POTTSTOWN PA – Former Pottsgrove High School guidance counselor Michael Ondo, now a counselor and financial aid advisor for Montgomery County Community College students at its West Campus in Pottstown PA, is part of a group that has spent more than a year developing what was announced Monday (Oct. 12, 2009) as the college’s Student Support and Referral Team (SSRT).
MCCC students who need personal assistance can find it under a newly launched program at the college.
The SSRT is meant to help adult students whose personal challenges – issues like emotional distress, stress, anxiety, eating disorders, abuse, depression, grief, potential violence and substance abuse – may be getting in the way of their educational success. It will work with students, privately and confidentially, to connect them with public and other resources they may find valuable in solving their problems.
The SSRT is patterned on high school student assistance programs with which Ondo is very familiar, but is geared toward more mature learners and the problems they sometimes encounter. Students needing assistance can either contact the SSRT directly, or be referred by faculty members, administrators or even other classmates.
“This program is a proactive measure that will guide students in the right direction,” Ondo said. Its services are available at both MCCC campuses in Pottstown and Blue Ball PA, and relies on a support team of advisors, faculty and staff members.
Additionally, SSRT will present and coordinate educational support programs for the entire college community and establish liaisons with community agencies.
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