Students may have received an email last week regarding the Student Mental Health Emergency Fund. This is a relatively new initiative created in the last couple of years that was brought about by SUNY federal funding. This fund is designed to assist students who are struggling with one or multiple situations that may impact their academic standing or performance.  

SUNY Brockport is offering short-term, one-time funds of up to $1,000 for students who are eligible after they complete an application. In order to receive the grant, students are required to provide documentation from their mental health provider which states that they are a current patient.  

SUNY Brockport Student Behavioral Consultant Team Chair Dr. Karen Logsdon is one of the many faculty members who work with students on this particular fund.  

“Each [SUNY] campus has a pocket of money,” Logsdon said. “Each campus can decide how to distribute that money, so not all SUNY’s are using these funds directly for students in a grant for their mental health needs. Some colleges are using the money to fund a counselor position, so it varies and this is just one aspect that the college is using this [funding] for. They also have used the funding for programming around mental health.” 

SUNY Brockport realized that their student’s mental health resources can be expensive and thus created this grant program to assist those in need.  

“The mental health needs are there and [they] are expensive, particularly for students that are seeking mental health services off campus and have an insurance plan that might be a high deductible,” Logsdon said. “It’s very expensive to see a therapist so we decided to provide that directly to students.” 

The $1,000 grant can cover a variety of different costs that students may be struggling with, including visits to a therapist, medication costs and other forms of mental health treatment. 

“We also allot for some of the funding within that grant to be for basic needs because basic needs are an important part of mental health,” Logsdon said.  

After students complete the grant application, it will be approved by a committee that reviews applications once a week. This grant has proven to be successful in helping students continue their education since its launch, with nearly $300,000 distributed to students so far according to campus documentation.  

Students interested in this grant and applying for it can refer to the SUNY Brockport webpage or the counseling center on campus.