Courtesy of Kelly L. Voisinet, M.S., Executive Director, CASA
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) services, which are available to neglected or abused children under court jurisdiction, began as an idea — an idea coupled with conversations and a committed planning team that included Clinton County Probate Judge (Lisa Sullivan), Department of Human Services (DHS) Director (Kent Schulze),the CAN Council Coordinator (Jessica Austin), and myself. CASA programs have existed in the United States since the 1970s. The number of county programs in Michigan has continued to climb over the years. Clinton County has a history of strong human services collaborations for children and of citizens who are committed to service. It is time to bring CASA volunteer advocacy to the most vulnerable children in Clinton County.
The planning team spent the better part of 2013 researching and compiling data for its CASA Program application. On October 11, 2013, Clinton County received program approval from the National CASA Association. Since receiving approval, the focus of the planning team has shifted from completing the application to: developing local policies and procedures; orienting individuals for the Executive Committee; securing funding; promoting the program, and interviewing persons interested in serving as CASA Volunteers.
Part of my time in getting acclimated to this job has been to observe how abuse and neglect cases are handled in court. Of the cases I have observed to date, one will stay with me and solidifies why Clinton County needs CASA Volunteers.
In the majority of cases I have observed, the children are not present during the court sessions. However, there was one case in which a teenaged girl asked to be present. I was interested in seeing what her presence would add to the proceedings. The court session went forward with the usual reports and discussions. This information included challenges the teen had encountered and recommendation of where would be the safest place for her to live. After the “professionals” made their reports to the court, the teen was given the opportunity to address the Judge. This young person, while emotional, was articulate in expressing her frustration at the lack of adults listening and her feelings of uncertainty. I am not sure she knew how mesmerizing the conversation was or how her inner strength was coming through her words.
Judge Sullivan spoke with the teen with compassion and empathy, and point-by-point they talked through the teen’s concerns. Without this additional input, conclusions could have easily been jumped to without considering all of the information and the trauma the teen had experienced, and different viewpoints. Because the teen was there to voice her thoughts, she and the Judge were able to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution, which would allow for the teen to be safe and have an opportunity to thrive.
There are many times the children cannot or should not be put through the ordeal of coming to court, but their voices should still be heard. A CASA Volunteer is that voice for the child and has a responsibility to provide additional insight to assist the court in permanency planning.
Ever since learning about the CASA program, and knowing that more than 60 children in Clinton County involved in abuse and neglect proceedings, we are confident that the advocacy services of the CASA Volunteers will provide additional comfort and protections for these children.
There are many ways to support the Clinton County CASA program — service as a CASA Volunteer; service as a member of the Executive Board; contributions to the fundraising efforts; supplies identified on our wish list in mind; and invitations to further educate and promote our efforts – just to name a few.
If you would like to learn more about how you can be part of CASA advocacy, please stop by our office at 112 W. Walker Street in St. Johns (on the corner of Brush and Walker Street) or contact us at: 517-599-7145, clintoncountycasa@gmail.com or through our website at http://clintoncountycasa.weebly.com/index.html.