About Us: The Lifeskills Fort Lauderdale campus offers exceptional care for individuals dealing with mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders. We provide state-of-the-art residential services to individuals who face complex co-occurring challenges and specific health-related medical complications. Our services are tailored to those who are resistant to medication, exhibit risk-taking behavior, and those who have undergone multiple treatment episodes. Lifeskills provides 24/7 nursing support in a structured and supportive therapeutic environment for the best possible care.

Why You Will Love Working With Us!

At Lifeskills South Florida, we are a dynamic, dedicated, and growing team of professionals deeply passionate about providing evidence-based and personalized clinical care for mental health disorders and behavioral health conditions.

Since everyone has different experiences with mental health disorders, mental health therapies must be equally as unique to address those diverse needs. Working with qualified doctoral level clinicians at Lifeskills gives individuals the opportunity to develop personalized mental health treatment plans that address their needs and help them take the next step in their recovery.

Our team’s foundation is client centered care and clinical excellence through our 5-star service commitment – Respect, Accountability, Integrity, Flexibility, Service, and Collaboration. We are committed to our team and our team is committed to our clients!

The Chef is directly responsible for the day-to-day nutritional management and meal planning for the clients while in treatment. Position provides leadership and oversight for food service operations ensuring a high level of quality and safety while meeting the nutritional needs of clients.

Relationships and Contacts

Within the organization: Maintains frequent and close working relationships with the dietetic team, leadership team members, therapeutic and direct care team members.

Outside the organization May initiate and maintain working relationships with food service vendors, as needed.

Position Responsibilities

Essential Responsibilities

1. Collaborates with clinical and dietetic team members to create individualized nutrition and meal plans based on nutritional status and dietary needs.
2. Sets weekly schedules for the clients as it relates to nutritional needs and will have input into the individual treatment plans.
3. Oversees purchasing, preparation, service, and cleanliness of all client-related food activities and food service areas.
4. Ensures kitchens and staff maintain compliance with all regulatory and health and food-related standards.
5. Approves menus and snacks for the clients and ensures the quality and quantity of food is appropriate.
6. Works closely with the dietary care specialist team, overseeing meal planning and preparation.
7. Creates and communicates meal plan modifications to accommodate dietary needs including food allergies.
8. Documents and communicates meal plans, supplementation, protocols and special dietary needs.
9. Consults with medical team members to ensure that the nutritional needs of individual clients are being met, as needed.
10. Educates and counsels clients to increase awareness of the importance of nutritionally balanced diets in achieving good health and recovery.
11. Provides leadership and supervision for the dietary care specialist team; provides oversite and guidance for meal and snack and portioning.
12. Provides nutritional consultation to clients and families based on individual dietary needs.
13. Support clients in the creation of meal plans, monitoring and evaluating meal plan compliance.
14. Collaborates with outpatient dietetic team to provide updates on progress and recommendations for discharge.
15. Conducts nutrition group, cooking group, and physical activity groups and individual sessions; participates in family days.
16. Completes proper documentation and charting in a timely manner.

Additional Responsibilities

1. Functions within the guidelines of the facility’s Code of Ethics and in accordance with corporate compliance.
2. Assists in promoting and ensuring that the mission, goals and objectives of the Company are understood and actively supported by the employees.
3. Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications related to the client population served.
4. Accomplishes organization mission by completing other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Education and Experience

Associates Degree in Foodservice Management or equivalent experience in a Food Management position. Position requires a minimum of 1 year of related experience in healthcare setting; clinical experience with eating disorders strongly preferred.

Physical Requirements

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to communicate with peers, clients and/or vendors.
• Job performance will require the ability to move throughout the building.
• Performs duties that require the employee to stand and walk for extended periods of time.
• May sit or remain stationary for periods of time.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to talk or hear, sit, stand, walk, reach, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, taste or smell
• Ability to move up to 25 pounds

What We offer

• Collaborative environment dedicated to clinical excellence
• Multiple Career Development Pathways
• Company Supported Continuing Education and Certification
• Multiple Health Plan Design Options Available
• Flexible Dental and Vision Plan Options
• 100% Company Paid EAP Emotional Well-Being Support
• 100% Company Paid Critical Illness (with health enrollment plan)
• 100% Company Paid Life and ADD
• 401K with Company Match
• Company-Sponsored HSA, FSA, and DSA Tax Savings Accounts
• Generous Team Member Referral Program
• Parental Leave

Other Requirements

• Position requires incumbent to have a valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance.
• CPR and First Aide certification
• [ serve safe state/ regulatory certifications ]

Skill Competencies

• Displays readiness to work with clients with eating disorders as evidenced by timeliness, dedication, and willingness to learn.
• Demonstrates a high level of customer service.
• Demonstrates a high attention to detail and organizational and prioritizing skills.
• Demonstrates proficiency in Microsoft Office 365.
• Welcomes and integrates feedback from team.
• Possesses a clear understanding of safety and security standards and the employee’s role within those standards.
• Demonstrates strong problem solving and analytical skills and the ability to use sound judgement.
• Demonstrates excellent verbal and written communication skills, while building and maintaining professional relationships.
• Demonstrates a strong belief in and commitment to the goals and mission of the Company.

Lifeskills South Florida provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, genetic information, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment. Lifeskills South Florida reserves the rights to modify, interpret, or apply this job description in any way the organization desires. This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties, including essential duties, to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities. This job description is not an employment contract, implied or otherwise. The employment relationship remains “At-Will.”