Albertus Magnus College to Expand Suicide Prevention with $500,000 Federal Grant

SAMHSA-Funded SOAR 2.0 Will Strengthen Mental Health Support, Crisis Response, and Care for Students

New Haven, Conn., November 10, 2026 – Albertus Magnus College is pleased to announce it has been awarded $500,000 over four years through the US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant Program to launch Students Overcoming Risk and Adversity 2.0 (SOAR 2.0). Under the leadership of Albertus’ Director of Health & Wellness, Dr. Courtney Mattiace, the initiative will strengthen suicide prevention, mental health support, and substance misuse prevention for Albertus students.

Building on the College’s original SOAR project, funded by SAMHSA in 2022, SOAR 2.0 responds to growing student needs. National data from the Center for Collegiate Mental Health show that students seeking counseling increasingly present with complex needs, including trauma histories and suicide risk, and Albertus’ own Counseling Center data reflect the same trend. SOAR 2.0 will strengthen the College’s capacity across a full continuum of care: prevention, early identification, intervention, crisis response, postvention, and continuity of care.

The project will deepen partnerships between campus departments and community behavioral health providers, and will emphasize in-person engagement and peer connection.

“Every student deserves to know that help is available and that asking for it is a sign of strength. This grant lets us make that message real through more training, more conversations, and more ways to connect,” said Dr. Courtney Mattiace.

“Albertus has always been a community that cares for the whole person, and this grant allows us to live that mission more fully,” said Albertus Vice President for Student Affairs, Andrew Foster. “Our students are facing more complex challenges than ever, and SOAR 2.0 will help us reach them sooner, respond more effectively in moments of crisis, and make sure no student is left without support. We are deeply grateful to SAMHSA for investing in the well-being of our students.”

Founded by the Dominican Sisters of Peace in 1925, Albertus is guided by the Four Dominican Pillars of Study, Prayer, Community, and Service. SOAR 2.0 reflects that mission by building a campus culture where conversations about mental health are normalized, and every student knows where to turn for help. With nearly half of its students the first in their families to attend college, Albertus is committed to ensuring all students have the support they need to thrive.

This project is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $500,000, 100 percent funded by SAMHSA/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, SAMHSA/HHS or the U.S. Government.