Social workers are an integral link between school, home and community in helping students achieve academic success and personal growth. But the need for social workers continues to grow as the country faces a shortage as the demand for social services continues to rise. 

One organization shares the benefit of a social worker for Rochester youth in and outside of school.

Cameron Community Ministries offers year-round youth services to provide activities and resources for its kids to explore, and, for some, look for a safe haven.

It's a place to play, learn and socialize beyond the bell.

“Cameron is an afterschool program,” director of the youth program K-6 Sh’kis Kinney said. “So right now we work closely with number 54 School. We do have other schools that the buses will drop the kids off and we accept them at the door.”

"It started out with food insecurities,” executive director Olivia Kassoum-Amadou said. “And of course, if you start feeding, you bring in children and families. So the children were a natural process. This community [has] one of the highest child poverty rates in Rochester. And so we know that we were in an area with food deserts.”

With food insecurity being one of the many factors that can impact a child’s growth, COVID-19 has opened up a door to many youth experiencing mental health crises. It's leaving many scrambling to hire enough social workers and behavioral health professionals.

“We've seen an increase in mental health problems with our young people,” Kassoum-Amadou said. "And so now that they're back in school and getting reintegrated, we still have those issues to address. We see all the crimes that are being committed. And just looking at those problems alone, what's happened to our youth.”

Understanding the benefits a social worker can provide both at school and home settings, staff can see the lasting positive effects it could provide for its children.

“The wait for counseling for our children in this community could be six to eight months or more,” Kassoum-Amadou said. “So it's really critical for us that we can address those issues from day to day, right here on-site at Cameron.”

Located in an area of a high-crime district with a violent crime rate six times higher than the suburbs and 60% higher than the city’s average, some of its children navigate trauma on their own and have become normalized.

“To have a social worker to tap into those things and be able to help kids resolve those problems that they have,” Kinney said. “To have that go-to person because most of them, most of us don't have a go-to person.”

Cameron Ministries has become more than just an afterschool program, but has also become an opportunity of growth, confidence and a second home.

“Working in childcare is a big step, it gets difficult, but it’s all worth it in the end,” Kinney said. “You’re able to help them be a part of a really big impact and we’re going to get them where they need to be.”