Program Director - Veteran Services

The Transition House•Kissimmee, FL

21h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Transition House, Inc. is seeking a collaborative, mission-driven Program Director to lead its Veteran Connection and Suicide Prevention Program. This program, funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, aims to connect Veterans and eligible individuals with critical support before challenges escalate into crises. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring the ability to translate a grant-funded vision into consistent, responsive services. The Program Director will guide a multidisciplinary team, foster partnerships with the VA and community providers, oversee program quality and performance, and ensure Veterans receive timely, respectful, and well-coordinated support. The program focuses on non-clinical suicide-prevention services for individuals facing various stressors, including homelessness, unemployment, financial hardship, justice involvement, behavioral health or substance-use concerns, family stress, social isolation, and disconnection from VA care.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in social work, counseling, psychology, human services, healthcare administration, public administration, criminal justice, nonprofit management, or a related field; or significant relevant experience managing human-services, Veteran-services, behavioral-health, homelessness, housing, reentry, or community-based programs.
Supervisory experience or demonstrated success managing program operations, employee performance, documentation, and contractual or regulatory requirements.
Experience coordinating services across multiple community systems.
Experience working with people experiencing complex psychosocial needs.
Strong leadership, coaching, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining attention to participant safety, service quality, and documentation.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to interpret grant requirements and translate them into practical workflows and staff expectations.
Comfort reviewing program data, documentation, performance measures, and quality trends.
Ability to build effective relationships with Veterans, employees, VA partners, community providers, and organizational leadership.
Sound judgment, professionalism, discretion, and respect for confidential information.
Valid driver’s license.
Ability to travel throughout Orange and Osceola Counties and the surrounding service area.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a related field
Experience managing a VA-funded or federally funded program
Experience with Veteran services, GPD, SSVF, HUD-VASH, or other VA or community Veteran programs
Experience in suicide prevention, behavioral health, homelessness, housing, or justice and reentry services
Experience with grant-performance monitoring, federal reporting, quality assurance, or continuous quality improvement
Knowledge of military culture and Veteran-specific service delivery

Responsibilities

Provide overall leadership and day-to-day management of the SSG Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program.
Supervise, coach, and develop Case Managers, Veteran Navigators, Veteran Peer Support Specialists, Veteran Community Outreach and Reentry staff, Family Peer Support staff, and other assigned team members.
Conduct individual supervision, team meetings, case consultation, performance reviews, and ongoing staff development.
Implement the approved program model, staffing plan, workflows, policies, procedures, and grant-performance expectations.
Promote a Veteran-centered, trauma-informed, strengths-based, respectful, and recovery-oriented culture.
Monitor program capacity, caseload distribution, staff workload, participant flow, and timely access to services.
Maintain effective workflows for outreach, referral, eligibility screening, enrollment, service planning, case management, peer support, family engagement, warm handoffs, crisis escalation, discharge, and follow-up.
Ensure Veterans are identified, screened, enrolled, connected with appropriate services, and supported throughout program participation.
Complete required training and demonstrate competency in VA-required suicide-risk and mental-health or wellbeing screening tools.
Conduct required screenings when needed to support participant access, urgent situations, staff coverage, or program capacity.
Review elevated-risk cases and ensure timely follow-up, escalation, documentation, and continuity of care.
Ensure a same-day response when a participant presents with elevated or imminent suicide risk.
Oversee warm handoffs to VA Suicide Prevention Coordinators, the Veterans Crisis Line or 988, mobile crisis teams, emergency departments, EMS, and other appropriate providers.
Serve as the program’s primary operational liaison with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Maintain regular communication with VA Suicide Prevention Coordinators, homeless-services teams, HUD-VASH teams, social workers, behavioral health personnel, benefits staff, and other VA partners.
Build referral relationships with Veteran-serving organizations, hospitals, housing providers, behavioral health programs, county agencies, workforce organizations, legal-service providers, jails, correctional institutions, and probation or reentry partners.
Participate in community meetings, case conferences, outreach initiatives, and Veteran-service coordination activities.
Identify service gaps and develop new partnerships or referral pathways to better support Veterans and their families.
Monitor progress toward outreach, screening, enrollment, referral, engagement, and participant-outcome goals.
Review program-performance data at least monthly and use the results to strengthen service delivery.
Monitor the accuracy and timeliness of eligibility screenings, risk screenings, assessments, individualized service plans, referrals, warm handoffs, progress notes, and other required records.
Conduct or coordinate chart reviews, case reviews, quality-assurance activities, corrective-action plans, and participant-outcome monitoring.
Maintain working knowledge of SSG Fox program requirements, participant eligibility standards, approved activities, and allowable services.
Collaborate with the Senior Director of Clinical Innovation on participant safety, risk trends, staff training, service quality, and evidence-informed practices.
Coordinate with Finance and agency leadership regarding staffing allocations, budget utilization, and grant compliance.
Assist with VA reports, monitoring activities, corrective actions, site visits, and grant reviews.
Maintain compliance with HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2 when applicable, mandatory-reporting requirements, participant-confidentiality standards, and organizational policies.