Home

Why We Are Here

Current News

Job Announcements

How to Become a CASA Volunteer

Volunteer Training

Giving

Staff and Board

Resources and Links

—Articles
—Book Reviews
—Client Profiles

Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

Some CASA volunteers set an impossible standard for others and are modest to boot. One such anonymous volunteer became frustrated soon after his child was reunited with his mother. Things were going reasonably well, but the family, which included not only the teen-age boy and his mother, but also an older sister and her children, were all sharing a tiny two bedroom apartment. The mother had successfully filed a petition to be reunited with her son; she had successfully stayed clean and sober for several years. But she was having trouble finding a larger apartment because she could not afford the deposit. She had already resorted to several "one-time-only" sources of financial support. The social worker said there was nothing more anyone could do to help. The CASA was not convinced.

The next time the mother found an appropriate apartment, our CASA found out exactly how much she needed up-front for the landlord. It came to $1500 above and beyond what the family could come up with. He then went to his colleagues at work and raised $100 each from 15 people. This money covered the deposit and the family got the apartment. The rest will be up to them.

A CASA is not a Santa Claus. But every once in a while, one comes pretty close.

Doing What's Needed

Rosalie Ross-Sennett claims that she was "just doing what was needed," but hers is the story of how a CASA Court Report may alter the course of a child's life.

Let's call Rosalie's boy Alex. He is 13 years old. He has not lived with his mother for a long time. For six years, he lived with an uncle and an aunt, but he was removed from their home and placed in foster care in 1996. Alex was doing well in a Foster Family Agency (FFA) home until this past summer, when he and a foster brother got into some trouble and the foster mother and the social worker for the FFA had a disagreement.

While Alex was spending the month of August with his mother, who has been in recovery for over two years, the FFA decided to move him to a new foster home in another county. Alex would not be told of the move until he returned to his foster home, when he would have to pack up and leave within three days. Rosalie and Alex's attorney felt that was an arbitrary and capricious move that did not involve Alex's wishes or feelings. They were able to stop the process and force a case conference in which everyone talked about what would be in Alex's best interests. The outcome was that while Alex was removed from his placement, he went to another foster family in San Francisco and did not have to lose contact with friends he has known all his life.

Alex likes his new foster family but really wants to live with his mother. Rosalie wrote a Court Report supporting reunification. Meanwhile, the social worker wrote a report that included factual errors. Rosalie then wrote an addendum pointing them out.

Alex came to court on the day of his hearing; so did his mom. The Commissioner was pleased to see them and even more pleased to see Alex's report card. He complemented Alex on his ability to keep his wits about him and improve his school performance when the world around him was so chaotic.

As a result of Rosalie's report, a city attorney who had known Alex when he first came into the system became interested in getting back on the case. She and Alex's attorney moved quickly to re-open the case for reunification. A new social worker has been assigned and new reunification requirements are being established.

Rosalie has not single-handedly created a happy ending. Alex's mom may or may not be able to take on the responsibility of a teen-age boy when she has never been an active parent. But I am calling this the "Success of the Month" because it represents what a CASA can do to take a clear-headed look at a child's life and call attention to his plight.

Overcoming a Bumpy Start

This is SFCASA Volunteer Debra Bloom's story:

When my little guy got into dependency, he wasn't even six years old. He really wanted to be back with his mom. She seemed to be doing well in her drug treatment program and he was seeing her on a regular basis. There were so many social workers, counselors, lawyers, and others in and out of his life that the counselor at his therapeutic group home felt that I was just one more person taking up his time and that I wasn't really needed. My case supervisor encouraged me to stay on the case just a little longer even though there didn't seem to be any reason for it. We decided I should just pull back for a bit. After a couple of months, I called the social worker, and to my surprise, she was delighted to hear from me. "We can really use you!" she said.

I started seeing my little guy again. He still wants to be with his mom. She had fallen off from her program some, but now she is showing some improvement, though she is not accepting responsibility for her own problems or for her son's difficulties. "It's the system," she says. She has completed parenting classes but will need more parenting help if they reunite, because he has special needs and is very challenging to be with for any length of time.

Now I meet with my CASA kid every week. He can't listen for long or focus very well, but he is always happy to see me and runs up to hug me. I ask him if he wants to know anything about court, but he says no. Meanwhile, I'll be meeting with all of the social workers and counselors involved in the case so that we can write up the most effective possible Court Reports. We all agree that reunification plans should continue, but that the mom needs lots of help and the process has to go forward slowly.

