SUNY Morrisville has been awarded a SUNY Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Grant, part of an initiative to strengthen mental health awareness, early intervention and crisis response on college campuses.
Announced by SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr., the program will provide up to $8,000 per campus to support mental health first aid training for faculty, staff and other non-clinical personnel. SUNY Morrisville is among 27 campuses statewide selected to receive the grant.
“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,” King said. “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.”
At SUNY Morrisville, the funding will support the creation and expansion of campuswide mental health first aid programming. The nationally recognized training teaches participants how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health challenges and substance use disorders, with a focus on early recognition, supportive conversation and connection to professional resources.
“Our students’ well-being is fundamental to their overall success,” said SUNY Morrisville President David Rogers. “This grant allows us to expand critical training for faculty and staff so they feel confident recognizing when a student may be struggling and can offer timely support with care and compassion.”
“We are very thrilled to be recipients of this grant,” said Monica Grau, SUNY Morrisville vice president for student affairs & inclusive engagement. “It will provide us the opportunity to train multiple trainers who will then be able to present MHFA sessions to faculty, staff and students as part of broader campaign to grow a stronger and healthier campus community.”
For SUNY Morrisville, the funding represents another step toward fostering a campus culture where mental health support is visible, accessible and embedded into everyday student life.
Unlike traditional clinical training, mental health first aid equips everyday campus personnel, such as faculty, advisors, residence life staff and student service professionals with the tools to act when they notice a student in distress.
“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,” said Tramaine El-Amin, vice president of Mental Health First Aid USA, National Council for Mental Wellbeing. “These grants will help campuses like SUNY Morrisville expand 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.”
When fully implemented statewide, the program is expected to train nearly 3,000 SUNY employees annually, significantly expanding the system’s capacity to recognize and respond to students in need.