BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — SUNY’s chancellor John B. King, Jr. visited the Jacob's School of Medicine Wednesday where the University at Buffalo hosted a roundtable discussion on mental health.
UB is receiving $14.2 million in historic state funding, and some is being used to expand mental health programs for students and faculty.
7 News Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley attended the roundtable and heard directly from the chancellor on how the school is making sure students' mental health needs are being met.
“Chancellor, welcome back!" declared Satish Tripathi, president, University at Buffalo.
@Jacobs_Med_UB where @UBuffalo President Tripathi is joined by @SUNY Chancellor King to celebrate $14.2 million historic investment in operating aid and effort to expand mental health counseling. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/PKQj2wIJh0
— Eileen Buckley (@eileenwkbw) May 15, 2024
Chancellor King joined UB’s President Tripathi for the roundtable discussion.
“But I know that UB has a long-standing commitment to mental health and to broaden our student wellness,” King remarked.
As the state provides more than $14 million in operating aid to UB, some of the funds will be used to hire seven more on-campus mental health counselors.
"The state, through SUNY, have really made an impact. We have these counselors embedded,” noted Tripathi.
As some students struggle to make mental health appointments on campus, the school is expected to increase virtual and telehealth visits.
Those who joined the roundtable, from a variety of UB departments, explained how they're helping right now with a student's mental health.
“I was thrilled to hear about the level of support that UB is providing to their own students, but also the role they're playing in the community,” King stated.
UB is providing direct mental health help for students and faculty. But Chancellor King also learned UB is providing mental health resources in the Buffalo community.
“Training the mental health workforce that we need in Buffalo and across New York State, providing supports to K-12 students in the Buffalo Public Schools as well as working closely with community-based organizations and certainly the hospital partners here in the Buffalo health sciences corridor,” explained King.
One UB department leader noted 53% of students of color sought mental health help. The school also has a large international population. One of the reasons UB provided nearly 300 outreach programs last year.
“It’s very encouraging to hear all the initiatives that you've undertaken and the focus on equity not as an afterthought, but as a design principle,” replied King.
I did ask the chancellor if it’s difficult discussing funding news at UB as SUNY Buffalo State is facing a more than $16 million budget deficit, but here is how he responded:
“They are seeing, to be clear, a very significant increase in state funding this year. They saw a very significant increase last year in state funding, but they have a structural deficit because of those enrollment declines, and they need to make sure that they made the hard choices to align their staffing with their enrollment,” responded King.
