CASA is...

CASA is...

- A safe, permanent home, as soon as possible.

- A voice for children who are not in a position to speak for themselves.

- Getting to know some great kids who don't deserve the problems they have faced and letting them know they will no longer have to face those problems alone.

- Concern that you aren't doing enough and frustration that you can't do more.

- Lots of phone calls to people who don't have a clue who you are or why you're calling.

- Knowing the difference between a status hearing, an adjudicatory hearing, and a dispositional hearing.

- Wanting another case, but fearing you are not up to the challenge.

- Giving something back to your community.

- Realizing (yet again) that the world is not black and white and, in spite of that, making a recommendation that will affect the lives of many people.

- Filling up a three-ring binder, and then another, and then another.

- Leaving Claremore at 1:45 p.m. for a 2:30 p.m. hearing in Vinita. Speeding. Then finding out that your case won't be heard until 3:30.

- Gaining a new appreciation for social workers and attorneys and judges.

- Watching a dysfunctional family attempt to heal itself.

- Telling your CASA kids there is an upcoming hearing that may be difficult, and having them ask if you'll be there with them. Telling them you will.

- Realizing that you can make a difference in the life of a child.

- Filling out reports.

- One of the most challenging and rewarding efforts I have ever undertaken.

- Finding a safe, permanent home for kids who deserve a safe, permanent home.

- Unconditional love for kids who have never experienced it.

- Walking the walk after you've talked the talk for too long.

- Facing the fear that you may not be good enough or strong enough or smart enough to actually make a difference.

- Watching a 16-year-old child testify that her parent - who is sitting in the courtroom - has abused or neglected her for years, and beginning to understand the meaning of the word "courage."

- My gift to myself.


Original work by Robert Hendrickson, CASA Volunteer for Bracken, Fleming and Mason Counties in Kentucky. Some wording changed to fit our CASA program.

How To Conduct Yourself In Court

When you attend court on behalf of Tri-County CASA, there are a few expectations regarding your decorum in court. They include:

1. Dress appropriately. You do not have to wear a three-piece suit. Please do take care to make sure that you are wearing something that looks professional. For men, this can include a nice pair of khaki pants and a polo shirt. For ladies, a nice pair of dress slacks and a nice shirt or a church dress.

2. Do not bring any beverages (including bottled water) or any food items into the courtroom. If you need water for a specific reason, please let your Advocate Coordinator know and a cup of water will be furnished to you.

3. In a like manner, do not chew gum or eat candy while in the courtroom.

4. When the judge enters or exits the courtroom, always stand.

5. Please do not talk or whisper in the courtroom. It is already difficult for those in attendance to hear and is rude to the judge and the other parties to the case. If you did not hear or understand something, wait until afterwards to ask the staff member who was taking notes.

6. Wait for an appropriate time to address the court - usually at the end before the judge makes his or her rulings and orders. If you are addressed by the judge, please STAND where you are, listen to the judge's question, and then answer. Refer to the judge always as "Your Honor."

7. Cell phones in the courtroom are a no-no. If you must carry one, please set it to silent or vibrate. Some judges confiscate cell phones that go off during court, not to mention the fact that a ringing cell phone is disruptive to the proceedings.

8. Do not read magazines or newspapers or flip noisily through paperwork while in court. It is very distracting. You may bring reading material with you to court to review in the hallway before court begins.

9. Be careful what you say and do in the courthouse and on the courthouse premises. You can very rightly assume that you are being watched and your words are being noted by all parties to the case or their representatives.

10. In a like manner, do not register any positive or negative remarks, gestures, or facial expressions during or after the proceedings. If you have feelings or concerns about what occurred in court, please wait until you are safely within the walls of the CASA offices to discuss those concerns or issues.

11. At all times conduct yourself in a manner that communicates respect and deference to the court, specifically the judge and his or her staff.

Working With People You Don't Like

You come to the CASA role wanting to help other people and then, as you get into the meat of the work, you find that there are some people you come into contact with that are unlikable. Some have attitudes, some do not care about CASA at all and openly express their disdain, some seem to be trying to get on your last nerve. Some are passive-aggressive and abuse their power and authority.

It's frustrating and upsetting. It's a distraction. And, it's stressful.

So, how can you work effectively with a person you don't like and still maintain your sanity?

1. Listen. Seek to understand rather than to be understood. This is really difficult for most people, especially if you do not particularly agree with the person who is speaking. But everyone deserves to be heard, and you never know, you might find a kernel of information in what they have to say.

