Vice President of Health & Social Services Greater San Diego, CA Area

Description

Job Title: Vice President of Health & Social Services

Reports To: President/CEO

FLSA Status: Exempt

Department: Health & Social Services

Classification: E

Who We Are

Established in 1970, Serving Seniors helps San Diego County’s low-income seniors overcome poverty through whole-person, wraparound support including meals, housing, health and social services, and enrichment activities. We work at numerous sites across the county and in the homes of hundreds of homebound seniors. Our flagship Gary & Mary West Senior Wellness Center in downtown San Diego is unlike any other senior center in the nation. Bringing together a range of supportive services under one roof, the Senior Wellness Center operates 365 days a year and offers two floors of integrated care, including health and social services, housing navigation, enrichment activities, lifelong learning, a Cyber Café and linkage to over 25 onsite direct service partners, including a senior dental center. Last fiscal year, we provided over 1.1 million meals and coordinated services to over 14,000 older adults.

Our Mission: Helping seniors in poverty live healthy and fulfilling lives.

Our Vision: All seniors, regardless of income, are able to thrive, engage in their communities, lead purposeful lives, and have a place they call home.

Our Core Values:

Advocacy - Acknowledging and supporting the needs of older adults at the individual, community, and policy-level.

Person-Centered - Seeing the whole person, providing coordinated support, and treating all with dignity and respect.

Integrity – Representing the values of honesty, trust, and transparency within our community.

Compassion & Empathy – Approaching our work with a heartfelt desire to better understand and serve.

Impact – Measuring and evaluating programs to ensure that for every dollar invested, there is a positive impact in the lives of those we serve.

Inclusive – Promoting an environment that nurtures differences and allows individuals to be their entire, authentic selves.

Top Workplace Award Recipient

Serving Seniors has received the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Top Workplaces Award twelve out of the thirteen years the awards program has taken place, and most recently for six years in a row from 2019-2025.

Job Purpose

The Vice President of Health & Social Services provides strategic and operational leadership for Serving Seniors' health and social service programs, including social services, homelessness services, supportive housing, case management, health education, and wellness programs.

The VP builds institutional expertise by translating current evidence and practice knowledge into shared standards, practical guidance, and staff capabilities across HSS and, in partnership with other department leaders, across the organization.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, the VP provides professional social work leadership and strengthens Serving Seniors' response to the increasingly complex behavioral health and psychosocial needs of older adults, particularly those experiencing homelessness, housing instability, social isolation, trauma, cognitive challenges, substance use, and other barriers to stability and well-being.

The VP directly supervises HSS Program Managers, strengthens coordination and staff development across programs, and serves as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to organizational strategy, program development, partnerships, and priorities.

Requirements

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for Health & Social Services programs, including homelessness services, supportive housing, case management, social services, health education, and related wellness initiatives.
• Directly supervise HSS Program Managers and establish clear expectations, accountability, and coordination across programs.
• Provide strong leadership to managers and staff, fostering collaboration, accountability, professional growth, open communication, and mutual respect, while coaching managers to effectively support frontline teams and navigate compassion fatigue and burnout.
• Develop departmental goals aligned with Serving Seniors' strategic plan; evaluate programs, service models, staffing, and workflows; and implement improvements.
• Strengthen consistent, high-quality social work practices across programs.
• Provide leadership and consultation regarding complex client situations, behavioral health needs, crisis response, professional boundaries, and ethical concerns, and strengthen connections to appropriate community-based resources.
• Promote person-centered, trauma-informed, and strengths-based service delivery.
• Establish and monitor program outcomes, quality standards, productivity measures, and contractual requirements; ensure timely and accurate documentation, HMIS and other required data entry, outcome tracking, and grant reporting.
• Ensure appropriate documentation, confidentiality, HIPAA compliance, professional standards, and risk-management practices.
• Develop and manage department and program budgets.
• Build partnerships with healthcare, behavioral health, housing, government, and community organizations.
• Identify opportunities for program development, funding, partnerships, and service expansion.
• Participate as an active member of the Senior Leadership Team and contribute to organization-wide strategy and decision-making.
• Demonstrate commitment to the values, vision, and mission of Serving Seniors.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Education/Experience

• Master's degree in Social Work (MSW) from a Council on Social Work Education-accredited program required.
• Current and unrestricted California Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) license required.
• Eligibility to provide clinical supervision for registered associates.
• Minimum eight years of progressively responsible experience in social work, behavioral health, aging services, homelessness services, supportive housing, healthcare, or related human services.
• Minimum five years of management or leadership experience, preferably including supervision of managers or multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience working with individuals with complex behavioral health, psychosocial, housing, or healthcare needs.
• Experience overseeing programs, staff, budgets, contracts, and performance outcomes.
• Experience serving older adults, people experiencing homelessness, or other vulnerable populations strongly preferred.

Skills

• Strong knowledge of professional social work standards, ethics, boundaries, and person-centered practice.
• Strong understanding of best practices in de-escalation and crisis intervention.
• Understanding of behavioral health, trauma, substance use, cognitive impairment, crisis intervention, and their impact on older adults and people experiencing homelessness.
• Knowledge of San Diego County housing and homelessness resources, affordable housing, Permanent Supportive Housing, Coordinated Entry, HMIS, benefits, and tenancy supports.
• Strong leadership, coaching, supervision, team-development, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to guide managers through complex client, personnel, operational, and ethical situations.
• Ability to balance compassionate service with appropriate boundaries, safety, accountability, and risk management.
• Ability to develop effective partnerships across healthcare, behavioral health, housing, government, and community systems.
• High level of proficiency with Microsoft Office, web-based systems, HMIS, and client record management systems.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

Hybrid position with regular on-site presence and local travel between program locations and community meetings.

Position is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk or hear. The employee may occasionally be required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and must occasionally lift or move up to 20 pounds.

Pay: $125,000 - 134,000 Salary

This employer is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action and E-Verify employer.? All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law