BY ADAM ATKINSONNorth Country This Week

POTSDAM — Both SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam are receiving $250,000 each from the state SUNY system for expanding mental health services for students.

According to an announcement from the governor’s office, the funding is part of a larger pool of $10 million being given to increase mental health series and support for students, faculty and staff.

The governor’s office said the investment, part of a $163 million increase in direct operating aid the state has given to the SUNY system this year, will expand services at 28 campuses, support more than 200,000 students and build on the existing statewide tele-psychiatry network and new tele-counseling options for community colleges.

Both of St. Lawrence County’s SUNY campuses received $250,000 each from the funding release, said Holly Liapis, SUNY press secretary based in Albany.

“SUNY Canton will use the new funding to further enhance the supportive resources, trainings, educational programming, and awareness for students, staff, and faculty,” Greg Kie, SUNY Canton senior media relations manager, told North Country This Week.

“New programs, resources, and initiatives will both bolster greater awareness of mental health issues facing the student population, while providing much needed training to support faculty and staff in developing a greater understanding for and appropriate responses to modern mental health issues,” Kie said.

Kie said the funding will allow SUNY Canton’s Counseling Center to add a new position to assist with tele-health counseling and outreach initiatives.

Kie said the center will also add:

• Student assistant positions to assist with operations, the college’s Renzi Food Pantry, and the Wellbeing Programs & Initiatives office;
• Software to aid in early identification, case management, and support of students with mental health concerns;
• Professional development for Counseling Center and Davis Health Center staff;
• An electrocardiography machine; and
• On campus mental health programming.  

Alexandra Jacobs Wilke, SUNY Potsdam’s director of public relations, said Potsdam will also be adding new positions to support the college’s mental health services.

“This expanded mental health support funding will allow SUNY Potsdam's College Counseling Center to hire a new position of behavioral case manager, promote a staff member to assistant director, hire a new psychiatric nurse practitioner, expand our peer counseling program, provide expanded professional development for all staff, and contract with a vendor to provide after-hour counseling services,” Wilke told North Country This Week.

“We had already offered a telepsychiatry option for several years, in partnership with SUNY Upstate Medical Hospital in Syracuse,” Wilke said.

To read more about this round of SUNY funding for mental health services visit https://tinyurl.com/yhp9jhfh .