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Case Study:
Serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate is helping to improve the
lives of children by serving as their voice and ardently advocating on
their behalf. Two Years ago, this was the message that finally moved me
to pursue an advovacy role with CASA Jefferson. It is also the reason I
remain committed to serving this incredible program.
As an ordinary citizen with no legal, social work, or therapeutic training,
I initially questioned the value I could bring to the CASA program.
Additionally, I suspected that recruiting messages were not meant for
people like me-but for someone else who was better trained, prepared,
and skilled. My sister, Shay, was actively involved in CASA New
Hampshire and spoke highly of the program, the volunteer training, and
her role as an advocate. Shay was committed and impressed me with her
first -hand experience working with children and helping her community.
She explained that any training needed would be provided- that I only
needed to be dedicated to the idea of advocating for a child in need.
During the summer of 2005, six months after the birth of my daughter,
Olivia, I embarked on my first night of CASA training. I walked in the
class feeling like an outsider and I departed that first evening
feeling perhaps I was cut-out for this role-that I had something to
offer after all. My training class was replete with dynamic and talented
people, who rendered the learning process knowledgeable and entertaining.
Training was intense and thorough and six weeks later my classmates and
I were sworn in as advocates for CASA Jefferson.
Since then, I am still grateful for the encouragement from Shay and for the
compelling community appeals that inspired me to serve children in need
through my role as a CASA. Being a CASA is truly the most rewarding
volunteer role I've experienced. The value expert guidance round-out
my experience by serving as a compass for the steps I should take in
advocating for my children. I think back when I felt unskilled to take on
this role and I'm grateful to have taken the steps, inspite of my fears, to
becoming an advocate. My sister could not have been more accurate- you bring
the dedication and compassion for children and CASA provides the skilled
training.
As an advocate, I have repeatedly witnessed the impact that CASA can have
on a child's life-sometimes first hand and other times through the shared
experiences from other CASA volunteers. In one of my cases, I was appointed
to a nine year old child who was up for adoption and living in a group
home. His parent's parental rights had been terminated years earlier and
finding a permanent home for this child was the court's imminent concern.
The child had been in a group home for several months and prior to that he
was hospitalized in three seperate psychiatric hospitals. The case history
provided indicated there were no known viable family placements and an
attempt to place the child in a foster home failed due to his psychiatric
outbursts.
During my initial meeting with the child, I explained my role as an advocate and told
him that my job was to be his voice in the court room. We talked about his
group home, school, toys, hobbies and interest-and then I asked him, "What is
your wish? What would you like me to tell the judge?" His reponse took me
by surprise. Without letting a moment pass he blurted out that he wanted to be
returned to his foster family-to whom he referred to as "my family". He
convincingly pleaded that being separated from them was a "big mistake"
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