APPOINTED ADVOCATES HELPING MANY TO THRIVE
“CASAs Change Lives.” Those were the words that stuck with me when I first considered becoming a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) over 10 years ago. Little did I know then, how not only the lives of the youth can be changed, but how the youth can profoundly change the life of the CASA as well.
It was sheer happenstance as I sat waiting for jury duty when a judge welcomed us. The judge, who oversaw the Juvenile Court, shared stories of what life was like in his courtroom, where he and his other colleagues oversaw the lives of thousands of youth in foster care in San Diego County. He spoke of overburdened social workers and children’s attorneys. But then he told us about a nonprofit organization called Voices for Children that recruits and trains CASA volunteers who advocate for children in foster care and become an extra set of eyes and ears for the court. He said there was a desperate shortage of male volunteers, and described how the support of one caring, consistent adult can create transformational change in the life of a child.
That very day I began the process to become a CASA, going through an interview and background check and onto an in-depth training called Advocate University. The numbers I heard were staggering: youth in foster care were less likely to graduate high school — when I learned this, I was even more empowered to make a difference. Throughout the training, I heard firsthand from children in foster care, social workers and active special advocates. They shared how lives were being changed for the better with the presence of a special advocate and how the youth who graduate are more likely to go on to advanced education, learn a trade and develop independent living skills.
After completing my training, I was assigned to a group of brothers who were removed from their grandmother for serious neglect. The youngest boy had special needs, and we hit it off right away as he spoke with pride about his school. As his educational rights holder, I was responsible for protecting his rights and interests with respect to his educational needs. I paid a visit to his school to observe him and meet the staff, and in our meetings, they asked me about our relationship and what a special advocate does. I asked my youth to answer for me. His reply was, “Mr. T. and I go to the park or the beach, go out for lunch, and he ‘abdicates’ for me.” And while he didn’t get that word “advocate” quite right, he said it with such confidence that I realized my special power for my kid with special needs was my ability to advocate for him.
Since then, I took the spirit of that forward with me in my service as a CASA over the next decade — for him, his brother and four other youth. Being a special advocate doesn’t require any special background or training. I certainly didn’t have any, outside of being the parent of two grown children and a retired founder and partner at an advertising agency. Patience and listening were not my strong suits, but over time working with youth in foster care, I realized how important both of those skills are. I had been wired from business to be a “fixer,” but working with vulnerable youth, there is no short-term fix. Rather, it is simply being present and consistent as they navigate their journey with you by their side.
The only goals I had for my case youth were that they receive their high school diploma and identify something for me to advocate for. I’m happy to report all of my case youth have graduated and are living independently. Certainly, there were difficulties, but the reward for them (and me) has been huge.
Today, I have one active case youth who is 18 and attending college full time with a part-time job. I keep in regular touch with the others who are now all in their 20s, some in college and/or working. But that first youth with special needs is the one who forever changed my life. Now 23, with the help of some professionals I first met at his school 10 years ago, we identified available services that led to him living in a group home, working parttime, taking college classes and getting on the path to a bright future. To learn more about how “CASAs Change Lives” and how to become a special advocate yourself, visit Voices for Children’s website at speakupnow.org.
In working with vulnerable youth, there is no short-term fix. Rather, it is simply being present and consistent as they navigate their journey.
Riley