Matthew McGahran

Matt McGahran will join our Executive Leadership Team and assume the role of Assistant Director effective February 12, 2023.  Mr. McGahran is a Marine Corps Veteran and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, who began service with the Federal Government in 2000.  He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with an MSW in 1999 and went to work with the Department of the Navy at the Naval Air Station, Willow Grove, PA and in Gaeta, Italy with NSA Gaeta and the Command Ship of the Sixth Fleet (USS LaSalle) working with active duty Sailors and Marines and their families until 2004 when he began working with James A. Haley VAMC in Tampa FL. 

While at James A. Haley, Mr. McGahran held several positions in the Mental Health and Social Work services, including Supervisor for the Social Workers in Mental Health and Coordinator of the Health Care for Homeless Veterans and Compensated Work Therapy programs.  Under Mr. McGahran’s leadership, Veteran homelessness in Tampa was reduced by more than 30%.

From 2012-2015, Mr. McGahran was the National Clinical Manager of the Grant and Per Diem Program, within the VA Central Office Homeless Program.  He provided technical and clinical oversight for over 600 transitional housing programs nationally.

In October 2015, Mr. McGahran went to Philadelphia, PA to assume the role of Chief, Social Work Services at the Corporal Michael J Crescenz VAMC.  While in Philadelphia he also served as Acting Chief of HAS, Nutrition and Food Services and acted as Associate Director for Clinical Operations.  While in Philadelphia, he also provided oversight to the Healthcare for Homeless (HCHV) program and under the Social Work services achieved functional zero with Veteran Homelessness.

In May 2020, Mr. McGahran moved across the country to help address the Veteran homeless crisis in Los Angeles as the Chief of the Community Engagement and Reintegration Services (homeless services) at the Greater Los Angeles VA Health Care System.  Working with community partners in a highly competitive housing market, Mr. McGahran oversaw a team of over 450 staff that was able to house more than 4,000 Veterans and reduce Veteran homelessness in 4 of the 5 counties in the Greater Los Angeles catchment area.  During that same time, Mr. McGahran and the Greater Los Angeles team developed and constructed a Veteran homeless encampment on the VA campus that expanded from 25 individual tents to a Tiny Shelter Village of 140 individual shelters, complete with wrap around clinical and stabilization services.  This Tiny Shelter concept has moved more than a 1,000 Veterans out of street encampments and on their way to housing while getting the VA care they need.

Mr. McGahran is a 2018 graduate of the VA Health Care Leadership Development Program.

We look forward to welcoming Mr. McGahran to the New Mexico VA Health Care System!