CASA Blog

“You mean I have to speak in court?” “How will I know what to say?” “What if I forget to say something I meant to?” For Court Appointed Special Advocates, attending hearings can be one of the most intimidating aspects of advocacy.  But with a little bit of preparation, you might find that hearings are a breeze.  Here are a handful of tips and tricks to navigating the courthouse, from the CASA office and a few local legal professionals. www.pixabay.com Prep Work Let’s face it—the courthouse...

Spoiler alert–I can’t give you what you might want from a report writing cheat sheet, namely a function key on the top row of your keyboard that reads “write reports.”  But what I can give is the next best thing, some thoughts about the process of writing reports and some suggestions to make the process go more effectively for you.  Let me break things down. Process, Purpose and Audience On a recent weekend I decided to take my Jeep for a jaunt...

One of many things that makes the CASA program unique among volunteer organizations is the opportunity for leadership, through the ability to become a Peer Coordinator. Peer Coordinators, or PCs, are defined by the National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association as “volunteers coordinating other volunteers.” Each Peer Coordinator’s role is to provide coaching to CASAs as they work together to ensure that children receive quality advocacy. In addition to providing better support for Advocates, Peer Coordinators allow the organization to serve more...

Film Review: “The Florida Project” This special movie handles complex social and economic realities with balance and subtlety. It is summer vacation for kids who live in a cheap hotel a few miles from Disney World. There is irony in the disparity of those two worlds that eventually suggests escape. Moonie, the 6 year old main character, leads her friends on many adventures that on the surface appear like kids being kids, but from another perspective, are the result of challenged...

Self Care The work we do as CASA Advocates can take a toll on our emotional well-being. Working with families and kids who have experienced trauma can lead an Advocate to experiencing compassion fatigue. It is important to dedicate time to ourselves, and address our emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual needs. Here are some ideas for Self Care: Physical Self Care Drink plenty of water. Exercise. Stretch. Get a massage. Dance, swim, walk, run, or do some kind of fun physical activity. Get enough sleep. Take a bubble...

In 2011, the National CASA Association launched the I am for the child campaign.  The campaign was designed as a catalyst to strengthen the CASA mission that every abused and neglected child have a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate by their side.  Therein lies my motivation as an advocate when the task seems daunting. 10 Ways in which I am for the child: I am the “one constant” in the child’s life, assisting with all transitions until the child achieves permanency. I fight diligently for the child’s right...

Sadly, statistics confirm a psychiatric admission for a child in the foster care system is far from an unusual occurrence. Mariela Herrera, MD, Medical Director of Youth Inpatient Psychiatric Unit at Billings Clinic, is on the front lines. “A child’s relationship with a parent is crucial to his or her sense of self, trust, and safety. Initial separation from a caregiver can be extremely traumatic to a child, and each subsequent move adds another layer of trauma,” she indicates. “Mental health...