I don't feel that I have done anything very dramatic, but I have learned that you can accomplish more than you think just by dropping back a little but staying available.

Doing Your Homework

When Kelley Anderson was assigned her case, she knew that he was a severely disturbed ten year-old boy whom we'll call Charlie. Charlie had many health problems, including hyperactivity and learning disabilities and had lived in a residential treatment facility. He had no family in California except a drug-addicted mother and a half-sister in foster care in another county.

Before she had even met him, Kelley received a phone call from Charlie's attorney; would she serve as Surrogate Parent for the I.E.P meeting scheduled to be held the next week? Kelley thought it over and decided that she would.

Following protocol, Kelley contacted the social worker and read the boy's voluminous file. She spoke to the therapist on the telephone and learned what medications he was on. Since she could not set up any appointments until the next week, Kelley went to the library and looked up all the medications, noting their uses and their possible side effects.

Kelley's time at the library paid off more than she imagined.

The I.E.P. conference was held the next week. Kelley met Charlie briefly and was immediately drawn into the meeting to discuss Charlie's educational progress. She heard mixed reports about how he was doing and a general concern about his health. A recent medical exam had revealed that he had disturbing changes in his white blood cell count. Suddenly, Kelley found herself able to contribute to the discussion. She knew that one of the medications Charlie was taking had a possible side effect of lowering the white blood cell count.

Although Kelley was in no way responsible for diagnosing any medical condition, she was able to make a significant contribution to the discussion at her very first meeting with the group, before she had even gotten to know Charlie. Thanks to the time that she took to do her homework, she quickly earned a valued place on the team caring for Charlie.

A Great, Bright, Intelligent Kid

SFCASA volunteer Sarah currently holds the record for being the volunteer with the longest continuous case in SFCASA history. Sarah participated in the second Volunteer Training offered by our program (Spring, 1992) and received her first and only assignment the following October. The case officially closed in the fall of 1998, when Sarah's young client, Lisa (not her real name), enrolled at a California State University campus.

Lisa was 12 years of age when Sarah first met her. She had been sexually and physically abused by family members and others, including an "uncle" whose actions and behavior could be both kind and generous, but who was also a pedophile. Lisa, suicidal at the age of seven, had become a dependent of the Court, was reunited with her mother and stepfather (who had 7 other children over the years), and again became a dependent of the Court at the age of 12. During her second dependency, Lisa lived in 11 different foster family or group homes, attended nine different schools, and was assigned 7 different social workers.

Lisa frequently had to leave her placements because of breaking rules. She sneaked out at night and, if there should be a teenage boy in the home, invariably became sexually involved with him. Lisa was involved in gangs and had poor school attendance. At the age of 13 she ran away from her placement and began living with an adult male. Lisa was out of contact with Sarah for about 3 weeks, but reestablished contact after having been gang raped. She asked Sarah to help her to find a new foster home. Over the years, Lisa has slashed herself, burned herself with cigarettes, and pierced various of her own body parts.

Lisa's history sounds like the worst case scenario for any child. We would expect her to be an angry, tough, socially isolated, and difficult young woman. But instead, Sarah says, "Lisa is very popular and very caring. She seems to have learned to set limits on her own sexual behavior and to be appropriate in relationships. She is just a great, bright, intelligent kid. She's also good at tapping into adults who can help her."

In her last year of high school, Lisa finally found a foster family that was caring, but able to keep a helpful distance from the "acting out stuff that kids do." She participated in the Independent Living Skills Program, took the SATs, filled out college applications, and worked out her own financial aid arrangements. Lisa graduated from high school in June, 1998. Her participation in the Bridge Program made it possible for her dependency status to be extended through the summer, providing support until she could move into her dormitory in the fall. Once the fall semester began, a special government program helped Lisa with both her economic and emotional adjustment.

Except for a therapist who has treated Lisa for the last 4 years, Sarah has been the only constant in Lisa's life. She has helped Lisa to move from one home to the next and has made sure that Lisa received the services to which she has been entitled. Sarah was there for Lisa when she was in trouble and needed a friend. Lisa knew that she could trust Sarah to be understanding, but she also knew that Sarah would report concerns about safety to Lisa's social worker.

