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MCC, SUNY Work Together to Strengthen Students’ Mental Health Supports System-wide (12/05/2019)

Note: This is an ARCHIVED news release. Information in this article may have changed since this was published.

In response to rising numbers of U.S. college students experiencing mental health issues, SUNY has established the Student Mental Health and Wellness Task Force to enhance support and services for SUNY students with serious emotional and psychological problems.

Dr. Aubrey Zamiara, director of MCC’s Counseling Center & Disability Services, sits on the task force charged with recommending strategies for scaling evidence-based and innovative models for student support across all 64 SUNY campuses.

The task force will focus on early interventions and examine practices and public health approaches across the nation in developing strategies. The group is composed of system administration staff, campus presidents, counseling center and student affairs staff, and faculty, as well as state and national mental health experts. The task force’s recommendations will be presented to the SUNY Board of Trustees by the end of the current academic year.

College students’ mental health is a growing concern on campuses across the U.S., according to a 2018 report by Penn State’s Center for Collegiate Mental Health. The center found that the number of students who seriously considered attempting suicide increased, from 24% in 2010-2011 to nearly 36% in 2017-2018, based on data from 152 colleges and universities involving 180,000 college students who sought mental health treatment. The report also showed that counseling center usage went up an average of 30% to 40% between fall 2009 and spring 2016.

Media Contact:
Hency Yuen-Eng
Government and Community Relations
585-292-3063
hyuen-eng@monroecc.edu