Margaret Graham

Margaret “Maggie” Graham has dedicated her professional career to advocating for and advancing initiatives to help the most vulnerable members of our communities. She retired in December 2018 from her position as Greene County Director of Human Services and Director of Mental Health, a position she has served in since 2010.

Throughout her career, Ms. Graham worked tirelessly to keep Greene County at the forefront of services for vulnerable populations, including those battling mental health issues, addiction, and developmental disabilities. She coordinated crisis intervention training for law enforcement and first responders within the County to better equip them to recognize mental health symptoms, as well as how to react to individuals in crises and get them the services they need.

Ms. Graham was critical in the formation of the Columbia-Greene Controlled Substance Task Force, which works with stakeholders on all levels to advance measures to combat the opioid epidemic. She coordinated countless prevention events in the community and advocated to secure funding for substance abuse treatment within the Greene County Jail.

Ms. Graham was instrumental in securing funds for the Mobile Crisis Assessment Team to provide outreach services to the County’s most vulnerable population, which proved to be extremely effective in preventing and diverting unnecessary hospitalizations. It has since expanded to include additional staff and longer hours.

For those who struggle with mental health issues, and their families, navigating the system and services available can be overwhelming. Ms. Graham implemented Family Peer Advocates to assist children and families in those situations.

Ms. Graham has served on the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Columbia and Greene Counties, the Rural Health Network Board, the Early Childhood Learning Center Board, the PAS it On (Prevention, Awareness, Solutions) Committee, and the Rural Planning Consortium, as well as many other boards and committees. In 2017, Columbia-Greene Community College honored her with the President’s Award for her community leadership. 

It is unlikely to find anyone who has not benefited from Ms. Graham’s tremendous work and advocacy in Greene County.

Ms. Graham’s motto is “We just keep pushing forward.” Although she officially retired in December after a thriving 37 year career in the mental health field, she plans to remain an involved member of her community so that her contributions continue to have a lasting impact.