Utica partners outline expansion of system‑of‑care supports, credit organizers say referrals and demand are rising

Rachel Dory, the district’s systems‑of‑care lead, opened a multi‑partner presentation to the Utica City School District board, saying the initiative now supports services across 13 buildings and nearly 10,000 students. “All seven of our partners are here to talk about the impact and the incredible services they are providing,” she said.

Justennia Wright, director of school‑based mental health at ICAN, described a five‑pillar model that places student engagement specialists in schools, embeds behavioral and clinical supports, provides staff training in restorative practices, runs family engagement events and operates the district’s RED after‑school program. Wright said the system has 14 student engagement specialists and that about 615 students had been referred year‑to‑date, with roughly 450 considered active in services.

Jeremy Butler, ICAN’s chief innovation officer, said the program has delivered more than 10,000 “supports” year‑to‑date and noted a 21% increase in referrals this year. He described onsite psychiatric supports available four days per week and said the model aims to reduce out‑of‑district placements that can cost “up to $100,000 per student.”

Safe Schools Mohawk Valley COO Jim Franco walked the board through a tiered service model (universal, targeted tier‑2, intensive tier‑3) and cited 2024–25 referral and outcome data: 959 students referred (308 for behavior, 303 for disengagement, 62 for attendance) and reported improvements among those served — 87% behavioral improvement, 68% academic improvement and 56% better attendance metrics for the cohort tracked.

Other partners gave operational details. Hillside Work Scholarship Connection outlined youth‑advocate sites at JFK, Donovan and Proctor and described paid part‑time placements and post‑high‑school tracking. Snug (a violence‑reduction outreach program) described street outreach, mediation and participant events. Presenters emphasized that most services are voluntary and typically begin from referrals by teachers, counselors or social workers.

Board members asked about coordination among providers; presenters said they are increasingly sharing referrals and pooling events to avoid duplication and expand coverage for high‑risk youth. Superintendent Dr. Spence and staff reiterated that many programs are funded by a mix of district, state and federal grants and urged continued community and philanthropic support to sustain scale.

Why it matters: The system‑of‑care partners told the board their work keeps students in school, offers crisis de‑escalation and provides academic and social supports that district officials say contribute to improved attendance and classroom outcomes. Administrators and community groups asked the board to continue funding and operational coordination to expand the most successful elements.

Next steps: Presenters called for continued data sharing, expanded staffing in credit‑recovery and extended learning time, and collaboration across partners to ensure students eligible for multiple services can access them without bureaucratic friction.