CASA Blog

Since embracing my role as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in May of 2015, I have spent much time pondering the concept of a minimum sufficient level of care (MSLC). This is a standard used in our child welfare system that attempts to protect our families from individual biases and value judgments. It is a “yard stick” used to measure when a child should be removed or reunited with his or her parents. The State must ensure the MSLC is...

I’ve been doing a lot of airline travel this summer. Even when crossing just a couple of time zones, I find it difficult to get to sleep when trying to adjust to the time change. 10pm in Philadelphia is only 8pm in Billings, which is much earlier than when my brain would ordinarily be ready to sleep. And this adjustment is a minimal one compared to the jet lag I experienced following a couple of transatlantic flights. During these instances of...

“Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate.” -Unknown. Humans are amazing beings. We learn languages, social interactions and behaviors within a matter of years as young children, and those learned behaviors continue to form the way we grow and learn for the rest of our lives. But when dangerous and destructive influences are present in the lives of children from the very beginning of their existence, these are the habits and lessons that are...

Volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates in Yellowstone County are a varied lot. Our ranks include active retirees and young professionals. Some work within the home and others part or full time in institutions or businesses. What we do hold in common: We are busy people! Busy people do not need one more meeting a month. If we are going to take the time, it needs to be worth the effort. The Small Groups offered by CASA of Yellowstone County are...

It was in December 2006 when a London pediatrician first noticed bruises on 11-month-old Baby P’s face and chest. The infant was put into the care of a family friend, but only for a month before he was returned to his mom. Six months later, another examination determined that his new bruises were the result of abuse, but this time he remained with his birth family. By August 2007, Baby P was back in the hospital where his broken back...

I’ll admit it: I’m a bookworm. Any time I’m hoping to build my skills in any particular area, I’m likely to ask at some point, “Are there any good books about this?” So when I dove into this world of CASA and all the emotions that we encounter throughout the course of our cases, I was excited to receive a recommendation for Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler....

via iMom As CASAs, how about striving to inspire and lift up the spirits of our kiddos? These little people come from environments that are full of criticizing and scolding. Their ears have heard domestic violence in one form or another. They have experienced hot tempers and vulgarity due to traumatic situations. Voices have escalated and the little beings have been caught in the middle. Even if the rage was not toward them directly, they still suffer the negative consequences. The abused...

Over the course of their work, Court Appointed Special Advocates often hear that their work matters, that they have made a difference. But what kind of difference? After all, it is not the Advocates themselves who make the decisions about these kids’ lives. The judges of the 13th District Court make those tough decisions. Hon. Jessica T. Fehr speaking at a lunchtime training event in the CASA office on February 12, 2019. At recent CASA events, several of those judges spoke about...