Homeless Outreach team member Tracey tends to a homeless individual in Center City Philadelphia on Wednesday, June 25, 2025.

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In recognition of May as National Nurses Month, Horizon House will be introducing you to a few of our Agency’s outstanding nurses who use their extensive skills to help keep our participants healthy, safe and thriving.

Today, we’d like you to meet Jackie, a Nurse Healthcare Coordinator for Horizon House’s Developmental Services division, who helps care for 35 of our participants.

Jackie joined Horizon House only about 18 months ago, but has already formed bonds with both the participants she serves and her colleagues alike. “My favorite part of my job is spending time with the participants and getting to know them as individuals,” she said. Coming from previous roles where she felt “micromanaged,” she feels working in an environment where she can contribute autonomously while providing guidance and focused care has become one of the most rewarding aspects of her new role at Horizon House.

When asked what her daily activities include, Jackie explained that her responsibilities vary depending on the specific needs of each person, but one can typically find her “participating in interdisciplinary care meetings, reviewing medical appointment information, updating participant lifetime medical histories, facilitating trainings for new hires and annual trainings for staff, assisting in care planning and management, providing on-call telephonic triage and completing site visits to ensure participant care needs are being met.”

Jackie truly feels Horizon House is a special place to work. “Horizon House is patient-centered and prioritizes participant needs, health, and happiness above all else,” she said.

As she thinks about her future career path, Jackie feels all the ingredients are here to have a long and successful career at Horizon House.

“This is somewhere you can actually prioritize patient care and visibly see that the work you do is positively impacting someone’s life. I couldn’t have asked for a better organization to support my career goals and work-life balance.”

Interested in a rewarding nursing career at Horizon House? You can view our openings here: https://www.hhinc.org/career-opportunities/

In recognition of May as National Nurses Month, Horizon House will be introducing you to a few of our Agency’s outstanding nurses who use their extensive skills to help keep our participants healthy, safe and thriving.

Today, we’d like you to meet Victoria, a Registered Nurse at Old Baltimore Pike, a group home in Delaware that serves individuals who have been diagnosed with mental illnesses. 

How would you describe Old Baltimore Pike and the work you do there as a Registered Nurse?
“We’re a group home and we currently serve six participants who have been diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness. I help the participants here manage a lot of things and manage their essential day-to-day needs. I work with them on their mental health symptoms, collaborate with their psychiatrists, manage medications, answer any physical health concerns and really do anything else I can to help them meet their personal recovery goals. Because that’s what we’re here for – to help them achieve goals they may have thought were out of reach.

“I act as an advocate as well. I sit with participants through most, if not all, of their appointments and help relay symptoms and what they have been feeling. Anything that can help the participants advance their recoveries to the next level, that’s what I do.”

What attracted you to the field of psych nursing and to Horizon House in particular?
“When I was in school and then coming out of school, I always knew psych nursing was what I wanted to do. I wasn’t too keen on the inpatient world and I just felt like the psych world was where I could truly make a difference as a nurse. I actually started as a psych major in school before switching to nursing, but that interest never left. I’ve always had that desire to help the mental health community and break that negative stigma around it.

“Horizon House is the perfect place to do that and the perfect place for me. I felt that when I interviewed here. I actually interviewed for a position on a different Horizon House team in Delaware but even then I felt like this was the right spot for my professional goals. Working with these participants and in this community is so rewarding to me. We develop strong therapeutic relationships with participants and those bonds don’t go away. It’s a great feeling to see them progress and achieve their goals and you know you helped them along the way.”

What would you say to a nurse who may be considering the psych field but isn’t sure yet?
“The honest truth is that it definitely takes a certain type of person to be able to do this kind of work. You can’t come into this with those stigmas or preconceived notions of mental health. Come into this with an open mind and really get to know the people you serve because they really are great people who just need our help.”

What has been the most special part of being a nurse at Horizon House?

“You make lasting bonds here with participants and those are truly special. There is an incredible environment of collaboration here at Horizon House. Nurses, participants, clinicians, psychiatrists, admin staff – we all work together as one to reach goals. And all us, we all work together to help participants reach their goals. The environment to succeed professional and personally is here.”

