Virginia Western Community College continually seeks to put students at the center of the College’s mission and resources. A new role is charged with coordinating a wide array of resources into cohesively tailored ways to meet individual student needs.
The College has welcomed Danielle Johnson as Director of Student Support Services. Johnson brought the skill set of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and community-based advocate when she began in the fall.
Throughout her 15-year career, Johnson has led mental health programming, crisis response protocols and collaborative initiatives to address student needs. Working in K-12 and higher education as well as community-based systems, Johnson has designed and led equity-centered, trauma-informed support models that strengthen student well-being and nurture academic success.
Johnson’s role at Virginia Western was created as part of a plan to strengthen the College’s ability to meet the growing and complex needs of students, said Bernadette “Bern” Battle, Vice President of Student Affairs.
“As we continue advancing our Student Affairs Reimagine Plan, we are seeing more students reaching out for support related to wellness, financial hardship and staying on track academically,” said Battle. “When students need help, it is important that we meet them with care, connection and support. Strengthening our student support structure helps ensure every student feels seen, supported and connected to the resources our community provides to help them continue moving forward toward their goals.”
Battle noted that Johnson complements the expertise of her team, which already shows leadership in the community college realm through staff positions such as a Behavioral Health and Wellness Advocate. Outreach extends through programs such as Great Expectations, which is critical in Roanoke with the high incidence of foster care involvement locally.
Johnson has extensive experience guiding teams through complex cases; ensuring regulatory compliance with the American with Disabilities Act, Section 504 and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and implementing scalable, student-centered services.
“As Director of Student Support Services, I am proud of the coordinated work taking place across the Student Affairs unit in partnership with our academic and workforce teams,” Johnson said. “This collaborative approach ensures that Virginia Western students receive the comprehensive support necessary to succeed academically, personally and professionally.”
She highlighted initiatives that show the breadth of these efforts:
- Disability Services and HB 1892 Implementation
The Office of Disability Services is supporting the implementation of House Bill 1892 by developing clear guidance for families and school divisions. This work clarifies the transition of disability rights from IDEA protections in high school to ADA and Section 504 in the dual enrollment college environment. The goal is to ensure students, families and K-12 partners understand expectations and available accommodations within the college setting.
- Student Wellbeing and Advocacy
The Office of Wellbeing and Advocacy continues to expand behavioral health resources, prevention programming and campus partnerships. These efforts focus on ensuring students have timely access to support services that promote mental health, safety and overall wellbeing.
- Wraparound Support Services
Through Great Expectations and Single Stop, Virginia Western continues strengthening wraparound services for students with complex needs. The college is also participating in the Virginia Community College System Needs Assessment pilot, which will help proactively identify student needs and connect students to campus and community resources.
- Retention and Student Success
The Retention and Student Success team remains focused on early outreach and coordinated support strategies that help students stay connected to critical resources and remain on track toward persistence and completion.
“Virginia Western aims to be a leader in this space to make sure our students have the wraparound supports they need,” Battle said. “The College has strong academic supports such as tutoring and career services, but students can’t fully access those resources without basic needs such as mental health and food insecurity being addressed.”
Johnson said that lens informs her role in equipping and empowering the Student Affairs team in this important work.
“We have to address basic needs first to help our students succeed and excel,” Johnson said. “When students experience a crisis, they aren’t always able to think past that crisis and get to that next step. Our Student Affairs team is dedicated to helping our students access their education with minimal to no limitations and barriers.”
