Volunteers needed for Marshall County CASA program
CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS — Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers join the 2019 Oktemberfest parade to help raise awareness about the program. Pictured are Diane Wooster, Connie Herrera, Malaina Gerke, Niki Johnson, Lochlyn Ennenga, and Ashley Gaunt. In the little house on the float are Linsey Kohn and Ashlynn Johnson.
Teresa Barnes, the CASA program coordinator for Marshall County.
Barnes
CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS — Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers join the 2019 Oktemberfest parade to help raise awareness about the program. Pictured are Diane Wooster, Connie Herrera, Malaina Gerke, Niki Johnson, Lochlyn Ennenga, and Ashley Gaunt. In the little house on the float are Linsey Kohn and Ashlynn Johnson.
Teresa Barnes, the CASA program coordinator for Marshall County.
Barnes
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Residents looking to make a positive impact in the lives of children can through the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program. Five CASA volunteers are needed in Marshall County.
Teresa Barnes, the CASA program coordinator for Marshall County, said they are not looking just for five. It would be great if more than five people volunteered, she said.
"Ideally, for the coverage area we have, a minimum of five volunteers are preferred, but the more the merrier," Barnes said.
The program is seeking volunteers from all walks of life, she said, but they have to be at least 19 years of age.
"As long as they have an interest in helping children in need," Barnes said. "We do have a particular need for men. If people have an interest in helping children of a certain age, that can be accommodated."
The need for CASA volunteers has been ongoing, she said, because there are always children on the roster who need advocating. Barnes said CASA works with children who are abused or neglected. Most of the cases in Marshall County involve children who have been exposed to drugs, she said.
"That is a big area of concern," Barnes said. "We see cases related to child abuse -- sex abuse, lack of supervision, neglect, all types of cases, and each case is different. The cases with a CASA volunteer tend to turn out better for the child."
She said volunteers have several roles to play. It begins with training in topics including the juvenile justice system, social services and child trauma. Then volunteers are sworn into service by a judge. Once assigned to a case, they regularly visit the child and speak with the child's parents, teachers, service providers and other relevant adults.
"They learn about the child, investigate and talk to the parties involved with the case -- anybody who has been in contact with the child," Barnes said. "They identify resources and report to the judge on the progress of the case, or lack thereof, based off (of) the gathered information."
After developing an understanding of the child's situation, the volunteers write and submit reports to the courts, and make recommendations about the child and family's needs. The volunteer also lets the child's wishes be known.
"A major part is monitoring and follow-up," she said. "They oversee and make sure the child is receiving the services they need."
While there are no specific days of the week volunteers are asked to dedicate, Barnes said they are asked to commit to one year. She said the cases CASA volunteers work on are not quick. There can be several obstacles and court hearings.
"Each case varies," Barnes said. "Volunteers do set their own schedule, but are asked to be cognizant of the hearings and be where they are needed to be."
On average, she said a volunteer will spend 10 hours per month advocating for their assigned children. However, that can change. If there is a family with multiple children who have been removed from their home, Barnes said a volunteer might get assigned all of them. With the increased number of adults to speak to in family cases, the volunteer will more likely spend more than 10 hours that month.
Even with the unfortunate circumstances CASA children might be in, Barnes said the volunteers have told her they felt they made a difference in their lives.
"They make sure they help that child reach their full potential," she said. "They make sure today's youth are ready and have the necessary life skills in place."
Of course, there are challenges in the volunteer role, as well. Barnes said the biggest one is the fact there are elements outside of a CASA volunteer's control.
"It is difficult to not know what the outcome is going to be," she said. "It can be challenging to not see progress. The parents might not be reaching their goals, the case might be open longer and the child has no permanency. But at least someone is there advocating and pushing the cases forward."
In the end, no matter the outcome, it fits into what CASA tries to do.
"Our goal is that every child who needs a volunteer advocate has one," Barnes said.
TO VOLUNTEER:
Contact Teresa Barnes at 641-847-6301 or go online to https://childadvocacy.iowa.gov. Fall and spring training sessions are scheduled, and interested people should apply now to begin the screening process.
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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.