Support Services

Our students are determined to get their diplomas, but they often face many life challenges that make getting that diploma difficult. Some live alone, work to support themselves or their families, raise children, or deal with health, legal, housing or financial issues.

Counseling and Social Services

From the moment each student enrolls at Manhattan Comprehensive, the faculty and staff work together to help each student meet his or her unique challenges.  New students take part in a course that orients them to the school’s culture of expectation and excellence. Students receive  health education, develop study skills and participate in activities to deepen self-awareness and interpersonal skills. Faculty and staff check attendance daily and when a student is absent, he or she receives a phone call right away. The advocacy team refers students to our service provider partners, engages parents and conducts frequent counseling sessions with students.

Legal Information Clinic and Medical Referrals

We provide immigration and legal information to over 200 students and their families each year, and ensure that they get reliable legal information at no cost. The Clinic provides individualized help and referrals to our partners at The Door and The Legal Aid Society who provide assessment and representation for eligible cases. Because of our diverse student population, we keep up-to-date on issues specific to various ethnic communities in the city. We also provide students with medical referrals and health education. About 1 in 4 young adults ages 18- to 25-year-olds are not insured. To meet our students’ often complex and sensitive needs, we work with students and their families. We have a state medical insurance representative on-site each week to enroll students and we actively seek out pro bono services for uninsured students when necessary.