Greg Fulgham – Supervisor Spotlight

As the agency’s housing director, Greg Fulgham oversees six individual housing programs that together comprise our Housing program. He has been with the agency since 2005 and has associates degrees in Recreational Leadership and Substance Use and Mental Health Counseling from Erie Community College. He’s currently enrolled in the bachelor’s of Social Work program at Buffalo State and he is eagerly anticipating graduating next spring.

Many of the programs within Housing operate on a “housing first” model, which means the goal is to get residents stabilized in housing before focusing on treating their substance use. This is a very different model of care compared to the agency’s other programs. “Our goal is to get the population off the streets and into a safe and secure apartment,” Greg said. Some of the programs even provide residents with funding for furniture and appliances.

At the moment, Greg and the Housing team are adapting to the pressing challenges of a new program that began in 2015. It serves chronically homeless individuals, which means they have been homeless for at least one year or have had frequent episodes of homelessness. “These individuals are coming straight from the streets, park benches, abandoned buildings, and other places not habitable for living,” Greg said. As such, skill building and other interventions require major focus.

While this population is complex and has many challenges, the Housing team are constantly working to ensure that the care they provide meets the needs of these new residents. Greg is heartened by the differences in outcomes now that the program has been immersed in Trauma-Informed Care (TIC). “This population has been in survivor mode for so long that they still have trust issues,” said Greg. Thankfully, building trust is a primary focus of TIC. “Learning new trauma-informed language was very helpful to us as a team” he said.

Greg is grateful for the many opportunities the agency has provided for him in his career with us. He’s especially grateful for the joy residents bring to his work. “You can see that they are getting something out of our activities,” he said. Meanwhile, he’s inspired by the willingness of his staff members to contribute to the people they serve in impressive ways. “All of our staff have a heart for what they do,” he said.