Institute at Fort Logan (CMHHFL) policies and procedures and proper safety and sanitation guidelines.
Duties in this position include:
- Prepares regular and modified meals using standardized recipes, written instructions, portion sizes, production sheets, food safety guidelines, and a variety of commercial food service equipment
- Assures food is attractive, appetizing, and at the proper temperature
- Responsible for daily shift supervision including assigning tasks, monitoring progress and workflow, checking the product, scheduling work, and establishing work standards for Dining Services III staff
- Responsible for proper documentation of temperatures (food items, refrigerators, and freezers), production records, cleaning schedules, food safety and sanitation, and any other necessary documentation
- Assure that all written documentation and reports from each shift are completed daily
- Follows CMHHFL policies regarding utensils/plate/bowl counts, key monitoring, knife inventory, food auditing, operation, and minor servicing of equipment
- Ensures all food service equipment is kept in working order and the kitchen is kept clean and sanitized
- Determines corrective action to be taken if food is not at an appropriate temperature
- Determines adherence to proper labeling and dating of food and ensures F.I.F.O. practices are followed throughout the kitchen through efficient monitoring to ensure correct menu items are being used and recipes are being followed
- Maintains active computer access to complete Cornerstone training and check/review emails
- Completes mandatory hospital and departmental training
- In the absences of a supervisor, this work leader is tasked with work leading the entire shift crew. This includes assigning tasks, monitoring progress and workflow, checking the product, scheduling work, and establishing work standards.
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications listed below to continue in the selection process for this position. Work experience must be specifically documented in the work experience section of your application. Do not use "see resume" or "see attached" statements on your application.Three (3) years of food service experience including cooking and preparation of food and/or working in an occupationally related field. Acceptable forms of experience include: work in banquet setting, catering, or production kitchen.
Substitutions:
None
None
Preferred Qualifications:
Healthcare/Senior Living Nutrition Services Experience
ServSafe Certified/Food Handler License/Culinary License
Line/Production Cook Experience
Experience with HACCP
- Full Background - Name and fingerprint check, ICON Colorado court database, Medicare fraud database, Reference Checks, Professional License verification, Drug Screen, Trails check (direct contact with children), CAPS
- Annual influenza and other vaccinations as required by the State of Colorado
- Must pass a pre-placement physical/medical screening: TB Test
- Must be available for shift work
- Use, Handling, or Exposure to hazardous materials
Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must (1) disclose thatinformation on the application (2) provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should notdisqualify the applicant from the current position, (3) provide the employee number from the applicant’s prior Stateemployment.
Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of terminationand failure to provide this information will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with CDHS.
APPEAL RIGHTS:
If you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director.
An appeal or review must be submitted on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative.
This form must be delivered to the State Personnel Board by email (dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us), postmarked in US Mail or hand-delivered (1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203), or faxed (303.866.5038) within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgment of the department’s action.
For more information about the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it to the State Personnel Board; go to spb.colorado.gov; contact the State Personnel Board for assistance at (303) 866-3300; or refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov under Rules.
Additional Information
For additional recruiting questions, please contact melissa.baca@state.co.us
About Us:
If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference, consider joining the dedicated people of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS).
Our professionals strive to design and deliver high quality human and health services that improve the safety, independence, and well-being of the people of Colorado.
In addition to a great location and rewarding and meaningful work, we offer:
Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including a PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan www.copera.org plus 401(k) and 457 plans
Employer supplemented Health Savings Account
Paid life insurance
Short- and long-term disability coverage
11 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave
BenefitHub state employee discount program
Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible schedules, training and more
Remote work arrangements for eligible positions
*Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more
information, go to https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dhr/student-loan-forgiveness-programs.
Our Values:
We believe in a people-first approach: To serve the people of Colorado, we develop a culture and work environment that creates an energized, inspired, and healthy team capable of giving their best to Coloradans.
Balance creates quality of life: We want our team to be resilient through a supportive workplace that values flexibility, health and wellness, and employee engagement.
We hold ourselves accountable: We take responsibility through our actions, programs, and results for the state of health and human services in Colorado.
Transparency matters: We are open and honest with employees, our partners, the Coloradans we serve, and the public.
We are ethical: We abide by what is best for those we serve by doing what is right, not what is easy.
Collaboration helps us rise together: We work together with all partners, employees, and clients to achieve the best outcomes for Coloradans.
We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities.
ADAA Accommodations: CDHS is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals.
As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship.
If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Coordinator, Nancy Schmelzer, at cdhs_ada@state.co.us or call 1-800-929-0791.
~THE STATE OF COLORADO IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER~
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