1. What is CASA of Lancaster County?
CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. We recruit, train and supervise volunteers from the community. They are appointed by a judge to advocate for a child or sibling group in the foster care system. The goal is to provide a compassionate, trained, nurturing adult to walk alongside these youth during a very tumultuous time in their lives.
2. Every child has a unique story, but what are some of the reasons these kids have found their way to CASA, and how many children does CASA serve?
At any one time, we’re working with about 150 kids. Last year, throughout the year, we served just over 300 children. There is no typical case—the kids range in ages, from a few months old to 21. What they have in common is that they’re all victims of abuse and neglect in their homes. Our advocates deal with the complicated, severe cases—domestic violence, sexual abuse, mental health issues and drug or alcohol addiction.
3. What does the court appointed advocate do?
The goal is to address the concerns that led to the kids coming into our care with the hope that, eventually, the kids can go home and be reunited with their parents or placed with an adoptive family. The advocate gets to know the children, the resource [foster] family, the biological family and other professionals involved in that child’s life—teachers, doctors, caseworkers and therapists. They gather all of that information and their fact-based observations and use it to report back to the judge as to what they feel is in that child’s best interest.
4. How long is a typical case?
The average length is 18 to 24 months. Some cases have been resolved more quickly, and we’ve had cases that have taken longer, but that’s about average.
5. What is your role?
So much of my role in the organization at this point is administration. I was lucky enough to be hired in 2009 as the first staff member, so I had the ability then to be involved in advocate oversight, the training piece and the recruiting piece. As we’ve grown—we now have seven staff full-time, including myself, and two part-time—I’ve taken a huge step back from some of the direct advocate oversight. We have four volunteer managers, a program director and 150 or so advocates—they’re the team doing the incredible work.
6. How did you get involved in this work?
Quite honestly, I kind of fell into this. I was an English major in college. After I graduated, I spent two years with AmeriCorps—kind of like the domestic Peace Corps. I did four service projects, including prairie restoration in Missouri, trail building in Minnesota and disaster relief work at the American Red Cross call center in DC. I loved everything about it. When I finished my second year, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next. I’m from northern New Jersey, and like most families from North Jersey we vacationed at the Jersey shore. I saw that there was an opening at CASA–an entry-level position for the Atlantic and Cape May chapter. I thought, “who doesn’t want to live and work at the beach?” I threw my hat in the ring and was lucky enough to be offered that position. I met an incredible executive director, who is still there. She really was, and still is in many ways, my mentor. About four years after I started there, my husband and I were thinking of starting a family and looking around, and this CASA was just starting and looking for a director.
7. Many people may not realize CASA is a national organization. How does that work?
There are local CASA chapters or affiliates of the national organization, which is based in Seattle. That’s where they got started. We’re all run a little differently. Here in Lancaster, we’re an independent nonprofit. We get our funding from generous donations from individuals and corporations, as well as grants. Some of the other CASA chapters are under the umbrella of another nonprofit—[like] the United Way or YWCA. And some are entirely county-funded.
8. What does the training entail?
Our training follows the curriculum of the national CASA program. That’s a benefit of being an affiliate member. We take their curriculum and tailor it to the unique needs of Lancaster County. Volunteers do 30 hours of training–four hours, two nights a week for four weeks. We cover the range of common, significant issues that may plague the families we work with—whether it’s domestic violence, mental health issues, or drug and alcohol addiction. We review what proper childhood development might be, how to identify signs of concern, federal and state laws that govern the cases we advocate on, confidentiality, how to testify in court, how to write an effective court report, and how to build effective relationships with all the different people they’ll be interacting with. Members of one of the children and youth agencies and a judge will come speak to the class.
9. Is there a “typical” volunteer?
There is a common misconception that to be a volunteer you need a higher degree in child welfare, law, psychology or social work. But really it’s quite the opposite. Our advocates come from all walks of life, with a wide range of education and personal and professional experience. That’s the beauty of the program: it’s the insertion of a trained, compassionate community member to offer perspective on the case and decide what’s in the best interest of the child. There is no specific background or experience required.
10. Considering the very emotionally charged and difficult cases you’re working on, how do you and your staff and volunteers keep from getting overwhelmed? What do you do to sort of recharge?
I can’t speak for everyone, but we do ask advocates in the interview process, “How do you handle stress? What are some methods you use?” We do know what we’re asking them to take on. On the larger scale, our advocates use their volunteer managers and the staff as a sounding board and a sympathetic ear. Sometimes it’s just a matter of processing or going out for coffee. We all have our own outlets when we reach that point. I’m lucky and honored to work with this team–they are an incredible source of support and humor. Outside of work, my six-year-old daughter and my husband are a great source of stress relief. When I’m hanging out with my daughter, everything else can melt away in a sense. I understand why adult coloring has taken off. I love coloring with her. We play tag or take the dog for a walk. Hearing about the world from her perspective is quite a wonderful thing.