Sarah believes that she was able to sustain the relationship with Lisa because she maintained an appropriate level of intervention in Lisa's activities, picking battles by evaluating the importance of each situation, setting moderate and, as much as possible, appropriate limits, and working with Lisa, taking her needs into account, while trying to keep her safe. If, for example, Lisa was having sexual relations with someone her own age, Sarah would not report the relationship to Lisa's social worker. But if Lisa became involved with an adult, Sarah would file a report. Similarly, each time Lisa told Sarah that she had pierced herself, Sarah would talk to Lisa about the risk of infection and would ask the foster family to monitor the healing process.

Sarah says that it has been exciting to see Lisa grow into her own person, and Lisa could probably say the same about Sarah. Just as Lisa has developed from one stage of her life to the next, so Sarah has undergone her own transformation. Her involvement as a CASA volunteer in the court process changed the direction of Sarah's career. Last June, each young woman received a diploma—Lisa from high school, Sarah from law school. Just as Lisa has received a scholarship from a County Social Workers' Fund, Sarah has received a fellowship from the law firm of Pillsbury Madison & Sutro, which is sponsoring Sarah for one year at the San Francisco Legal Aid Society Endowment Center.

Sarah expects that she and Lisa will see each other every month or so, but that there will be a shift in their relationship. Some of the established patterns will continue to be respected. Sarah knows that Lisa will call her when she has a crisis, but she also trusts that the younger woman will not overstep the boundaries of their relationship. She expects that they will be two friends in a mutually respectful adult relationship.

The story is far from over for these talented young women, but we can safely say that their relationship has indeed been a double success.

In-Home Dependency

Ian was assigned as CASA to a 13 year old boy in August, 1997. The referral was made by the minor's attorney who wrote that, "the minor has recently been returned to the mother's care for a six month trial, after an eight year separation. The CASA would be able to provide support and guidance during the fragile transition period." During the years of separation "Terry" lived in foster care homes and in a residential treatment program. He was diagnosed with learning disabilities and was subject to violent outbursts.

Ian established a trusting relationship, not only with Terry but also with the entire family. With Ian's help they were able to move from an overcrowded one bedroom apartment to a roomier two-bedroom. Ian established regular contact with Terry's school and has weekly progress reports sent to him. Terry may be able to move from special education classes to mainstream classes by the beginning of the next school year as his work and conduct are improving. His mother has stayed clean and sober and is caring and a competent parent.

This Is My Kid Brother

For the last ten months, SFCASA volunteer Joan has been assigned to the case of "Louis," a ten year old African American boy diagnosed with a serious attachment disorder and residing in a residential treatment facility in San Francisco. Throughout this time, it was Joan who helped Louis through his disappointments caused by his mother's failure to appear as promised on holidays, at school events—such as graduation—and for other occasions on which other children in the home were visited by family members.

By rejecting or ignoring Joan, Louis consistently and aggressively tested her to learn if he could cause her to abandon him and her efforts to help him. In their ten month relationship, Louis had never asked his CASA to do anything related to his case. So when, last month, the youngster finally did make a request, the CASA recognized a test of her commitment to helping him. And this request was no small order. For his birthday, Louis wanted a visit from his sister, Nicole, a seventeen year old living in foster care in Contra Costa County. The two had not seen each other in over a year.

Joan contacted Nicole, who wanted to visit her brother on his birthday, but for whom transportation from her Contra Costa home all the way to San Francisco was a problem. Joan does not own a car, so she offered to meet the teenager at BART and to ride the bus with her to Louis's residence. Nicole agreed to the plan, but the hesitancy in her voice told Joan that things might not work out. On the day of the planned visit, Nicole phoned Joan to say that she did not have the money for the BART trip and would have to cancel.

Joan was determined that she, at least, would not be responsible for disappointing Louis. So she left work early, rented a car, drove for an hour and a half to pick up Nicole at her group home, and then made the trip back again to the City. Because of the uncertainties in the day's plans and to avoid disappointing Louis, Joan had not told him that his sister was coming.

When the sister and brother met, the smile on Louis's face and the excitement in his eyes expressed his surprise and happiness. The visit went extremely well. There was an obvious bond between the brother and sister that time and separation had not diminished. In addition, Louis's sister brought snapshots of her visit to family members out of state which enabled Louis to begin reconnecting with his extended family.

Nicole commented on how much Louis had grown since they last saw each other and on how much his speech had improved. She expressed obvious pride and love when she put her arm around Louis and said, "This is my kid brother!" As she was leaving, Nicole promised to phone Louis more often than in the past and to try to visit him on her own. She took with her information about Louis' schedule to be able to phone him when he would be available to talk, and directions to his residence so that she could visit him via public transportation.

