Events

Event Description

Navigating Linkages Between Mental Health and Homelessness in Utica is a panel discussion moderated by Judge Ralph Eannace (ret.) with panelists Ashlee Thompson, Ernie Talerico, Mike Ballman, and Bram Mansbach '24.  Homelessness is on the rise throughout the United States, with more 650,000 people who experienced homelessness according HUD's point-in-time (PIT) count in 2023, a 12% increase from 2022 (and a number that is well-understood to be an undercount). Our local community has seen a similar uptick, with PIT counts revealing a 16% increase from 2022-2023 and an overall upward trend over the last 5-years. Housing instability, mental health, and broader structural challenges all play significant roles in contributing to this crisis.This program will primarily focus on the reality of mental illness in our community, the ways it intersects with homelessness, and the approaches used locally to try to address it. Join us to hear from those directly serving people experiencing mental illness and homelessness in our local community to learn more about present challenges and potential opportunities to address it. Please RSVP for this event here.

Ashlee Thompson has been the Commissioner of Mental Health & Director of Community Services for Oneida County for the past 3.5 years. Prior to public service, Thompson worked for 15 years in a clinical setting, first as a Chemical Dependency Counselor and subsequently as Director of Outpatient Behavioral Health Services at Rome Memorial Hospital. Thompson graduated with her BSc from Le Moyne College, M.Ed. from Touro University, and MHA from Utica University.

Ernie Talerico is a longtime community leader and developer of programming at the Rescue Mission of Utica, a faith-based non-profit serving "individuals overcoming homelessness, abuse, addictions, and disabilities". In his role as Director of Operations, Talerico oversees programs and liaises with county, community, religious, and judicial agencies. Talerico is a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor, and currently serves as Mayor of New York Mills.

Mike Ballman, pastor of Cornerstone Community/Plymouth Bethesda Church since 2003, has worked to create a more just community in the heart of Utica by working to eliminate barriers to employment, affordable housing, emergency shelter and healthy nutrition for Oneida Square residents. He has served as a professor of religion and philosophy for refugee students at Houghton College Utica; Chaplain of the Utica Comets hockey team; and Chaplain in the United States Army Reserves.

Bram Mansbach '24 has been volunteering at the Cornerstone's Morrow Warming Center the past two years and is currently working on his Sociology thesis focused on the critical importance of building trust with those experiencing chronic homelessness. Bram conducted research with the Levitt Center in 2022 to help the City of Utica better understand the social services landscape for Oneida Square residents.

Ralph Eannace (moderator), Levitt Center Community Fellow, has dedicated most of his life to public service, serving as a NY State Representative, County Executive for Oneida County, and Utica City Court Judge for over 20 years. Judge Eannace is a Utica native and earned both JD and MPA degrees from Cornell University.