MCC Daily Tribune
Chancellor King Announces Expansion of SUNY's Mental Health Internship Program
Paid Internships Support Community College Students and Strengthen New York’s Behavioral Health Workforce
Albany, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King, Jr., announced the expansion of SUNY’s Mental Health Internship Program on Thursday, a workforce development initiative that provides paid, hands-on learning opportunities for community college students pursuing careers in mental and behavioral health. Launched as a pilot in Spring 2024, the program was developed by SUNY with support from the New York State Office of Mental Health to connect students with supervised internships at OMH-licensed facilities across New York.
“Paid internships provide our students with the opportunity to participate in hands-on job training while also exploring a career path that interests them,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “Through the expansion of this program, more SUNY students will be empowered to enter the mental health field, helping more New Yorkers access these vital services, and bolstering New York State’s healthcare workforce. We are proud to partner with OMH to grow this internship program and set our students on a path to a successful future.”
SUNY Trustee Eunice A. Lewin and SUNY Trustee Luca O. Rallis, Co-Chairs of the Student Life Committee, said, “Thanks to the unwavering support of Governor Hochul, SUNY can provide our students with high-quality internship opportunities that enrich their education and support their efforts to achieve academic excellence in their fields of study. The expansion of this successful internship program will give more SUNY students the opportunity to explore a career in mental health. Thank you to Governor Hochul and the State Legislature for their continued investment in SUNY, and the success of our students.”
OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “Internships are a fantastic way for students to recognize the fulfilling careers that await them in the mental health profession and to gain valuable experience in this field. Expanding this outstanding program to additional community colleges will enable hundreds of additional students to learn what it is like to work in the state’s mental health care system. This internship program along with other workforce development initiatives demonstrates Governor Hochul’s strong commitment to building the highly skilled behavioral health workforce of tomorrow.”
The initial Mental Health Internship Program launched with three SUNY community colleges – Finger Lakes Community College, Monroe Community College, and SUNY Niagara Community College – and included 27 students earning paid internships at 16 OMH-licensed facilities. Through the pilot program, the student interns gained invaluable hands-on experience in behavioral health settings and exposure to mental health career pathways.
Building on the success of the pilot, SUNY has expanded the program through the 2027-2028 academic year. As part of the expanded program, two additional SUNY community colleges – Hudson Valley Community College and Onondaga Community College – will join the program, bringing participation to five SUNY community colleges. Internship opportunities will also be extended to students enrolled in additional academic programs, including human services and mental health technician programs. SUNY anticipates approximately 100 to 150 students participating in paid OMH-affiliated internships across the five participating community colleges over the course of the grant period.
The expansion reflects SUNY’s continued commitment to increasing access to experiential learning opportunities that prepare students for in-demand careers while supporting New York State’s healthcare workforce. SUNY’s Mental Health Internship Program is supported by $1.2 million in mental health workforce development funding from Empire State Development.
Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Higher Education Committee Chair, said, “Students are often balancing classes, jobs, and family responsibilities, and unpaid internships are simply not an option for many of them. This program will continue to help students gain real experience without forcing them to choose between learning and earning. At the same time, it is strengthening a workforce New York urgently needs. I commend Chancellor King and SUNY for expanding a program that works for students and for our communities.”
Senator Samra Brouk said, “As Chair of the Senate Mental Health Committee, I recognize that we are still in the midst of a mental health crisis and need a strong behavioral health workforce to meet the demand for care in New York State. SUNY’s Mental Health Internship Program is rising to the task by expanding the program timeline and incorporating five community colleges to provide students with impactful experience while supporting the mental health workforce.”
State Assemblymember Alicia L. Hyndman, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, said, "As Chair of the Higher Education Committee, I know that the greatest barrier to a degree is often the choice between an education and a paycheck. By expanding SUNY’s Mental Health Internship Program, we are removing that barrier for our community college students while simultaneously building a robust pipeline to address New York’s mental health workforce crisis. I applaud Chancellor King and the Office of Mental Health for turning a successful pilot into a statewide opportunity that allows students to gain high-level professional experience without sacrificing their financial stability.”
SUNY is committed ensuring every student can participate in a paid internship or experiential learning opportunity to gain hands-on job preparation before they earn their degree. To further support paid internships, SUNY has launched programs including a partnership with NYSIF, the SUNY Educational Opportunity Career Development Internship Program, the Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund, the SUNY Institute for Local News, the Veterans Enrollment and Support Internship Program, and the SUNY Climate Corps. Thanks to strong investment from Governor Hochul and the State Legislature, the SUNY Board of Trustees now provides $14.5 million in annual state funding to support paid internships for students at State-operated campuses.
About the State University of New York
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 the SUNY website (suny.edu).
Veronica Chiesi Brown
Community Relations
02/13/2026