Social Practitioner – Culinary

Club Nova is an intentional community practicing the Clubhouse Model of Psychiatric Rehabilitation for adults living with serious mental illness in Orange County, NC. Our Clubhouse offers opportunities for meaningful work, education, employment, social connections, housing, nutritious meals, wellness activities, and civic engagement. Club Nova members and staff work together, side by side, completing all the work necessary to operate the Clubhouse. Members actively participate in decision making by consensus regarding governance, policy making, and the future direction of Club Nova.

Position Summary:

A modern commercial capacity kitchen is a central part of our new Clubhouse and provides the central workspace of the Culinary Unit. Engage individuals with serious mental illness in the daily work of the Culinary Unit, which serves an average of 1000 meals a month. Provide leadership, guidance, and ensure all the tasks and responsibilities associated with the Culinary Unit are addressed by working together with members. Assume a generalist role focused on individual members’ goals and strengths, utilizing member skills and talents, providing advocacy, employment, housing, education, outreach, and social opportunities.

Essential Job Functions:

• Organize workflow while working side-by-side with members, conveying a sense of urgency, to produce healthy and well-rounded meals.
• Assume the bottom-line responsibility for daily breakfast, lunch, twice-a-week dinners, and special events.
• Work collaboratively with Club Nova members in the Culinary Unit.
• Assume responsibility for maintaining a high level of safety, cleanliness, sanitation, and organization in the kitchen by motivating, teaching, and engaging members in these responsibilities. Evaluate and improve systems as needed to increase engagement and success in meeting environmental health standards, including annual health department inspection.
• Ensure the financial stability of the culinary operation, including purchasing food, provisions, and janitorial supplies, managing the cash register, reconciliation, meal sales, and invoice creation.
• Collaborate with members to create menus with nutritious, tasty, and diverse meals. Maintain flexibility in menus to make use of locally donated produce within one week’s time. Adapt meals as necessary for special diets.
• Collaborate with members to maintain garden including organizing seasonal plantings, weeding, watering, harvesting, and composting.
• Identify opportunities and prepare applications alongside Administrative Unit for grants to support culinary, garden, and wellness program needs.
• Maintain and develop new partnerships with community agencies including Farmer Foodshare, Farmers’ Markets, etc. to secure local produce.
• Engage with a group of individuals requiring encouragement, goal planning, assessment, and documentation through weekly progress notes.
• Think creatively to constantly improve and enrich the inner-workings of the unit, and develop and promote wellness programming.
• Create and support a meaningful dining experience that reflects dignity and respect with presentation, attention to detail, and appearance of Dining Room.
• Follow food safety standards and guidelines.

Minimum Education, Experience, and Other Requirements:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a health, human services, public health, occupational therapy, culinary arts, nutrition, social work, or related field. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Implement requirements of our Climate Action Grant through accelerating and expanding the following: plant-based diet, food waste reduction plan, composting, growing our own vegetables and herbs, increasing local purchasing, recycling, utilizing reusable products, and limiting one time use items.

Valid NC driver's license required/must be insurable.

Ability to travel locally, regionally, or out of state for training.

Must be able to bend, stoop, lift, and stand for extended periods. Ability to lift and carry 25 pounds.

COVID-19 Considerations:

Club Nova works with individuals with serious health conditions and at high risk for serious complications from COVID-19. In order to minimize the risks, we require full vaccination for employees. Masks may be required indoors at times.

Preferred Qualifications:

Strong preference for experience working with adults living with serious mental illness and knowledge of or training in Clubhouse Model.

Previous experience in a culinary role is preferred with knowledge of basic food preparation techniques and understanding of food safety practices.

Qualified applicants will have the ability to improvise meals from scratch for 30 or more people at a time; a strong interest in seasonal, healthy foods; strong organizational and communication skills including oral and written communication; ability to handle emergencies calmly and effectively; patience, sensitivity, and compassion; keen attention to details; ability to stay calm and organized in a changing environment; strong problem solving skills, ability to shift priorities as needed, and work well on a team;

Preference for status as a NC Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP).

Schedule Requirements: Monday-Friday, typically 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, with rotating evening and weekend social coverage.

Ability to travel out of state for two weeks to participate in Comprehensive Clubhouse Training.

If you have a passion for working with adults living with serious mental illness and utilizing the culinary arts as rehabilitation, we encourage you to apply.

Applying: Please submit a resumeand cover letter. In your cover letter, please directly address our mission, indicating why you are a good match for this specific position and working with adults living with serious mental illness at Club Nova. Provide brief philosophy on nutrition.

Submit references. Three references must be from supervisors.

After initial screening, qualified applicants will be required to complete a full application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

For more information, visit our website at clubnova.org

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Club Nova Community, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran.

Limitations and Disclaimer:

The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties requested by their supervisor in compliance with Federal and State Laws.

All job requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Some requirements may exclude individuals that pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or others.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $36,000.00 - $50,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) Matching
• Health Insurance (Club Nova Covers 70%)
• Dental Insurance (Club Nova Covers 70%)
• Vision Insurance (Club Nova Covers 70%)
• Disability Insurance (Club Nova Covers 70%)
• Paid Sick and Annual Leave
• Paid Holidays

Shift:

• 8 Hour Shift

Weekly Day Range:

· Monday to Friday

· Rotating evening and weekends

Ability to Relocate:

· Carrboro, NC 27510: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location:

· In person

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $36,000.00 - $50,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Disability insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid sick time
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Shift:

• 8 hour shift

Weekly day range:

• Monday to Friday
• Rotating weekends

Experience:

• mental health: 1 year (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Carrboro, NC 27510 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Carrboro, NC 27510: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person