Although we can't know at this time what the results of this visit will be, the potential benefits to Louis are enormous. The connection between the brother and sister has been restored, and they have made specific plans for future phone calls and possible visits. The relatively brief meeting with Louis' sister left Joan with the feeling that the teenager will be a good role model for her brother. Because Joan was able to grant Louis' only request, and because both she and his sister were with him to celebrate his birthday, Joan hopes that Louis will begin to trust her and to think of her as a reliable adult friend.

Because of the extreme difficulties which Louis has faced, he has needed and has benefited from the special care provided in his current therapeutic residential placement. With the help of his very dedicated and resourceful SFCASA volunteer, Louis may have taken a very important first step towards a fuller and more promising life.

Kinship Care

When Lynn was assigned as a CASA to "Shamina" in 1995, the ten year old girl was living in an emergency foster care home. Her mother was a drug addict who was battered by her husband and who neglected Shamina leaving her with neighbors and often forgetting to feed her. Shamina had learning disabilities and behavior problems

Shamina moved from emergency foster care to long term foster care. Her attorney requested a CASA because "parents and extended family have not visited on a regular basis and appear to have left all nurturing and guidance to the foster mother. The child needs someone to assist the foster parent in nurturing and guidance.”

Shamina was moved from one long term foster care home to another due to her difficult behavior. Lynn visited her weekly and maintained contact with her school and with her therapist. Eventually, with Lynn's help, Shamina moved in with a cousin whom she had known all her life. The cousin recently married and had a child of her own.

Although Shamina is still living with her cousin, things are far from smooth. She is still subject to violent outbursts that have led to suspension from school and makes her cousin question whether or not she can continue as Shamina's caregiver.

Lynn remains a constant in her life, making sure that Shamina does not fall from through the cracks in the system. On the dresser of Shamina's sparse bedroom is a collection of greeting cards—more than half are from Lynn. Because she is living with a relative, Shamina has the benefit of contact with a larger extended family, especially over the holidays.

Longterm Care

George was assigned as a CASA to a 14 year old boy, "Mark." When Mark's mother received the formal announcement that a volunteer had been assigned to her son, she called the CASA office to ask why she was notified. She said that she had no contact with her son and why should she care?

Mark lives in a group home. Most staff members are caring and competent, some are not. It is easy to manipulate the system and hard to enforce rules with consistency. Mark has been in trouble with the law and has angry outbursts at school.

His social worker requested a CASA because of his need for an African American role model in his life. According to the Social Worker, he has no significant male in his life. He is a very likable and pleasant young man who will respond to positive interactions.

George has found the social worker's assessment to be true. He feels that Mark is more like a seven year-old than a 14 year-old. He is working closely with the group home to help them define their effectiveness when they put Mark on restriction. He is making sure that Mark gets a new outfit with his clothing allowance and is buying him a birthday cake to bring to a celebration at his home.

George hopes to help Mark's caregivers be consistent in helping him with anger management and to provide positive alternatives to the bad influences with whom he has associated himself in the past.

Reunification

Tom was assigned to the "Jones" boys in January 1998 after their mother Susan's public defender submitted a request to CASA. The boys had been removed from her care and placed under of the jurisdiction on the Court in August 1997.

Four year old "Johnny" and two year old "Davie" were placed in temporary foster care with an elderly woman who has since decided that she does not want to care for them anymore. They were moved to a new foster care home in May of 1998.

Johnny was born addicted to cocaine. He is a charming but active boy; his mother had been seen hitting him numerous times with her belt while he was acting out in public. After his birth, his mother went to drug treatment and Davie was born drug free. Susan loves both her boys very much. She acknowledges that she has "mental" problems but is working vigorously to fulfill the requirements of the Court for reunification.

Tom's job as a CASA is to visit the boys at their foster care home, day care center, and the Family Foster Care Agency where they have visits with their mom. He interviews all the professionals involved in the case, including social workers and therapists. He recently observed a visit with the children and the mother and wrote a report that was in agreement with the DHS Social Workers assessment—that Susan loves the boys and that they love her, but that it is still questionable whether or not she will be able to care for them adequately especially since she just had another child. (She became pregnant soon after the children were removed from her care.)

At the six month hearing the Court decided to keep the boys in foster care and continue reunification services because the mother is obviously committed to regaining custody of Johnny and Davie. Before the 12 month hearing, after much observation, Tom will write a report that will help the Court decide whether or not it is in the best interest of the boys to be returned to the care of their mother.

