Kitchen Assistant - Part Time

THE LEAGUE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
JOB DESCRIPTION
Part-Time Kitchen Assistant - Medical Day Program

Department: Medical Day Program
Position Title: Kitchen Assistant
Employment Status: Part-Time Salary: $18.00 / Hourly
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Reports To: Manager
Location: The League for People with Disabilities
Position Type: On-Site
POSITION SUMMARY

The League for People with Disabilities is seeking a dependable, compassionate, and team-oriented Part-Time Kitchen Assistant to support daily food-service operations within the Medical Day Program.

The Kitchen Assistant is responsible for assisting with meal and snack preparation, kitchen sanitation, food storage, serving, inventory support, and maintaining a clean, organized, and safe kitchen environment. The employee works as part of an interdisciplinary team and contributes to an environment that promotes dignity, independence, choice, health, safety, and quality of life for individuals participating in the Medical Day Program.

The successful candidate will demonstrate professionalism, reliability, respect for individuals with disabilities, attention to detail, and the ability to follow established food-service, infection-control, sanitation, and safety procedures.

This position may interact with individuals who have physical, developmental, intellectual, sensory, communication, behavioral, or medical support needs. The employee must maintain appropriate professional boundaries and consistently treat every participant with dignity and respect.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Meal & Food Preparation

• Assist with preparing meals, snacks, beverages, and other food items according to established menus and instructions.
• Follow recipes, portion guidelines, dietary instructions, and food-service procedures.
• Assist with washing, cutting, measuring, preparing, heating, and plating food as assigned.
• Follow special dietary instructions and restrictions communicated by authorized Medical Day Program staff.
• Assist with preparation of modified-texture foods when trained and assigned to do so.
• Maintain awareness of food allergies, dietary restrictions, and other documented food-related requirements.
• Assist with setting up meal service areas before meals and cleaning areas following meal service.
• Ensure food is handled, stored, and served in accordance with applicable food-safety requirements.

Participant-Centered Meal Service

• Support a respectful and welcoming mealtime environment.
• Assist with serving meals and snacks according to established procedures.
• Respect participant preferences, choices, dignity, and independence whenever possible.
• Provide assistance with food-service activities only within the employee's assigned responsibilities and training.
• Communicate participant concerns regarding meals, dietary needs, allergies, or food-related issues to the appropriate supervisor or clinical/program staff.
• Never make independent medical, nutritional, or dietary decisions outside the employee's scope of responsibility.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding participant information.

Kitchen Sanitation & Food Safety

• Clean and sanitize food preparation areas, counters, equipment, utensils, dishes, and other kitchen surfaces.
• Wash dishes and kitchen equipment according to established procedures.
• Sweep, mop, and maintain kitchen floors and surrounding areas as assigned.
• Properly dispose of trash, food waste, and recyclable materials.
• Follow established procedures for preventing cross-contamination.
• Monitor and maintain appropriate food-storage practices.
• Assist with labeling and dating food items as required.
• Follow procedures for refrigeration, freezer storage, dry storage, and food rotation.
• Follow applicable health department, food safety, infection-control, and League policies.
• Immediately report food-safety concerns, damaged equipment, spills, pests, contamination, or other hazards to the supervisor.

Kitchen Organization & Inventory

• Assist with receiving, storing, and organizing food and kitchen supplies.
• Rotate food and supplies according to established procedures.
• Assist with inventory counts and identifying items that need replenishment.
• Maintain organized food-storage areas.
• Notify the supervisor when supplies are low or equipment requires attention.
• Assist with maintaining appropriate stock levels without unnecessary waste.

Safety & Infection Control

• Follow all League safety policies and procedures.
• Follow infection-control practices applicable to the Medical Day Program.
• Use appropriate personal protective equipment when required.
• Properly handle cleaning supplies and kitchen chemicals.
• Follow procedures for preventing slips, falls, burns, cuts, and other workplace injuries.
• Immediately report accidents, injuries, unsafe conditions, or potential hazards.
• Maintain awareness of participant safety while performing kitchen duties.
• Follow emergency procedures and participate in required emergency and safety training.

Teamwork & Communication

• Work cooperatively with Medical Day Program staff, direct-support staff, nursing/clinical personnel, supervisors, and other departments.
• Communicate respectfully and professionally with participants, families, visitors, coworkers, and leadership.
• Follow instructions from the supervisor and designated program leadership.
• Ask questions when instructions or procedures are unclear.
• Attend required staff meetings and training.
• Maintain reliable communication with the supervisor regarding scheduling, attendance, and workplace concerns.

Professional Conduct

• Demonstrate respect for the dignity, privacy, independence, and individuality of each participant.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
• Follow The League's policies, procedures, mission, and core values.
• Protect confidential participant and employee information.
• Maintain a professional appearance appropriate for a food-service environment.
• Demonstrate dependability, punctuality, accountability, and willingness to work as part of a team.
• Perform other duties consistent with the position and assigned by the supervisor.

THE LEAGUE'S CORE VALUES

The Kitchen Assistant is expected to support The League's commitment to:

Accountability - Working toward measurable goals and accepting responsibility for assigned duties.

Independence - Supporting individuals in making choices and developing independence.

