ROANOKE, Va. — Virginia Western Community College is strengthening its student-centered mission with a renewed focus on wraparound support services, highlighted by the addition of Danielle Johnson as director of student support services.
Johnson joined the college in the fall, bringing 15 years of experience as a licensed clinical social worker and community based advocate. Her background includes leadership in mental health programming, crisis response and collaborative initiatives designed to address student needs across K-12, higher education and community-based systems.
College leaders said the position was created as part of a broader effort to better meet the growing and increasingly complex needs of students.
“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 Bernadette “Bern” Battle, vice president of student affairs. “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 said Johnson’s expertise adds to an already robust Student Affairs team, which includes positions such as a behavioral health and wellness advocate. She also pointed to programs such as Great Expectations, which serves students with foster care experience and plays a particularly important role in the Roanoke Valley.
Johnson’s experience includes guiding teams through complex cases, ensuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and developing scalable, student-centered support systems.
“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.”
Among the initiatives Johnson highlighted is the Office of Disability Services’ work implementing House Bill 1892 by creating clear guidance for families and school divisions. The effort is designed to help students and families understand the transition from IDEA protections in high school to ADA and Section 504 accommodations in the dual enrollment college environment.
She also cited the continued expansion of behavioral health resources and prevention programming through the Office of Wellbeing and Advocacy, along with strengthened wraparound support through Great Expectations and Single Stop.
Virginia Western is also participating in the Virginia Community College System’s needs assessment pilot, an initiative intended to proactively identify student challenges and connect them with campus and community resources.
The college’s retention and student success team continues to focus on early outreach and coordinated support strategies aimed at helping students remain enrolled and on track toward 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 addressing those foundational needs is critical to student success.
“We have to address basic needs first to help our students succeed and excel,” she 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.”
