Yuba College expands on-campus support for students

Beginning this month, a dedicated social worker from Yuba County Health and Human Services will be stationed at Yuba College's Marysville campus to provide essential services and assistance for students.

“Our goal is to truly meet the students where they are,” Dean of Student Success Anabel Toche said. “That includes physically, emotionally and mentally. Many of our students have been navigating complex lives, right? Like balancing education with work, of course, family responsibilities, and their own personal challenges. So, for them, finding the time or even the resources to seek out outside of the college can feel like a huge barrier for them. So by bringing these essential services right on campus, where they attend class, we are making sure that that support that they need is within reach.”

Having a social worker with Yuba County Health and Human Services onsite at the college will provide a convenient way for students to learn about and get connected with an array of social programs such as CalWORKs, CalFresh and Medi-Cal, according to Jennifer Vasquez, director of Yuba County Health and Human Services.

“Being in college, I think sometimes it’s not as easy as we say: ‘Go to college, right? You can afford it.’ It also takes the, well, how are we going to live day in and day out and make it work,” Toche said.

Toche herself encountered challenges when she was a Yuba College student.

“I was working three jobs on campus as a student worker,” Toche said. “Sometimes we don’t seek (resources) unless they’re told. And so for me, had I known, I probably would have benefited from these services with the county in my area had I been aware. So for me, it was a struggle, especially because I had married young and had to find ways to make ends meet.”

Toche said that they have compassion for their students.

“We are ready to walk alongside them in their journey, addressing both those academic and those personal needs. In this case, these are all personal needs,” Toche said. “This is the kind of support that can be life-changing almost. It’s those moments of – aha – I can actually be successful at Yuba College.”

In 2020, Yuba College established the Basic Needs Center. This center integrates Dusty's Pantry, an on-campus food pantry launched in 2017, with a variety of services designed to address housing, food, transportation and health insecurities, according to the college.

In January 2024, the college also introduced TimelyCare, which provides students with 24/7 virtual access to behavioral and mental health services. Additionally, later this month, the college will further bolster its support network through a two-year collaboration with Harmony Health Medical Clinic and Family Resources, bringing both physical and mental health services directly to the Marysville campus, officials said.

The social worker with Yuba County Health and Human Services, Olibia Lopez, will be on campus inside of the Student Wellness Center (100B Building) on Mondays from 12:30 to 5 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to support students.

Programs and services include:

– CalWORKs is a welfare program that gives cash aid and services to eligible California families in need.

– CalFresh offers food assistance to low-income families and individuals.

– Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid health care program. This program pays for a variety of medical services for children and adults with limited income and resources.

To contact the Yuba College Basic Needs Center, call 530-741-8988.