Mutual Respect - Treating participants, families, coworkers, and community members with dignity and respect.

Participant Focus - Keeping the needs, preferences, safety, and quality of life of participants at the center of service delivery.

Quality - Providing dependable, professional, and high-quality services.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
• Previous experience in food service, kitchen operations, dietary services, healthcare, senior services, disability services, childcare, institutional dining, or a related environment preferred.
• Experience working with individuals with disabilities is preferred but not required.
• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions.
• Ability to work cooperatively with a multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated reliability and professional conduct.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to follow food-safety and sanitation procedures.
• Willingness to complete all required League training.

The League will consider qualified applicants who demonstrate the ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

The successful candidate should demonstrate the ability to:

• Follow recipes, menus, instructions, and established procedures.
• Safely handle food and kitchen equipment.
• Maintain a clean and sanitary work environment.
• Follow food-safety and infection-control requirements.
• Communicate effectively with individuals with varying communication styles and abilities.
• Demonstrate patience, professionalism, and respect.
• Work independently when appropriate and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Prioritize tasks in a busy program environment.
• Recognize and report safety concerns.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality.
• Adapt to changing program needs.
• Accept supervision and constructive feedback.
• Maintain dependable attendance and punctuality.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described below represent the general requirements of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be available for qualified individuals with disabilities.

The position may require the employee to:

• Stand and walk for portions of the workday.
• Sit as needed for administrative or training activities.
• Reach, bend, stoop, kneel, or crouch as required for routine kitchen duties.
• Use hands and fingers to operate kitchen equipment and utensils.
• Frequently perform repetitive hand and arm movements associated with food preparation, cleaning, dishwashing, and kitchen activities.
• Lift, carry, push, or pull food, supplies, dishes, or equipment within the limits of the employee's assigned duties and applicable safety procedures.
• Work around hot surfaces, food-preparation equipment, water, cleaning products, and other normal kitchen hazards while following required safety procedures.
• Maintain sufficient communication and sensory awareness to safely perform assigned duties, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Physical requirements will be evaluated based on the essential functions of the position and not on assumptions regarding an individual's disability.
WORK ENVIRONMENT

The employee will primarily work in a Medical Day Program kitchen and related program areas.

The work environment may include:

• Exposure to hot and cold temperatures associated with food preparation and storage.
• Exposure to kitchen noise and normal food-service activity.
• Frequent interaction with participants and staff.
• Use of commercial or institutional kitchen equipment.
• Exposure to cleaning and sanitizing products in accordance with established safety procedures.
• Potential exposure to bodily fluids or communicable illnesses in a healthcare/day-program environment; appropriate infection-control procedures and training will be provided.

DDA & PERSON-CENTERED SERVICE EXPECTATIONS

Because this position supports individuals receiving services in a disability-services environment, the Kitchen Assistant is expected to:

• Promote participant dignity, choice, independence, and self-direction.
• Avoid making assumptions about a participant's abilities or limitations.
• Communicate directly with participants whenever appropriate.
• Support individuals according to their established plans, dietary requirements, and assigned support procedures.
• Respect personal preferences and cultural considerations related to meals whenever those preferences can be accommodated within program requirements.
• Report concerns regarding participant safety, nutrition, dietary compliance, or changes in condition to the appropriate staff member.
• Follow all applicable DDA and League requirements governing participant rights, safety, confidentiality, and quality of services.
• Participate in required training related to participant rights, abuse/neglect reporting, incident reporting, emergency procedures, and other applicable compliance requirements.

ADA & REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION STATEMENT

The League for People with Disabilities is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with disabilities.

The essential functions, qualifications, and physical demands listed in this job description are intended to describe the position's general requirements and are not intended to exclude qualified individuals with disabilities.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of the position , unless doing so would create an undue hardship or fundamentally alter an essential function of the position.

Applicants and employees who require reasonable accommodation during the application process or employment should contact Human Resources.

Employment decisions are based on qualifications, job-related requirements, organizational needs, and applicable law.
COMPLIANCE & TRAINING

The selected candidate may be required to successfully complete applicable pre-employment and/or employment requirements, which may include:

• New-hire orientation.
• Food-safety and sanitation training.
• Infection-control training.
• Bloodborne pathogens training, as applicable.
• Participant rights training.
• Abuse, neglect, exploitation, and reporting training.
• Emergency preparedness and safety training.
• HIPAA/confidentiality training, as applicable.
• CPR/First Aid, if required by the position or program.
• Other League, DDA, regulatory, or program-specific training.

Training requirements may be updated based on applicable regulations, program needs, or The League's policies.
PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

Successful performance in this position includes:

• Reliable attendance and punctuality.
• Safe and sanitary food handling.
• Consistent adherence to established kitchen procedures.
• Respectful interaction with participants.
• Timely communication of concerns.
• Proper maintenance of kitchen cleanliness and organization.
• Compliance with League policies and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Effective teamwork and communication.
• Commitment to participant dignity, independence, safety, and quality of life.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The League for People with Disabilities is an equal opportunity employer. The League is committed to providing employment opportunities without unlawful discrimination and to maintaining a workplace that respects the dignity and contributions of all qualified employees and applicants.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, or working conditions. Duties and responsibilities may be modified as organizational and program needs change.