SUNY Chancellor King Announces Mental Health First Aid Grants to Support Student Mental Health and Well-Being

Investment will Strengthen Mental Health Literacy and Crisis Intervention Capacity at SUNY Westchester Community College

Albany, NY (January 8, 2026) — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today announced awards through SUNY’s Mental Health First Aid Grant Program, providing targeted funding to strengthen campus-wide approaches to student mental health and well-being across the SUNY System. The program will award up to $8,000 grants to 27 SUNY campuses, including 16 state-operated campuses and 11 community colleges. On an annual basis, when fully implemented, the funding is estimated to support the delivery of Mental Health First Aid training for almost 3,000 faculty, staff, and other non-clinical campus personnel, expanding campus capacity to recognize and respond to students in distress.

“Mental health is health, and our priority at SUNY is to advance every aspect of our students’ growth and to ensure they have the support needed to succeed in their academic, professional, and personal development,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “The grants provided through this innovative program will help ensure more SUNY staff and personnel are trained to recognize and address mental health concerns and to support students in need.”

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “SUNY students and their loved ones deserve the peace of mind that comes from knowing there are supports and staff available to assist in case of mental health challenges or distress. This grant program will help ensure more faculty and SUNY personnel throughout the state will receive important training to take action and help those experiencing mental health distress.”

The Mental Health First Aid Grant Program was first announced as part of Chancellor King’s 2025 State of the University Policy Agenda and reflects the SUNY Board of Trustees’ ongoing commitment to proactive, system wide strategies that support student mental health. By extending training beyond campus counseling centers, this initiative equips faculty and staff with practical tools to provide timely, informed support and connect students with appropriate professional resources.

The grant funding announced by SUNY will support the creation and expansion of campus Mental Health First Aid programming, including instructor certification, campus-wide training delivery, required materials, and outreach efforts to strengthen mental health literacy. Campuses with existing Mental Health First Aid programs are encouraged to use the funding to expand training for additional students, faculty, and staff and, where appropriate, provide training opportunities to neighboring SUNY campuses.

Tramaine El-Amin, Vice President of Mental Health First Aid, said, “Faculty and staff are often the first to notice when a student is struggling, and they deserve practical, evidence-based tools to respond with confidence and care. These grants will help 27 SUNY campuses expand Mental Health First Aid training, so more educators and frontline staff can recognize the signs of mental health and substance use challenges, start supportive conversations, and connect people to appropriate resources. SUNY is making an important investment in campus wellbeing and in the everyday moments when being prepared can make a difference.”

Mental Health First Aid is a nationally recognized, evidence-based training program that teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health challenges and substance use disorders. The training emphasizes early recognition, supportive response, and connection to professional help, reinforcing SUNY’s focus on prevention, awareness, and coordinated care. Additionally, the training will also include SUNY produced culturally competent supplemental materials.

State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal People-Stokes said, “The mental health of our young people is one of my top priorities this legislative session. We want our young people to succeed at school and in their future and being able to manage the ups and downs in life goes a long way in helping to foster that success. With the Mental Health First Aid Grant Program, SUNY is helping to expand mental health resources to our college students across the state.”

State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Senate Higher Education Committee Chair said, “On today’s SUNY campuses, the first person a student opens up to is often not a clinician—it’s a professor, an advisor, or a staff member they trust. This investment gives 27 SUNY campuses the ability to train nearly 3,000 frontline employees to recognize warning signs early and respond appropriately. These grants are about meeting students where they are and making sure help is not out of reach when it matters most.”

State Assembly member MaryJane Shimsky said, “Higher education provides an opportunity to provide critical services to people—in addition to education and professional training—and to do so at a pivotal time in their lives. That is why I supported funding to launch the SUNY Mental Health First Aid grant program. I anticipate that we will see immediate benefits from this investment, and I thank Chancellor King for his leadership and dedication to the well being of our SUNY and CUNY students.”

SUNY Westchester Community College President Belinda Miles, said, “Student success and well-being are fundamental to our mission, and we know that supporting mental health is essential to helping students reach their full potential. We are grateful for this Mental Health First Aid grant, which builds on the significant advances the College has made over the past several years and strengthens our capacity to provide timely, compassionate support to students in need.”

The SUNY campuses which will receive grants through the Mental Health First Aid Grant Program include:

SUNY has led efforts to support students’ mental health and to advance efforts to train more mental health professionals in New York State. Thanks to increased State investment in SUNY, the SUNY Board of Trustees now allocates nearly $10 million in recurring annual funding to support state-operated campuses in expanding mental health services and $3 million in recurring annual funding to support mental health services at community colleges. SUNY also has an easy-to-use website to support students who may be struggling with mental health distress to identify support services and available resources. In July 2025, Chancellor King announced the fourth class of SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program recipients, as part of the SUNY effort to strengthen the pipeline of mental health professionals from diverse backgrounds, with a focus on serving New Yorkers who may have historically lacked access to quality mental health care.

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.

SUNY Westchester Community College provides over 20,000 full-time and part-time students with an education taught by award-winning faculty at one of the lowest tuition rates in New York State. The College offers more than 65 degree and certificate programs, including innovative programs in high-demand fields such as Cybersecurity, Health Information Technology, Respiratory Therapy, and Digital Filmmaking. Reflecting the rich diversity of its region, SUNY WCC was the first SUNY campus to be designated a Hispanic Serving Institution.