Cook
Brightli · Columbia
Job Description:
Job Title: Cook
Location: Columbia, MO
Department: Recovery Services
Employment Type: Full-Time
Job Summary:
Do you enjoy preparing nutritious meals while making a meaningful impact in the lives of others? Join our compassionate and mission-driven team at Phoenix Programs, where your work directly supports individuals on their recovery journey. This position offers a predictable Monday through Friday schedule, opportunities for professional growth, a supportive team environment, meaningful work that contributes to client wellness, and the chance to make a positive difference every day. We are seeking a dependable, organized, and service-oriented professional who takes pride in food preparation, kitchen operations, and customer service.
The Cook is responsible for preparing and serving nutritious meals, maintaining kitchen inventory and supplies, supporting menu planning, and ensuring food preparation complies with USDA guidelines and dietary requirements. This role helps create a welcoming dining experience for residents while maintaining cleanliness, safety, and quality standards throughout all kitchen operations.
This position offers…
- Employee Assistance Program – 24/7 counseling services, legal assistance, & financial consultation for you and your household at no cost
- Mileage Reimbursement – Company paid for work functions requiring travel
- Employee Discounts – Hotels, Theme Parks & Attractions, College Tuition
- Workplace Culture - An environment cultivating employee wellbeing, valuing each individual's humanity, and actively promoting a healthy, joyful workforce
- Additional Perks & Benefits - Scroll down to bottom of this post to learn more
Key Responsibilities:
- Prepare and serve nutritious meals according to established menus and USDA nutritional guidelines.
- Create alternative meal options as needed to accommodate resident dietary needs and restrictions.
- Maintain adequate food, kitchen, and utensil inventories by monitoring supplies and communicating needs to leadership.
- Provide a positive dining experience by assisting with meal service and resident requests.
- Clean and sanitize kitchen areas, equipment, and dining spaces during and after meal service.
- Label, store, and rotate leftovers properly in accordance with food safety standards.
- Prepare ingredients and complete advance meal preparation for upcoming meal services when appropriate.
- Support special events by preparing food items for resident celebrations and facility activities.
- Maintain accurate records of menu changes and substitutions and communicate updates to leadership.
- Provide input regarding menu planning, nutrition, dietary considerations, and resident feedback.
- Collaborate with team members to promote a safe, efficient, and welcoming kitchen environment.
Education, Experience, and/or Credential Qualifications:
- High school diploma or GED required.
- Active Missouri Food Handlers Card required.
- Experience in food preparation, food service, commercial kitchen operations, nutrition services, or hospitality preferred.
- Knowledge of food safety standards, sanitation practices, meal preparation techniques, and kitchen operations preferred.
- Ability to follow recipes, menus, dietary guidelines, and food service procedures.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Additional Qualifications:
- Must be at least 21 years of age.
- Ability to work independently while contributing positively to a team environment.
- Strong communication and customer service skills.
- Ability to maintain professionalism while serving individuals receiving behavioral health and recovery services.
- Dependable, flexible, and committed to providing high-quality food service.
- Ability to support a recovery-focused environment through respectful and compassionate interactions.
Physical Requirements
- Perform sedentary work requiring exertion of up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and negligible force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.
- Utilize repetitive hand, finger, and arm movements for food preparation, documentation, and kitchen-related tasks.
- Remain standing, walking, or seated for varying periods throughout the workday as required by meal preparation and service activities.
- Operate kitchen equipment and utensils safely and effectively.
- Occasionally bend, reach, carry, and handle food products, supplies, and kitchen materials necessary to perform essential job functions.
Position Perks & Benefits:
Paid time off: full-time employees receive an attractive time off package to balance your work and personal life
Employee benefits package: full-time employees receive health, dental, vision, retirement, life, & more
Top-notch training: initial, ongoing, comprehensive, and supportive
Career mobility: advancement opportunities/promoting from within
Welcoming, warm, supportive: a work culture & environment that promotes your well-being, values you as human being, and encourages your health and happiness.


Brightli is on a Mission:
A mission to improve client care, reduce the financial burden of community mental health centers by sharing resources, a mission to have a larger voice in advocacy to increase access to mental health and substance user care in our communities, and a mission to evolve the behavioral health industry to better meet the needs of our clients.
As a behavioral and community mental health provider, we prioritize fostering a culture of belonging and connection within our workforce. We encourage applications from individuals with varied backgrounds and experiences, as we believe that a rich tapestry of perspectives strengthens our mission. If you are passionate about empowering local communities and creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported, we invite you to join our mission-driven organization dedicated to cultivating an authentic workplace.
We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
Burrell Behavioral Health is a Smoke and Tobacco Free Workplace.
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