Connor Simmons serves as Nursing Director at The Retreat at Orange County, overseeing nursing care across the detox and residential programs.
His career in behavioral health began in 2018 as a mental health worker and behavioral health technician. Over the years, he worked in a range of operational and client-facing roles before becoming a registered nurse in 2025.
That background matters to Connor. Before leading the nursing department, he had already spent years learning how treatment works day to day and how the different members of a treatment team support a client throughout their stay.
Today, he combines that experience with his nursing education to oversee a team that provides licensed nursing coverage 24 hours a day.
“The level of care goes up when it’s specialized.”
Connor entered nursing after already establishing a career in behavioral health and substance use treatment.
Working directly with clients first gave him a perspective that has stayed with him as his responsibilities have grown.
He has worked across much of the operational side of treatment and understands the roles of behavioral health technicians, nursing, case management, clinical staff, and medical providers.
As Nursing Director, that experience helps him look at client care as a whole rather than from the nursing perspective alone. It also shapes how he approaches staff training, policies, procedures, and communication between departments.
Connor is currently continuing his education through the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at California State University, San Bernardino.
Connor oversees the nursing team supporting clients throughout detox and residential treatment.
The Retreat provides licensed nursing coverage around the clock, with Connor serving as the registered nurse overseeing nursing operations.
His role keeps him closely involved in the medical side of each client’s stay, from the initial nursing assessment through detox and into residential care.
Nursing staff monitor clients, administer medications as ordered, complete withdrawal assessments when appropriate, and communicate directly with the medical providers involved in treatment.
For Connor, good nursing care comes down to knowing the client and paying attention to the details.
He stays closely familiar with clients’ medications, medical histories, current needs, and progress throughout treatment. That hands-on approach is a reflection of the years he spent working directly with clients before becoming an RN.
Connor understands that the medical side of detox can be one of the biggest concerns for someone entering treatment.
Clients may arrive worried about withdrawal, sleep, medications, appetite, anxiety, or simply not knowing what the next few days will feel like. His goal is to make sure those concerns are taken seriously.
Nursing works closely with The Retreat’s medical team, led by Medical Director Eric Chaghouri, MD, who is double board-certified in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine.
Because nursing staff are present throughout the day and night, they can communicate changes to medical providers and help make sure a client’s physical health remains part of the conversation throughout treatment.
“I want clients to walk away saying that their medical needs were met and their expectations were exceeded—that the fear and barrier to getting sober was completely taken care of by the retreat.”
For Connor, that is what the nursing department is there to do: help clients feel medically supported so they can focus on recovery.
“The most rewarding part is when a client graduates and they are a completely different version of themselves physically. The light is back.”
That change is bigger than getting through withdrawal. It can mean sleeping again, feeling physically stronger, having medications addressed, developing a plan for ongoing health needs, and being able to put more energy toward recovery.
Connor sees nursing as one part of the larger team that helps make that possible.
Outside of work, Connor spends most of his time with his wife and family. He loves being outdoors in Orange County, cheers on the Dodgers and Rams, and plays left field in a men’s softball league.
When he talks to people who are nervous about entering treatment, his message is simple: “You’re supposed to feel nervous and scared because it is not an easy thing to do. But that’s why we’re here; you’re not supposed to do that alone.”
That belief shapes how he works at The Retreat, where he wants every client to know a full team is ready to support them through the whole process.
