Tag: Employment

Kristen Irwin, RN, MSN: In the Spotlight

Here at RHA Health Services, we employ a diverse staff of compassionate, knowledgeable people that change lives across many states. Today, we have the privilege of sitting down with Kristen Irwin, a dedicated nurse with over 8 years of experience working at RHA who just received her master’s degree with a Capstone Certificate of Excellence. With her compassionate demeanor and wealth of knowledge, Kristen offers us a unique insight into the world of nursing – a role that stays at the heart of RHA’s healthcare system.  

Q: How did you decide to enter the field of nursing?  

Kristen Irwin: Before I entered the healthcare space, I was working in retail. I knew I always wanted to go into healthcare because I’ve always had the heart and the passion to help other people and an interest in the medical aspect of life and science.  

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your journey into nursing at RHA?  

Kristen: My first year with RHA, I was working in one of our medical residential homes in Knoxville, Tennessee, where they had nurses on staff 24/7 to support two individuals there. The people supported were where I found my calling. IDD became my passion and my career. Many of the other employees that worked in the home had been there for a while, and that really stood out to me. My supervisor in the beginning was a home manager and she was wonderful and willing to do whatever was needed to support me.  

Q: What is your role at RHA Health Services today?  

Kristen: When I earned my RN degree, I transitioned from working as an LPN at the medical residential home to a role at the Knoxville, Tennessee, clinical team office. It was an exciting transition for me as I had never been in a clinical team role or worked in an office setting before. The people that I supported in the medical residential home were sad to see me leave, but they told me that they were proud of me.   

It was really rewarding to be able to continue to advocate for them. Though I wasn’t providing direct care to them daily, I was able to learn how the clinical team works to help advocate for them from a corporate level. Overall, it was an exceptionally smooth transition and I had ample support.   

Q: What advice would you offer to aspiring nurses or those considering a career in healthcare?  

Kristen: If you are considering becoming a healthcare provider with RHA, know that you can change somebody’s life every day. You will be supported. There’s a wonderful team here and you will feel like you’re a part of a family. The culture speaks for itself, and our people’s lives are better because of RHA.  

Closing Thoughts: Embracing the Heart of Nursing  

Kristen’s insights remind us that nursing is not merely a job, but a deeply meaningful calling rooted in the desire to care for others during their most vulnerable moments. In the face of challenges both old and new, nurses embody resilience, empathy, and dedication. RHA Health Services are proud to employ healthcare providers, like Kristen Irwin. We are grateful for their unwavering dedication to healing, comfort, and care.  

 To learn more about the growth opportunities available at RHA Health Services, visit RHAJobs.com today.

Employee Spotlight: Celebrating RHA Team Leads at the Place Where Humans Bloom!

Carlina S. and Nicole K. are Team Leads in North Carolina who recently celebrated five years with RHA.

Carlina is a Peer Support & Bridge Home Team Lead for RHA along the coast of North Carolina. Carlina began her journey at RHA as a Qualified Professional on the Transitional Management Services team in New Bern, a role she filled for a little over three years before transitioning to her current role as Team Lead over the Peer Support Team almost two years ago. In her current role, Carlina has been an instrumental part in establishing two new Trillium Bridge Recovery Homes in Greenville, North Carolina. Under Carlina’s leadership, the programs have seen such impressive success and growth in the Community Peer Support team’s caseload that they were able to split the team into two community Peer Support teams – one serving Greenville and New Bern, and the other serving Craven, Carteret, Edenton, and Elizabeth City.

Carlina is admired by her coworkers and has been referred to by peers as a great example of a strategic leader.

Nicole K. is a Transitional Management Services (TMS) Team Lead, also located along the east coast of North Carolina. Since Nicole came on board five years ago, she has been instrumental in training leaders within the company — Carlina being one of them.

Nicole maintains a full caseload and is often the first point of contact by Trillium Health Resources when they have a new member who needs to be transitioned to a TMS team in the New Bern area. Nicole is reported as  willing to drop everything to see a new individual and get them started with services. Coworkers described Nicole as a leader that is invested in the wellbeing of people, and someone who would willingly sacrifice anything to help a person supported.

We are so grateful to have Nicole and Carlina at RHA, and for the work that they are doing to help people we support live their best lives.

Interested in joining our team? Visit rhajobs.com to view available positions near you.

We’re Hiring! – Talent Acquisition Lead Shares About RHA’s Open Positions

As we expand and evolve, RHA is always seeking to fill open positions. From business to operations to healthcare, we offer a variety of opportunities for all experience levels. 

RHA's Talent Acquisition Lead Amie Sevier

We reached out to Talent Acquisition Lead Amie Sevier to share more about her work, RHA, and what potential applicants should know. 

Q: Can you describe your role with RHA and overall industry experience?   

