Anchorage
Wondering what to do now that summer is over? Come join
us for mentor meetings and Continuing Education
opportunities!
Mentor Meetings
Please note the date and time of the meetings below.
Look for your GAL mentor’s name and come join us at
noon on the seventh floor of the Office of Public
Advocacy. Lunch will be provided.
Marcia /Lisa /Kerry /Corey /Marsha: October 6th
Anita /Mara /Shannan /June: October 13th
LeeAnn /Anna: October 16th
Looking for CASA Volunteers!!
Our
next CASA core training starts this month. Please pass
the word and the
dates to your friends, families and neighbors. Ask
them to call LeeAnn at 269-3513 or June at 269-3510.
Continuing Education Schedule
Tour of Alaska CARES on September 9th - 1pm
to 2:30
Location – 3925 Tudor Center Drive #100
Alaska CARES is an outpatient clinic that provides
sexual and physical abuse evaluations for children from
birth to age 18. The clinic is on call 24 hours a day
for emergency services. Staff will take us on a tour of
the facility and explain their services and the many
different agencies housed there.
Court Report Writing Workshop on Tuesday, December 2nd
- 6 pm to 7 pm.
The
who, what, why and how’s of writing court reports.
Improve your writing skills and practice using court
report templates and outlines.
RSVP
for any of these trainings by emailing
LeeAnn. Please keep in
mind that you need to participate in 12 hours of
continuing education per year to meet your CASA
requirements.
CASA
Kudos
Many
thanks to volunteers Linda Janidlo, Eric
Lespin, Starr Marsett and OPA staffer
Anita Alves for helping out at the CASA booth for
the Mayor’s Diverse
City
Barbeque on the Delaney Parkstrip July 25th.
They generously donated their time to sell CASA
merchandise and get the word out about the CASA Program.
Many people stopped by to ask questions and sign up for
information about the CASA Program and several shared
their personal stories. We were also able to meet
actress Victoria Rowell, who wrote the book The Women
Who Raised Me, about her experiences in foster care.
Stop by the CASA library and check out her book.
A
special thanks to Barb Malchick for presenting a
two part training this summer on The Indian Child
Welfare Act (ICWA) and the Child Advocate. She
discussed the history leading up to the passage of ICWA,
the legal provisions of the law, and the CASA’s role in
advocating for Native Children. Hopefully at a later
date she will agree to offer this training again.
June
Haisten
Fairbanks
Fairbanks is enjoying a beautiful fall after our very
rainy summer. But despite the summer weather we were
able to get out and play a bit! On June 10th
we ventured out to the Chena River for a play date.
Traveling in canoes and kayaks we enjoyed a lovely
evening with great company. In July we got together for
our Second Annual Garden Tour and Party. We enjoyed the
some of the most beautiful gardens in Fairbanks. Thanks
to CASA volunteer Karen Binkley and community
supporters Walt and Renatte Benesch and Ken
McFarland and Dennis Rogers. We all gathered
at my house afterward for a BBQ and to play with our
reindeer and see the progress of my pond, while enjoying
the sun. Our August play date consisted of a nine mile
hike from Angel Creek Rocks to Chena Hot Springs. The
hills were covered with blueberries and although there
was rain all around us we stayed nice and dry. I just
had a hard time keeping up with CASA volunteer Jean
Becker as she bolts up those hills. Please plan to
join us next summer for more fun!
We
are looking forward to the Child Maltreatment Conference
in Anchorage from November 4-6. There are several
volunteers from Fairbanks heading down. It should be a
very informative conference. I am setting up the
Continuing Education trainings for this fall. Stay
tuned for some very interesting topics. If you have
ideas or suggestions then send them my way.
Friends of Alaska CASA is gearing up for their Annual
Quilt Auction. Stay tuned for the Fairbanks Group
quilt! Anyone who would like to
donate quilts is
welcome to do so as well. I also have raffle tickets
for another incredibly beautiful quilt. Pass the word
and help Friends of Alaska CASAs support volunteers and
children around the state.
Jane
Atkinson
Juneau
Lynn Squires-White
Kenaitze Indian
Tribe CASA Program
Greetings from Kenaitze CASA!
To many of you who do not know me, my name is
Kym Miller and I am
the Coordinator for Kenaitze CASA in Kenai, AK. I
have been with our program since April of 2008.
We have so much exciting events happening down here in Kenai.
Currently we are working on swearing in our 12th
CASA volunteer! I have had the opportunity to meet
with Elders in our community and talk about how
Kenaitze CASA is making a difference and helping our
people.
