Join us for a Live Virtual Teach-In

The Mental Health Employee Resource Group (ERG) invites you to join us for a conversation on mental health and the reality of being unhoused. We have the pleasure of welcoming two speakers who will share information, perspectives and personal stories from their own lived experience about the intersection of mental health and homelessness.

About the Virtual Teach-In:

The Mental Health ERG is proud to sponsor a virtual presentation about understanding the connection between mental health and homelessness through a trauma-informed and compassionate lens. Join Pinky and Chop as they share insights from their lived experiences on the two-way relationship between mental health and living on the outside. They will also discuss personal stories of being unhoused and its impact on mental health.

Speakers:

Ilene “Pinky” Toney is an individual with lived experience who is originally from Richmond, in the Bay Area. She lost her mom at 11, and shortly after ended up committing a pretty serious crime that almost cost her doing a lot of time behind bars. She got lucky and was released a couple years later and into the foster care system in Sacramento. Like most foster kids, she was booted after the money stopped and quickly became a victim of the streets. She is currently volunteering in her community and has dedicated these last few years doing outreach amongst our unhoused communities.

She is currently on several boards, including as the Board Chair of Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE Action), a Board Member of California Peer Watch, and on the Board of Peer Watch. She’s also a Case Manager within the Homeless Management Information System Coordinated Access System, which is a database used by agencies that provide services to people at risk or are homeless. It’s all run under Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and most programs receiving federal funding use this system. She is that activist with pink hair!

Alaytreya Gregory (aka Chop) is currently living unhoused in Sacramento, California. She has experienced homelessness for the last 16 years. Having navigated significant mental health challenges during this time, she has successfully overcome those obstacles and is now dedicated to her community makeover project, "Crowned by Greatness." Through this initiative, she aims to demonstrate the power of direct community support, and the importance of person to person connection while building unity between the housed and unhoused communities.