2. Conduct yourself in a professional manner. This includes acting with courtesy and respect. There are people in this process who do not see CASA volunteers as professionals. Prove otherwise by your demeanor.

3. Collect facts and document, document, document. Factual information is the stock and trade of a CASA volunteers. The facts you collect help the court to make good decisions. Keeping good records will ensure that you can transmit factual data always.

4. Remember: your role is to represent the best interests of the child. Don't get side-tracked engaging yourself in a war with an attorney, another party to the case, or another professional. You very well may have to work with the person again.

5. Remember the old adage, "Never argue with a fool. People may have a hard time identifying which one of you it is." It is perfectly fine to say, "It is apparent that you have your opinion on the matter, and I have mine. There is really nothing more to be gained by further discussion."

6. Practice "mindfulness." Stay present in the moment. Remember why you are involved with CASA. Remember that your credibility is very high with the court. Do nothing to diminish that credibility.

7. Talk to your Advocate Coordinator about your feelings and concerns. Do not confide in the foster parents, attorneys, or other collaterals.

8. Enjoy the experience of being a CASA volunteer. Knowing that you are helping a child navigate a difficult situation helps put everything into perspective.

What are Poor Prognosis Indicators for Families?

You've learned in CASA training that each family you work with has inherent strengths and weaknesses unique to the family and its circumstances. Most families have the ability to change and make improvements to their home life and parenting style, and ultimately, to be reunified with their children. And some seem to struggle.

But did you know that there is another tool you can use to assess the prognosis of the families you are working with? It's called the Poor Prognosis Indicators, a list of 20 factors developed by Linda Katz, Norma Spoonemore, and Chris Robinson in 1994, and published in Concurrent Planning: From Permanency Planning to Permanency Action in 1994. The list is used to identify families for whom reunification may be a difficult or possibly unachievable outcome.

In families where the prognosis is poor, a well-developed concurrent plan is absolutely essential from the beginning of the case. Also, families with poor prognosis may need help breaking down the individualized service plan into a short-term, prioritized, manageable set of to-do's with clear directions, such as phone numbers to call and the names of people with whom to speak. Progress on the ISP should be reviewed regularly as the case progresses, and a list of both items completed and items left incomplete should be shared with the judge in the CASA Report.

Some of the Poor Prognosis Factors bear an asterisk (*). According to Katz, Spoonemore, and Robinson, "Any condition with an asterisk is, in and of iteself, an indicator of poor prognosis. For other items, the more that are present in a family, the worse the prognosis. This worksheet is suitable in cases of young children who are already in foster care, who are entering care under the age of eight, and who have no relative or parent with whom they can immediately and safely live. It is not intended to be used to determine risk to children still living in their own homes, since it relates to risk of long-term foster care drift rather than risk of parental abuse or neglect."

Following are the 20 Poor Prognosis Indicators, by category:

CATASTROPHIC PRIOR ABUSE

1. Parent has killed or seriously harmed another child through abuse or neglect, and no significant change has occurred in the interim. *
2. Parent has repeatedly and with premeditation harmed or tortured this child. *
3. Child experienced physical or sexual abuse in infancy. (Treatment of abusing parent may be so difficult and lengthy that the child spends years in foster care).

DANGEROUS LIFESTYLE

4. Parent's only visible support system and only visible means of financial support is found in illegal drugs, prostitution, and street life. *
5. Parent is addicted to debilitating illegal drugs or to alcohol.
6. There is a pattern of documented domestic violence between the partners of one year or longer, and they refuse to separate.
7. Parent has a recent history of serious criminal activity and jail.
8. Mother abused drugs/alcohol during pregnancy, disregarding medical advice to the contrary.

SIGNIFICANT CHILD WELFARE HISTORY

9. Parental rights to another child have been terminated following a period of service delivery to the parent, and no significant change has occurred in the interim. *
10. There have been three or more DHS interventions for serious separate incidents, indicating a chronic pattern of abuse or severe neglect.
11. In addition to emotional trauma, the child has suffered more than one form of abuse or neglect.
12. Other children have been placed in foster care or with relatives for periods of time over six months' duration or have had repeated placements with DHS intervention.
13. This child has been abandoned with friends, with relatives, at a hospital, or in foster care; or once the child is placed in subsequent care, the parent does not visit of his or her own accord.
14. DHS preventative measures have failed to keep the child with the parent: home-based services, visiting public health nurse, Homebuilders, therapeutic daycare, and so forth.
15. Parent is under the age of 16 with no parenting support systems, and placement of the child and parent together has failed due to the parent's behavior.
16. Parent has asked to relinquish the child on more than one occasion following the initial intervention.

