POTTSTOWN, Pa. - Montgomery County Community College opened a wellness center for individuals experiencing mental health challenges.
The center was built with help from a $1.1 million Community Mental Health Services Block Grant from Montgomery County.
The center, located at the Pottstown Campus, will continue its Partnership on Work Enrichment and Readiness (POWER) program, helping individuals experiencing mental health challenges.
This free program helps individuals in mental health and addiction recovery develop and reach their educational and career goals through a two-credit college course that focuses on college and career preparation skills.
Since the POWER Program started in 2006, it has served nearly 600 students.
“Long before anyone heard of COVID-19, Montgomery County Community College recognized that many students struggled in their classes because they needed help with essential needs, such as physical and mental well-being, food and housing security, transportation and family care, among others,” said Nichole Kang, Wellness Center Director. “The pandemic and its lingering impact have amplified those needs.”
According to the results of a recent Healthy Minds Survey involving 707 MCCC students, approximately 80% of the participants said that mental health was affecting their schoolwork, said Kang.
“With COVID and isolation, there has been a new pressure on students to get back to normal,” she said. “However, students may have parents who are unemployed, lost family members or are experiencing lingering effects from having COVID.”
The onsite services will augment the existing online services that are available at no cost to all students, which includes asynchronous chat and live telehealth therapy.
The Wellness Center will house MCCC’s Stock Up for Success food pantry with refrigerators for produce and dairy products, as well as freezers. The pantry also includes toiletries and personal care items.
Stock Up for Success food pantry
The College will be starting construction for the Wellness Center during the spring 2022 semester.
For more information about MCCC’s Wellness Center and services, email wellness@mc3.edu.