Interested in a rewarding nursing career at Horizon House? You can view our openings here: https://www.hhinc.org/career-opportunities/

In recognition of May as National Nurses Month, Horizon House will be introducing you to a few of our Agency’s outstanding nurses who use their extensive skills to help keep our participants healthy, safe and thriving.

Today, we’d like you to meet Kebeh, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for two Developmental Services participants in Philadelphia.

Kebeh joined Horizon House close to three years ago and was drawn to the Agency’s service model and mission. “I admire Horizon House because they give participants their independence and develop their life skills through reintegration,” she explained. She adds that not only is Horizon House dedicated to enriching the lives of the participants it serves, but the Agency is also committed to connecting its staff to valuable trainings and health and wellness activities that most organizations neglect to promote.

When asked what her daily activities include, Kebah explained that when she arrives each morning, she assesses both participants she serve to gauge the state both are in. She takes their vital signs, asks if they are experiencing any pain and administers medications and treatments. Kebeh also manages their doctor appointments and ensures medication records follow physicians’ orders. One participant needs more supportive help than the other, and Kebeh is happy to provide that care when needed.

Kebeh feels Horizon House is a very special place to work. Being from a different country that condoned people sharing their emotions, Kebeh appreciates working for an employer who cares, listens, and provides the platform for everyone to be heard – staff and participants alike.

“I love working at Horizon House because I am part of a process that truly advocates for the participants we serve,” she said. “They have a voice here at Horizon House, and I am proud to work for an organization that speaks for those who can’t speak for themselves.”

Interested in a rewarding nursing career at Horizon House? You can view our openings here: https://www.hhinc.org/career-opportunities/

In recognition of May as National Nurses Month, Horizon House will be introducing you to a few of our Agency’s outstanding nurses who use their extensive skills to help keep our participants healthy, safe and thriving.

Today, we’d like you to meet Susan, a Registered Nurse at Robbins Bower, a crisis residential program that is part of our Behavioral Health Services division in Lehigh County.

Can you describe what a nurse at Robbins Bower is responsible for and what your daily activities include?
“Everything differs on any given day. That’s part of the beauty of the job, right? It’s a little bit of everything. Participants and staff come to me with any medical questions. I make sure medications are available and accurate.

“We’re a short-term location with our participants spending usually up to 10 days with us. When a participant comes in, I do a full health assessment within the first 24 hours. We go over medications and then I facilitate having the participant see a doctor within 48 hours.”

When did you start with Horizon House and how did you learn about the Agency?
“I’ve been a nurse since 1980. I worked at Allentown State Hospital until it closed in 2010. During the closure, a Horizon House staff member reached out saying she had a site looking for a nurse. I was familiar with Horizon House having also previously worked for a similar organization. I jumped at the opportunity to work with this population in this area.

“I’ve been with Horizon House over 15 years now and it’s just been a wonderful place to work. I love the people I work with. I love the participants I work with. This is a special place that supports you in a number of ways with special people here. I love helping others. I don’t take any of that for granted.”

Did you always see yourself working with the vulnerable populations we serve? How did you find your way into this field?
“I always wanted to work with people with psych needs. I was always interested in psych and it’s all I’ve ever done. I’m passionate about it. We do things in the community to raise awareness. We take part in conferences. We are a part of community groups. We do things to keep participants engaged. And it’s rewarding to see all of that. Mental health has always been my passion.

“Sometimes, it can feel like nurses can be hesitant to get into the psych field because there’s nothing concrete about the treatment. It’s not like dealing with a broken bone where there are universal ways to treat it. Everyone we serve in this field is different. There is a much larger gray area in this field with how you treat someone depending on what their needs are. But I would always encourage someone to try it. You truly get to take care of the whole person.”

What does your work mean to you?
“I love being a nurse. I absolutely love it and I can’t ever picture myself doing anything else. I just love helping others. I love our participants and they mean the world to me. They could well be the most underserved population in this area and it means everything to be able to work with them. I just can’t imagine not being a nurse.”