A: As the Talent Acquisition Lead, my role is to lead the Talent Acquisition/Recruitment team to attract and connect talent at RHA. We work with the Operations team to connect candidates with the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the people we serve across Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. I started in December 2020 as the first centralized Recruiter at RHA, and our team now has more than five members. I have 11 years of Recruitment experience in different industries, and I love having the opportunity to work with and hire passionate professionals! I love what I do because I am constantly learning from others, and I get to help develop and build the teams that stand behind our company.  

Q: What inspires you about your work with RHA? 

A: I am inspired by all we do for the community and the passion of our staff who work to provide opportunities for people to live more independent lives. I learn every day from the people at RHA, working in the community to make a difference by providing needed services I never knew existed. In Recruitment, we are inspired to keep doing what we do each day so RHA and all its great programs can keep providing for the communities we serve. 

Q: How would you describe RHA’s work culture and environment? 

A: RHA as a company is all about passion for the people we serve, and this shines through our staff. The Operations staff does everything they can to serve the unique needs of intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) services, mental health support services, and substance use services. Starting my job in 2020, I witnessed this passion when everyone came together to keep our services running as optimally as possible. 

Q: What kind of jobs are available with RHA? 

A: We have a little bit of everything at RHA, literally from hairdressers to psychiatrists! Most of our workforce are Direct Support Professionals, entry-level positions who provide care for the people we serve. These positions are 24/7, with a variety of schedules available, making them a great fit for someone in school or starting their career. We also have available positions in a variety of programs and services within the IDD and Behavioral Health space. My team and I like to say, if you are interested in working in one of the states we serve, we can find a job that suits your current needs and allows you to grow or “bloom” professionally at RHA. 

Q: What qualities and skills does RHA look for in potential candidates? 

A: We look for passion to support the people we serve, responsibility, innovation, a strong work ethic, and a teamwork mindset. 

Q: Why should someone apply to work with RHA? 

A: To state our tagline: At RHA, Where Humans Bloom, we give our staff the chance to grow and learn. If you want to make a difference in the lives of people living with intellectual/developmental disabilities or behavioral/mental health needs, there is a place for you at RHA. Explore the variety of services we provide to find the right fit for you and submit an application. We want to hear from you! 

Visit rhajobs.com or email careers@rhanet.org to learn more about available positions and apply now! 

RHA Employee Celebrates 11 Years at the Place #WhereHumansBloom!

Marianne T. is an RHA Business Manager in North Carolina who celebrated her 11-year anniversary with the company in July.

“I started working with the Foothills Service Center area in 1995. In the early 2000s, the company was vested and we wound up going through three new management companies in a matter of months, which caused drastic upset with the community of people we serve… In 2010 or 2011, RHA finally took over and I was committed to making sure that they were successful so that we could provide stability for the people we supported.”

Marianne began as a Business Manager with RHA, helping identify training opportunities, billing efficiencies, and other areas of improvement that could elevate the experience of the people supported at the Foothills Regional Treatment Center. Over the years, she has had the opportunity to work in a variety of roles supporting project management, office transitions, special projects, and more.

“I’ve always said if you need someone to break down a big project, give it to Marianne,” said Tina H. when complimenting Marianne on a recent position change. “You have stepped into your new position with a lot of thought and investigation. I appreciate how you have moved into it with such grace.”

“Marianne is quite the generous lady… She sewed all FRTC staff a personal cloth mask and in addition, delivered to the unit…. Thank you Marianne for caring for the RHA team,” Angela N. said after Marianne hand-sewed masks for staff members at the Foothills Regional Treatment Center during the height of COVID.

After eleven years with the company, Marianne says that there’s never been a dull day– and she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

“Every day is an adventure because every day we are figuring out how we’re going to make the next thing work successfully.” She said, “The thing about RHA is that the mindset is ‘we are going to do whatever it takes to succeed, and we are all going to do our best to make sure it does.’ And even when things don’t succeed, the people in charge come back and say, ‘Let’s look at this and figure out how to do it better next time.’ RHA just does not fail.”

Thank you, Marianne, for your commitment to RHA and the people we support!

Inspired by Marianne’s story? Visit rhajobs.com to learn more about available positions and apply now!

 

RHA Residential Team Lead in NC builds team through referrals!

Paris Capozziello is a Residential Team Leader with RHA’s disability services in Hendersonville, NC, who has recruited more than ten new employees to his team.

“I think I’ve had somewhere around 14 or 15 people [I’ve referred] come in for an interview,” Paris said. “I was in healthcare management prior to joining the RHA team and I had a very faithful staff. Some of them came with me just because they liked being under my management, but there are a lot of good things about RHA that brought people over as well.”

RHA offers several different referral incentive programs, which vary by location, but Paris shared that while the financial benefit of recruiting folks has certainly been an incentive, he is also just proud to bring people on board with RHA.

“I spent a lot of time explaining to each candidate that RHA is a good company to work for. [RHA] definitely shows employee appreciation, they care for their staff, and the management has proven that if there’s an issue they will actively listen and try to fix it.”

Thank you, Paris, for all that you do for the people we support, and for encouraging others to join the team at RHA!