Reversing a Cycle Of Failure

When "Gerard," 14, was referred to the SFCASA Program, he was spending much of his time on the streets in a state of acute stress owing to gang harassment. Because of his fear, Gerard rarely attended school, thus was doing poorly in all areas. In addition, he had been trying to care both for his drug addicted father and for his younger half siblings, who were living elsewhere with his mother. Both parents resided in motel rooms. When the SFCASA volunteer was first assigned to Gerard's case, it was often necessary to search for Gerard by walking the streets of the Mission District to locate the frightened young man.

The CASA began visiting Gerard on a weekly basis, establishing a secure relationship with the child based on trust and respect, while modeling positive and constructive behavior. Gerard's CASA volunteer reported his circumstances to a juvenile court judge, and subsequently was instrumental in researching and recommending a placement for Gerard in a residential school for troubled youth. In this new environment, with the support of his CASA, Gerard has reversed his cycle of failure. He completed two grades in one year, and from all appearances, is no longer a frightened and depressed young person.

Gerard is now working on a reward system and getting along well with the other children in the school. He has been spending time with his paternal grandmother in San Mateo County and the CASA has used the opportunities to collect objective data to evaluate the possibility of Gerard's living with her when he is ready to leave the residential school.

Working In the Schools

Mark, 12, is a Caucasian boy whose mother is heroin addicted and who for several years lived in kinship care with his aunt and uncle, who abused him. He was removed from their home and placed with a foster family. Mark is an intelligent boy who seems to act out for attention and may lie. He presented disciplinary problems in his first foster home.

Mark's DHS worker had planned to move him to another county, but Mark's SFCASA volunteer, concerned about the damaging effects on Mark of a move to a completely unfamiliar place, worked with Mark's attorney to obtain a court order preventing the relocation out of the county and allowing preservation of positive contacts within the San Francisco community,. The volunteer also advocated for a new foster family home.

The DHS (Department of Human Services) Child Welfare Worker was able to find such a placement for Mark, and Mark has adjusted well to the new home, although he was at first uncomfortable being the only Caucasian boy in an African American neighborhood, especially when taking the bus to school. The success of Mark's current school placement, for which his SFCASA volunteer also advocated, is measurable in Mark's current good attendance and improved grades and behavior. The son of Mark's foster mother has begun to watch over Mark and walks to and from the bus with him. Mark is developing a close bond with this older boy, is doing well at his current home, and is liked by everyone there.

She Thought There Could Be Standards

In a routine telephone check-in, SFCASA Volunteer Christie Clark described her 15 year old CASA girl, whom we'll call Shirley. The story sounded so much like others I've heard that it seemed worth sharing.

Shirley lives with her maternal aunt, who provides a secure home but isn't terribly interested in the details of Shirley's life, especially school. That is why Christie has become the surrogate parent for Shirley's IEP (Individual Educational Plan).

In December, Christie arranged to pick up Shirley and her aunt for a meeting at the school. Shirley was ready and waiting, but the aunt canceled. She was "too busy."

Shirley's grades were down, her attendance sporadic, and her behavior objectionable. She was often "disrespectful" to teachers, cursing and yelling at them and had recently been suspended twice. Christie was distressed to hear how badly Shirley was performing, but rapidly became even more distressed when she realized that the school was not going to do anything about it. They had no constructive strategies to help her improve and no consequences if she did not. Christie became so frustrated in the meeting that she voiced her concern at the lack of response but saw that it was making no difference; the school seems to consider the behavior commonplace and is immune to it.

On the way home, Christie apologized to Shirley for becoming irritated, explaining to her that she was frustrated because she thought that Shirley was bright and that the school was "not setting the bar high enough for her."

Shirley was quiet for a long time. Christie was afraid she might have over-stepped the line and offended not only the school, but also Shirley. Then Shirley said, "I think that teacher was really rude. I didn't like the way she talked to you."

That was last semester. This semester Shirley is going to school every day. Her performance has improved so much that she has been moved from special education to mainstream in some subjects. There is even talk of making her mainstream in all areas next fall.

Christie took a chance. She spoke honestly but without judgment about Shirley's school performance. She dared to say that she thought there could be standards. Because of the trust established over months, her gamble paid off. Shirley was ready for the challenge.

Her most recent weekly report showed 2 A's and 4 B's.