CASA program being implemented in Greene County
”Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!” – Psalm 127:3-5
WAYNESBURG – A vital service that directly impacts the health and welfare of our country’s most valuable resource – the children – is being launched in Greene County, thanks to the tireless effort of the Coalition for a Brighter Greene.
While other neighboring counties have implemented the simple acronym program (CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates), Greene County is aiming to implement its CASA program sometime next year.
Chris Gardner, court assistant for program development at the Greene County Courthouse, said the Greene County community-wide need for a certified nationally approved CASA program is huge.
“Greene County children who have been victims of abuse and neglect have suffered trauma that requires extended attention and services, which they do not always receive. The child welfare system (social workers, judges and lawyers) that are legally responsible for their protection and well being is overwhelmed by a high number of cases,” she said.
“In the Greene County court system there are approximately 100 children in foster care at any given time due to abuse and neglect.”.
Program mission
Greene County CASA will be an independent, non-profit organization committed to advocating for the best interests of neglected and abused children involved in dependency court proceedings to ensure that they are in safe, permanent homes as soon as possible and that their needs are met while they are in foster care. This mission is accomplished by recruiting, training, and supervising community volunteers who act as court appointed advocates for these children.
The CASA program in Greene County has been formed to support the community and volunteers who will advocate for Greene County children involved with the Court System because of abuse and neglect.
“It is our goal to serve children throughout Greene County with the CASA program that recruits, trains and supervises volunteers who speak for the best interest when their cases are heard in the Greene County court system. These committed volunteers will stand by the children during the most difficult times in their young lives,” Gardner said.
Population served
Greene County CASA will service children age 0 to 21, who have been victims of abuse and neglect in areas throughout Greene County. “We have targeted to serve between 6 and 10 children in the first year,” Gardner said.
The volunteers’ role is to be a stable adult figure for the child. They devote time developing a bond with the child during the 12 to 24-month duration of the case. CASA volunteers monitor the orders given by the court to parents or caretakers, aimed at improving the living conditions, suitability, and safety of the child at home.
All children in the foster care system have been exposed to some form of trauma. Child trauma occurs when children and adolescents are exposed to events or situations that overwhelm their ability to cope and interfere with daily life and their ability to function and interact with others. The very act of being placed in foster care is traumatic for children because it means the loss of birth family and often friends, school mates, teachers and everything that is familiar to them.
Children who have experienced trauma, especially ongoing trauma, may have developed unhealthy habits and behaviors, including increased aggression and distrusting or disobeying adults. These behaviors may have helped protect the children from neglect and abuse in the past and may be strongly rooted. It takes time, patience and often therapeutic support to address and overcome them.
In 2018 CASA of Greene will hire its first executive director, who will act as the program director and establish a local office for CASA. The organizational focus and goals for 2018 include:
n Recruiting and training our volunteers
n Achieving financial sustainability
n Providing services for foster care cases appointed to CASA of Greene by the Greene County Court System
n Growing a grassroots board of directors to maintain program stability
n Providing ongoing infrastructure for a strong local program
Gardner said CASA of Greene volunteers are everyday people who will make a direct impact in foster children’s lives.
“They are trusted, dedicated adults who seek to improve children’s well-being,” she said. “CASA volunteers get to know their assigned child and his or her circumstances and provide valuable information to make the best decisions about the children’s future.”
History/overview
In 1977, a Seattle judge, David Soukup, saw a recurring problem in his courtroom. Though he was receiving information from social workers, lawyers and other professionals, their opinions and recommendations were limited in scope. Judge Soukup initiated a program of community volunteers who would investigate all aspects of the children’s lives and report their findings to the court. This one-on-one interaction allowed for a thorough, more complete picture of the children’s needs and helped the judge make informed decisions about their futures.
From that first program a network of more than 1,000 CASA and Guardian ad Litem programs has formed, which operates in 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The CASA of Greene County Steering Committee, under the not-for-profit of the Brighter Greene Coalition, has been meeting and working on National CASA program approval since June 2017.
National approval of the program came in February and the Steering committee began to develop this strategic three-year plan.
The local program has accomplished much in the past 12 months. Accomplishments include securing national approval to become a certified CASA program, PA incorporation status, board of directors and accountability standards, branding of CASA throughout Greene county by creating a web page and Facebook social media footprint and ongoing public speaking engagements to share the mission of CASA of Greene County and recruit volunteers.
The first class of CASA volunteers will be trained this fall and the volunteers will be background checked, vetted and screened before being sworn in January 2019 by the Greene County President Judge and assigned a CASA case in 2019.
To become a volunteer or for more information, contact Gardner at 724-833-9488 or cgardner@pacourts.us.