Photo of the Month: Social Work Month in Action

6 hours ago
2 min read

A middle school boy smiles while he builds a Jena tower while Social Worker Brianna Amato looks on, showing the essence of Social Work Month.

This is what supporting mental health looks like!

March is National Social Work Month, and we couldn’t be prouder that social workers are part of the heart and soul of The Child Center of NY.

Founded as a single children’s counseling center in 1953, The Child Center has grown into a multiservice organization with 78 locations and six program areas. Across them all, a commitment to mental health remains at the heart of everything we do.

Our understanding of mental health has grown along with our reach and size. Today, we recognize that mental wellness extends beyond individual counseling—it flourishes in strong family bonds, cultural traditions, and community connections. And supporting mental health happens not only in a clinic, but wherever is best for our clients.

Our School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) program provides therapy services on site at children’s schools, making it easier for both parent and child to receive services. School-based clinical coordinators work in collaboration with school support teams to identify students who may be in need of social and emotional support and otherwise might be overlooked. Beyond therapy, SBMH centers make mental health an integral part of all students’ education. Collectively, our 12 SBMH centers provided 13,188 services in 2025.

Pictured in this Photo of the Month is School-Based Clinical Coordinator Brianna Amato, a licensed master social worker (LMSW) with a student at the school where she works.

“Play therapy by utilizing games, like Jenga, is one modality that assists with facilitating conversation and building the relationship between student and therapist,” Brianna explains. “Social work is a helping profession that I was drawn to because of the positive impact that can happen through the services we provide. Working with students to build the skills in their toolbox and assisting them with navigating big emotions that will help them into adulthood and beyond is why I was drawn to The Child Center’s SBMH program, and why I will always advocate for it and similar services.”