INHERENT DEFICITS

17. Parent has been diagnosed with severe mental illness (psychosis, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, sociopathy), which has not responded to previously delivered mental health services. Parent's symptoms continue, rendering the parent unable to protect and nurture the child. *
18. Parent has a diagnosis of chronic and debilitating mental illness (psychosis, schizophrenia, sociopathy) or other illness that responds slowly or not at all to current treatment modalities.
19. Parent is intellectually impaired, has shown significant self-care deficits, and has no stable support system able to share parenting.
20. Parent grew up in foster care or group care, or in a family of intergenerational abuse. (Unfamiliarity with normal family life can severely limit parents' ability to overcome other problems in their lives.)

The Poor Prognosis Indicators can be applied to each case by checkmarking those indicators that are of concern. Be sure to discuss this checklist with your Advocate Coordinator for next steps on the road to finding permanency for the children on your caseload.

Get Organized!

Every year, during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, I sit down with my journal and make a list of the goals I want to accomplish in the coming year. I begin by evaluating the goals I set for the year before, and I consider it a success if I have made even a modest amount of progress towards that goal.

For 2010, aside from the ubiquitous weight-loss goal that has been a part of my goal statements for the past umpteen years, I have decided to focus on uncluttering and organizing my home, one room at a time.

Apparently, I'm not alone, as Oprah Winfrey has dedicated the March issue of her magazine, O, to decluttering. One of the articles in the magazine really spoke to me and my perfectionistic bent. It's called "The 10 Habits of Highly Organized People. You can read the full article here:

http://www.oprah.com/home/The-10-Habits-of-Highly-Organized-People_1

The article postulates that the highly organized among us are not perfectionists. They simply follow a few rules that the rest of us have yet to discover, starting with #2 on the list, "Make peace with imperfection."

This really resonated with me. You see, I am a perfectionist. It's an addiction, really...an addiction that will make you absolutely out-of-your-mind crazy.

I am well-meaning about it. I really want the best for myself, my family, and Tri-County CASA. And yet, I find myself falling into the trap of never completing anything because I am afraid it is not good enough. And yes, there is a "good enough."

Perhaps you are struggling with this, too. Maybe writing a court report that makes sense keeps you from finishing the report, or waiting until the very last second to write it because you procrastinated. Maybe you fail to plan out your next steps on your case because you aren't sure exactly what to do next and the feeling that you should know (but don't) paralyzes you. Maybe you've made a mistake and the humiliation you are feeling keeps you from sharing that with your Advocate Coordinator.

We all need to remember rule #7 on Oprah's list: "Ask for help." According to Dorothy Breininger, "The organized person is willing to expose herself to short-term embarrassment and call for backup."

Springtime is on the horizon, and with it, "Spring Cleaning." Take time to analyze what needs to be cleaned out in your volunteer position.

Do you have case files from 2007 lurking around your home office? Gather them up and bring them to the CASA Office for shredding. The shred box is in the corner to your right as you enter the door. Dump it off there, no questions asked.

Are you stuck on your case and don't know what to do next? Call your Advocate Coordinator and ask for a meeting to develop a plan. Hint: Good CASA volunteers do this all the time!

Are your notes written on pieces of scrap paper and Post-Its? Ask for a notebook or a three-ring binder that you can keep it all in. Use what works best for you (rule #5 from Oprah's list "Stick with what works").

What organization methods work best for you? Share them in the comments section so we can learn from you!

Are You Taking Good Care of Yourself?

I can totally relate to this picture sometimes. As organized and pulled together as I try to be, a wrench inevitably gets thrown into the works, and this week has been no exception! It seems sometimes that the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get.

One of the by-products of volunteering as a court-appointed special advocate is the stress that comes along with the job. I mean, really...who wants to testify in court? The few times I have done so, my nerves were so jangled that I could barely work the rest of the day. Doesn't that make you feel better? The woman who tells you not to be nervous about testifying in court does, herself, get nervous!

If the stress isn't from court-related performance pressures, then it's sadness (and sometimes anger) over the circumstances of the families and children on our case load.

Stress and pressure are a given in life. It wouldn't matter if you were volunteering with CASA or not, stress would find a way into your daily regimen. It is no respecter of persons.

Left unchecked, stress and pressure have a way of zapping whatever energy you have in store, leaving you vulnerable to illness, lethargy, and depression. Many major illnesses, including heart disease and cancer, have been linked to stress left unchecked.

The staff of Tri-County CASA wants you to be healthy and happy as you volunteer with our organization. For that reason, finding appropriate ways to cope with stress is an important topic for discussion.

