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CASA of Westmoreland, Inc. Holds Graduation
Ceremony; First Class of CASA Volunteers Sworn-In by Family Court
Judges
Posted
10-2-07 The county's new Court Appointed
Special Advocate (CASA) program graduated its first class of 20 CASA
volunteers today at the Westmoreland County Courthouse. Family Court
Judge Feliciani, Judge Marsili, Judge Bell and Judge Driscoll
conducted an oath-taking and swearing-in ceremony which will enable
the volunteers to be appointed to advocate for abused/neglected
children who are under the supervision of the Family Court. Also in
attendance at the graduation were Judge Ober, Master Masser, family
members of CASA volunteers, CASA board members, steering committee
members, the director of Cambria County's CASA program, and CASA
staff along with various members of the community.
The agenda included Judge Christopher Feliciani,
Commissioner Tom Balya, President Judge Blahovec, Commissioner Phil
Light, and Executive Director Rachael Lord.
This first class of CASA volunteers come from
various backgrounds and interests and range in age from 25 years old
to those in their mid-seventies. Volunteers include an EMT,
paralegal, retired woman religious, law student, retired probation
officer, massage therapist, retired teacher, former mayor,
counselors, retired pastor, and educators. CASA of Westmoreland,
Inc. will be able to begin taking referrals from the Family Court
Judges to assign CASA volunteers to abused and neglected children as
early as the end of this week.
CASA of Westmoreland, Inc. was established as a
non-profit, 501(C)3 organization and is being funded almost in its
entirety through private donations and fundraising, with support
from Westmoreland County.
CASA
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) began in 1977 when Seattle
Superior Court Judge David Soukup agonized over his decision-making
responsibility. A recurrent theme was evident as he was often asked
to make consequential decisions with too little insight into the
circumstances that led to the child's removal from home or limited
information regarding the progress to a successful permanency plan.
The judge recognized the enormity of the task facing the child
welfare system, and while not diminishing the pivotal and legally
mandated role of the children and youth agency, he conceived the
idea of appointing carefully screened and trained community
volunteers (Court Appointed Special Advocates) to one case at a
time.
2007 marks the 30th anniversary of CASA and its
service to the courts. Today there are 950 CASA programs across the
country providing support and direction to more than 50,000 CASA
Volunteers -- seventeen CASA programs are currently operating in
Pennsylvania.
CASA provides a value added service to the court and
child welfare system that helps to protect the child's best
interest. In 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the
Inspector General (OIG) released the findings of an extensive audit
related to CASA1. The audit notes that CASA volunteers
are historically enlisted in the most complicated child welfare
cases. It also revealed that children and parents "received more
services" as a result of a CASA being assigned and a case with a
CASA was "more likely to be permanently closed, (i.e., the children
were less likely to reenter the system)."
In PA, The Juvenile Act 42 Pa.C.S. § 6342,
authorizes judges to assign CASA volunteers to dependency cases. It
empowers the CASA volunteer to carry out their duties providing
protection for good faith efforts in doing so.
CASA volunteers should be dedicated, committed men
and women who care about children and are willing to make a
difference in their lives. Volunteers should be willing to commit
for more than a year, be able to interview a variety of sources and
remain objective in recommendations, effectively communicate orally
and written, be willing to go through an in-depth training class and
pass a background check. Those interested in becoming a CASA
volunteer should contact the CASA office, located on the fourth
floor of the Westmoreland County Courthouse, at 724.850.6874 or
e-mail
casawc@co.westmoreland.pa.us. For more information about the
program, including an online volunteer application form, visit CASA
though the Westmoreland County homepage at
www.co.westmoreland.pa.us/CASA.
[1] National Court-Appointed Special
Advocate Program, U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector
General Audit Division, December 2006. |
