Austin Community College District (ACC) announces the launch of the newly organized Basic Needs & Advocacy and Mental Health Counseling Services offices. 

“This realignment represents a major step forward in removing life barriers that stand in the way of student success,” says Cara Crowley, Special Advisor to the Chancellor, Basic Needs System. “These teams are already making a transformational impact across our campuses, ensuring every student has the support they need to thrive—academically, personally, and emotionally.”

Learn more about the two offices and how they are already working to remove barriers to student success.

Office of Basic Needs & Advocacy

Rooted in our Basic Needs Theory of Change, the Office of Basic Needs & Advocacy was created to remove life barriers that can stand in the way of student success. Led by Angelica Cancino de Sandoval, Senior Director of Basic Needs & Advocacy, the office has built strong cross-college and community partnerships to expand student-centered support.

The office opened ACC’s first C.A.R.E. Network Center at the Round Rock Campus, bringing together social services, mental health care, and food access supports in one welcoming space.

It also launched a Student Needs Assessment at Highland and Round Rock campuses, which contributed to an extraordinary increase in fall-to-spring retention rate for students who received basic needs support. By fall 2027, this early intervention assessment will be available at every campus.

To increase student access to essential resources, the Basic Needs Outreach team, led by Director Christie Curtis, established new strategic community partnerships. The College collaborates with Housing Connector and ConnectATX to support housing stability, as well as the Austin Diaper Bank and H-E-B to expand food, hygiene, and diaper support.

Fall 2025 Impact by the Numbers | Basic Needs & Advocacy

  • Nearly 64,000 | Student visits to ACC’s Riverbat Bites Food Pantries across all campuses
  • 37% | Increase in students served from fall 2024 to fall 2025 through aligned social services 
  • 83% | Fall-to-spring retention rate for students who received basic needs support.

Office of Mental Health Counseling Services

The Office of Mental Health Counseling Services was realigned this spring 2026 to expand its mental health support infrastructure. As part of this transition, Julie Reck was named Senior Director of Mental Health Counseling Services, and Dr. Manuel Zamarripa was appointed Director of Student Wellbeing, Outreach, and Prevention. Together, they oversee the College’s counseling team and are developing a comprehensive, collegewide outreach and prevention strategy tailored to ACC’s diverse student population.

Fall 2025 Impact by the Numbers | Mental Health Counseling Services

  • 12% | Overall increase in students served by the Office of Mental Health Counseling Services from fall 2024 to fall 2025
  • 24/7 | Virtual mental health support now available through our TimelyCare partnership
  • 14.7% | Increase in requests for mental health appointments, showing students trust our services

The office also started offering Mental Health First Aid professional development training across the district in the fall.

Upcoming Initiatives

ACC’s Basic Needs System is planning several new programs to expand its student support infrastructure. Upcoming initiatives include:

  • Launching an online food access system featuring campus-based food lockers.
  • Opening Scrub Closets at the Eastview and Round Rock campuses to provide incoming health science students with donated scrubs.
  • Establishing a Work Boot Fund in partnership with the ACC Foundation to supply gear for workforce students.
  • Integrating a needs assessment into the enrollment application to connect students to services earlier in the process.

How You Can Help

Faculty and staff who know a student in need of basic needs or mental health services are encouraged to complete the Basic Needs Referral form. The College’s Intake team will then contact the student directly to provide personalized support.