Program Director - Veteran Services
Bachelor's
Master's
Program Director – Veteran Services
Employment Type: Full-Time
FLSA Classification: Exempt
Program: Veteran Connection and Suicide Prevention Program – SSG Fox SPGP
Reports To: Senior Director of Clinical Innovation
Location: Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties, Florida
Travel Requirements: Regular local travel throughout the service area
Compensation: $70,000 per year
FLSA Classification: Exempt
Program: Veteran Connection and Suicide Prevention Program – SSG Fox SPGP
Reports To: Senior Director of Clinical Innovation
Location: Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties, Florida
Travel Requirements: Regular local travel throughout the service area
Compensation: $70,000 per year
Position Overview
Want to lead a program where strong operations and strong relationships can genuinely change lives?
The Transition House, Inc. is seeking a collaborative, mission-driven Program Director to lead our Veteran Connection and Suicide Prevention Program. Funded through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, this community-based program helps Veterans and other eligible individuals connect with critical support before challenges become crises.
This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can turn a grant-funded vision into consistent, responsive services. You will guide a multidisciplinary team, strengthen partnerships with the VA and community providers, monitor program quality and performance, and make sure Veterans receive timely, respectful, and well-coordinated support.
The program primarily provides non-clinical suicide-prevention services to individuals who may be experiencing suicide risk or significant life stressors, including homelessness, housing instability, unemployment, financial hardship, justice involvement, behavioral health or substance-use concerns, family stress, social isolation, and disconnection from VA care.
Why Join The Transition House
At The Transition House, we believe strong teams create strong outcomes. Our work is centered on accountability, rehabilitation, and creating opportunities for individuals working toward stability and a stronger future.
Here, you will have the opportunity to:
- Lead a program with a clear and meaningful mission
- Build a team culture grounded in trust, accountability, and continuous learning
- Work alongside professionals who care deeply about Veterans and their families
- Strengthen partnerships across the VA, behavioral health, housing, reentry, and human-services systems
- Grow professionally while helping shape a developing program
- Work for an organization that values employee wellbeing as much as mission impact
What You Will Do
Lead the Program and Its People
- Provide overall leadership and day-to-day management of the SSG Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program.
- Supervise, coach, and develop Case Manager and 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.
Coordinate Veteran Services and Participant Safety
- 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.
Build Strong VA and Community Partnerships
- 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.
Drive Quality Performance and Compliance
- 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.
What You Bring
Education and Experience
- 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.
Knowledge Skills and Abilities
- 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.
Licenses and Certifications
- Valid driver’s license.
- Ability to travel throughout Orange and Osceola Counties and the surrounding service area.
Preferred Qualifications
We would especially like to meet candidates with one or more of the following:
- 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
Required Training and Competencies
The selected candidate must successfully complete required training and demonstrate competency in:
- Veteran and military culture
- SSG Fox eligibility, allowable services, and program requirements
- VA-required suicide-risk and mental-health or wellbeing screening tools
- Suicide warning signs, participant-safety procedures, and crisis escalation
- Veterans Crisis Line and 988 response procedures
- VA Suicide Prevention Coordinator referrals and warm handoffs
- Lethal-means safety and trauma-informed care
- Documentation and grant-reporting requirements
- HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2 when applicable, confidentiality, and mandatory reporting
Work Environment
This position primarily operates in a professional office environment and includes routine documentation, telephone and email communication, meetings, and extended computer-based work.
The Program Director will also participate in community meetings, outreach activities, and coordination with providers throughout the service area. The position involves regular interaction with employees, Veterans, families, community partners, VA representatives, and other stakeholders. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.
Schedule Expectations
This position generally operates during standard business hours. Program and participant needs may occasionally require schedule flexibility, including evenings or weekends, for urgent participant-safety matters, outreach events, community meetings, training, grant deadlines, or other time-sensitive responsibilities.
Benefits
Eligible employees may receive:
- Health insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Life insurance
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Paid time off
- Wellness days
- Professional-development assistance
- Employee discount programs
- Employee-referral incentives
- Flexible scheduling opportunities where operationally feasible
Our Culture
At The Transition House, employee mental health and wellbeing are priorities.
We work to create a culture of collaboration, accountability, professional growth, and balance between work and home life. We strive to provide our employees with the same supportive hand we extend to the people we serve.
When we invest in our team, we build a stronger organization—and create more meaningful, lasting outcomes for Veterans, families, and communities.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The Transition House, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.
Background Screening Requirement
Employment with The Transition House may require background screening through the Florida Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse.Applicants may obtain additional information at:
ADA Accommodation Statement
The Transition House is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the recruitment and employment process. Applicants who require an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process should contact Human Resources.