Registered Nurse Health

Connie Harrah, RN, BSN

**** ***** ***** **. #**** Garden city Id 83714

530-***-**** e-mail ******@***********.***

Career Profile and Qualifications

Dedicated registered nurse (RN) with specialty experience in

psychiatric - mental health nursing. Developed strong

psychiatric-evaluation and treatment-planning skills while

working three years as the Assistant Director of Nursing at a

Psychiatric Hospital. Knowledge of psychotropic medication

administration, management and training. Extensive

knowledge of federal and state regulatory requirements: Title

9, Title 22 and Welfare and Institutions Code of California.

Extensive experience writing staff performance evaluations

and disciplinary actions involving government and unions.

Implementation and reorganization of new and ongoing

departments within the agency in order to provide optimal

service and quality of care.

Reliable, ethical healthcare provider with ability to stay calm

and intervene during crises, to facilitate groups and

educational seminars, and to collaborate on multidisciplinary

teams. Proven ability to build positive relationships with

patients, family members, physicians, other medical

professionals, community members and similar statewide

mental health agencies throughout the State of California.

Work Experience

Outpatient Nursing/Crisis Stabilization Services

Clinical Division Chief

5/2001-11/2010. Shasta County Health and Human Services

Agency, Mental Health, Alcohol & Drug Department,

Redding, CA

Currently assigned oversight and management of Adult and

Youth Outpatient Nursing Staff, Access Team Staff, as well

as the 24/7 Crisis Stabilization Services (CSS) Unit with

approximately 35 multidisciplinary staff assigned to the CSS;

with a total of 50 staff, including registered nurses, under my

supervision.

Served as the Assistant Director of Nursing at Shasta County

Psychiatric Hospital from May of 2001 to July of 2004.

Since the closure of the hospital, I have held increasingly

responsible management positions. Shasta County Mental

Health transitioned from a delivery system of providing

Connie Harrah, RN, BSN ******@********.*** Page 2

inpatient psychiatric hospital services to a series of

community collaborative systems to provide emergency

mental health services. Continuously challenged to develop

new operations, systems, and processes to meet patient

demand while enhancing quality of care with decreasing staff

support all within budget-constraints.

Key Accomplishments

Restructured Shasta County Mental Health’s

state and federally mandated Quality

Improvement, Managed Care and Compliance

Program. Planned and implemented new

policies and procedures and a new federally

mandated compliance plan and program.

Crisis Response System – Planned,

implemented and managed a 24/7 Crisis

Response System upon closure of the Shasta

Psychiatric Hospital. Managed a team of 12 full-

time multidisciplinary staff; including Registered

Nurses, Licensed Clinical Social Workers,

Marriage and Family Therapists, and various

other support personnel. In addition, also

managed 30 on-call multidisciplinary employees.

Crisis Stabilization Services – Planned,

implemented, certified and managed a

community collaborated, state certified four-bed

unit for individuals with acute mental health

concerns. Managed a team of 12 full-time staff;

including Registered Nurses, Licensed Clinical

Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists,

and various other support personnel. In

Addition, also managed 30 on-call

multidisciplinary employees.

Organizational Development & Leadership Accomplishments

Department Reorganization - Key player in the integration and restructuring of outpatient

services as the agency reorganized to accommodate reduced state and federal funding,

requiring the agency to redefine its target population and restructure essential services that the

agency could financially provide under the state Managed Care Contract.

Clinical Work Station (CWS) Development Projects – Worked in cooperation with IT

Departmental staff to design and implement a new electronic clinical work station with

continuous monitoring of state and federally mandated requirements. Assisted with various

other associate IT development projects.

Policies and Procedures – Continuous and ongoing establishment of county policies and

procedures to align with new state and federal regulations, documentation standards managed

care and compliance activities, problem resolution and overall responsibility writing and

maintaining department policies and procedures.

Departmental Committees

Medical Systems of Care Committee

Adult and Children’s Services Committee

Weekly Clinical Care Meetings

Disaster Response Committee

Administration Weekly Meeting

Bi-Monthly Budget Meeting

State and Regional Committees

California Compliance Committee

Northern California Quality Improvement

Connie Harrah, RN, BSN ******@********.*** Page 3

California Quality Improvement Committee

Adjunct Professor of Psychology

6/2011 – Simpson University, Redding, CA

Online class in Psychopharmacology to Master Level students enrolled in Marriage and

Family Therapists curriculum.

Consultant for Plan and Design of Crisis Stabilization Unit

10/2010 – O.N. Nwangburuka, M.D., Sacramento, CA

Mercy Medical Center, Redding CA

1999-2001 Telemetry/Cardiac Nurse

Responsible for total care of the acute MI patient, pre- and post- angiogram, angioplasty and

cardiac surgery patients. Performed multi-system assessment, respiratory and cardiovascular

emergencies and EKGs and laboratory value interpretation. Responsible for supervision of

other licensed and unlicensed personnel and precepting new employees.

Redding Specialty Hospital, Redding CA

1997-1999 Staff Nurse

Accountable for a group of patients in transitional care and/or psychiatric/substance unit.

Provided medical/psychiatric assessments, medication education and nursing services.

Collaborated with other health team members to meet the biophysical, bio-psychosocial and

rehabilitative needs of the patients. Supervised the clinical activities of the CAN/MHW and

nursing support personnel.

Southern Oregon Home Health Care, Brookings, OR

1995-1997 Staff Nurse

Assess, plan, implement and evaluate nursing care in the home health care setting.

Incorporate pertinent information from patient and families and other health care providers into

the plan, making adjustments based on complexities and dynamics of the patient’s place of

residence.

Connie Harrah, RN, BSN ******@********.*** Page 4

Del Norte Community Health Clinic, Crescent City, CA

1995-1997 Staff Nurse

Worked directly with an assigned Clinic Physician’s Assistant for scheduled patients on a day-

to-day basis. Responsibilities included well baby checks, injections, various children and

adult ailments and preventative medicine procedures.

Licenses/Certificates

California Registered Nurse (license #: available upon request)

California Public Health Nurse (license #: available upon request)

Memberships

Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA), National Association

Education

MSN – Nursing; Chico State University (expected completion: Summer 2012)

BSN – Nursing; Simpson College (2010)

ADN – Nursing; Shasta College (1999)

AA – General Education; Shasta College (1998)

LVN – College of the Redwoods (1994)

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