Let's start with the most obvious areas: diet and exercise.

Science suggests that it's WHAT we are eating, combined with HOW MUCH of it we are eating, and factoring in our sedentary lifestyle that is causing many Americans to be obese. Science also suggests that even simple changes in diet and exercise can make a big difference in a person's overall health and well-being.

Begin by looking at the "empty" calories you are consuming. These can be found in soft drinks, sweetened tea, sweetened coffee, candy, and snacks. Weaning yourself off of these sugar-laden goodies is a quick win for your waistline.

Next, look at the percentage of meat and dairy you eat to fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. The USDA's food pyramid suggests that the majority of our food should come from fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Lean protein is an important part of any healthful diet, so if you're eating red meat three or more times per week, think about substituting one of those meals with another type of protein. Think fish, chicken, shellfish, or beans, all of which are good sources of lean protein, as are skim milk, yogurt, and cheese.

Next, look at your portion size. The American plate has grown over the years, hasn't it? Take eating out for example. Did you know that most restaurant entrees are actually three to four times the recommended portions? I have started ordering a "to-go" box with nearly every entree I get in a restaurant. If I start by slicing off only the part I intend to eat, I find that I rarely overeat. Plus, I have lunch already in the bag for several days thereafter!

Go to your cabinet and find a salad plate. It's the plate that is a bit smaller than the regular dinner plates in your cabinet. This is the size plate you should be using at mealtime. Now, measure it off into fourths. In the first quarter of the plate should be your meat or entree. The second quarter should be your rice, pasta, or whole grains. The third quarter should be vegetables or sides. And the fourth quarter is where your fruit, yogurt, or dessert should go.

Finally, let's talk about exercise. It has a number of benefits. Not only does it burn calories and create lean muscle in our bodies, but it has the added benefit of reducing stress. People who exercise regularly sleep better, are more relaxed, have stronger immune systems, and are generally better able to weather the storms of life than their non-exercising counterparts. If you go outside to exercise, you also receive sun exposure (don't forget the sunscreen!), which supplies your body with Vitamin D, an important component for energy, alertness, and overall health.

When I speak about exercise, I'm not suggesting that you run laps or pump iron, unless you are already doing that. Just a short 20 or 30 minute walk is sufficient. Yoga is another good way to stretch muscles, reduce stress, and re-center yourself.

How do you stay healthy and stress-free? Share in the comments section. Live healthfully!

Can We Talk?

The most important boundary CASA volunteers must maintain is keeping confidential information confidential. Many prospective volunteers tell me, "Oh, I won't have a problem keeping information confidential." And I smile my knowing smile, because I realize just how easy it is to breach confidentiality.

Let's begin this discussion by acknowledging that, as volunteers, we're all well-meaning. We don't ever intend to make a mistake. But mistakes still find their way to our doorstep.

The maintenance of confidentiality begins with an intention to keep the information to ourselves. Next, we must put systems in place to safeguard the information. Then, we must keep on our toes, being on the lookout for those who would try to get the information we have.

How can you do this?

1. Commit yourself to confidentiality. This commitment begins with an acknowledgment that, for the children we serve, the right to privacy is fundamental. It's one of the few aspects of our work that we can control, and we are honor-bound to protect their identity and privacy at all costs.

2. Be thoughtful about exactly HOW you will safeguard the information you have. Where will you keep your file? What will you do if your spouse (if they are not a CASA volunteer) begins asking you questions about your case? Will you accept phone calls in high-traffic areas, or call back when you are alone? Think about what you will say if someone unrelated to the case asks you a question about it. I have a pat answer already scripted out in my head, "I am really sorry, Bob, but I'm required by the court to keep that information confidential."

3. Be vigilant about protecting your case information. Don't fall into the "I'll show you mine if you show me yours," trap. Refer back to the Confidentiality Flowchart in your CASA Training Manual (see page V7-24). The very first question on the flowchart is, "Is it in the child's best interest to share this information?" If it's not, keep it to yourself.

Don't become so comfortable that you think a breach of confidentiality could not possibly happen to you. In my experience, that is the exact moment that it does. Think about the following:

What will you do if you run into the foster family at Wal-Mart?

Where is a good place to discuss the case in the courthouse?

Is the seat of your car a good place to keep the file while you run errands after court?

What will you do if a teacher asks you what is going on in the child's home while you are collecting grade information?

It bears mentioning that even this website is not an appropriate place to discuss specific case information. If you have a question or concern about your case, please contact your Advocate Coordinator or myself directly.