Our Tribal Court is also advancing and growing. We currently have
three Judges and one alternate Judge. At the
present time we have twenty cases going through our
court in a month. In the next few months we are
hoping to have a MOU with the Kenai State Court.
Our plan is to provide a CASA volunteer to Alaska
Native children in state custody.
I
would love to hear from you all. I would like to
report on more going on down here but must save that
information for the next newsletter. Please give us
a call (283-3633
ext.290), say hi, give us your comments or maybe even suggestions.
Our
eleventh volunteer being sworn in by our Chief
Tribal Judge, Rita Smagge and Judge Mary Ann Mills.
Chiqinik,
(thank you)
Kym Miller
Valley
A
Huge Thank You for a Wonderful Community Service
Project!
The Valley CASA Program was recently the beneficiary
of a most wonderful community service project from
the Alaska Women's Relief Society. Our
program received over 100 outstanding backpacks
stuffed to the zipper popping
limit
- full of all kinds of goodies, from books to
T-shirts to video games and much more. These will be
used by our CASAs when first introducing themselves
to children recently placed into protective
custody. The care and effort that went into this
project was tremendous! One little boy who was a
recent recipient of a “backpack surprise” got huge
tears in his eyes and said, “For me? Really? For me?
I've always wanted a backpack! Now I won't loose my
stuff!” Then when he looked at what was in the
backpack he just laughed out loud and was all smiles
for the rest of the visit. We cannot thank you
enough for the comfort and joy these backpacks are
bringing to our at-risk children that we serve.
“Ode to the CASA”
We would like to share the following poem with all
of our fellow CASAs. It was written by Mary Sparks,
a CASA from New York state. Please know just how
important you are in a child's life and how much
each and every one of you is appreciated! If
someone forgets to thank you, or you question what
impact you are having on a child, just read this
poem and reaffirm that the work you do is
“priceless” in so many ways.
You take the time, You act with care, You let
them know you're really there.
You stand up in court, You offer a choice; You let them
know that they do have a voice.
You ask the right questions, You weight the replies; Then
you respond with action, instead of just sighs.
You work long and hard with no compensation, To speak up
for a child, the hope of our nation.
You search for the truth, to help children in need; For
making a difference is part of your creed.
Your deeds are now honored, and likewise your souls – for
the “best interests” of children is the noblest
of goals!
Now we give thanks, for your thanks-giving, for helping
make sure a child's life is worth living.
Upcoming Events
l
Hiring a new part time Valley CASA staff member.
This position will focus on recruitment of
individuals within our local communities to join our
CASA program
l
Start planning for our 2009 Light of Hope event!
l
Attending the Child Maltreatment Conference in
November (to be held in Anchorage)
New Found Resources for CASAs!
1.
READING ROCKETS - A great resource for CASAs who
have young readers –
www.readingrockets.org A wonderful website
that offers information and resources on how young
children learn to read, why so many struggle, and
how caring adults can help. We especially love the
free “E-cards for Readers” that can be used to help
motivate kids to read and read some more! These
e-cards were created by award winning children's
book illustrators and there are plenty to choose
from.
2.
NASP FAMILIES –
www.nasponline.org – National Association of
School Psychologists' website has great information
on “Back to School”, “Home and School”, “Health and
Wellness”, etc. At our recent monthly CASA meeting
we utilized the back-to-school transitions tip sheet
from this website to brainstorm several cases where
there were concerns regarding the children needing
additional help transitioning to new schools due to
placement changes.
Cecily Skoog-Moore
Native Outreach
Initiative
In order to increase
the number of Native CASAs in Alaska, an initiative was
started by the Office of Public Advocacy, Alaska CASA
Program. The initiative is designed to supplement the
current CASA program and to encourage more Alaska
Natives to become involved.
The nine member Native CASA Council was formed to
provide support and guidance. The volunteer Council
members have made a heartfelt and compassionate
commitment to help our children and young people in the
state’s child protection system by providing them with
volunteer advocates.
When the initiative began in July 2005, there were 4
Native CASAs statewide. Of those 4 volunteers, 3 remain
active. In 2008 the active Native CASA volunteer numbers
are: 18 Anchorage volunteers, 1 in Fairbanks,
0 in the Mat-Su Valley and 0 in Juneau for
a total of 19 volunteers. Presently, 8 people
have indicated that they intend to take fall CASA
training in Anchorage! And since it’s only June, we are
hopeful that more people will sign up.
This is a start that we are all proud of because it is
an indication that the CASA message is being heard in
Anchorage where there has been a concentrated
educational effort. And now we can go to the next step
of concentrated recruitment in Anchorage. It has been
said that when a potential volunteer first hears the
CASA message, it takes time (generally a couple of
years) to incorporate the commitment it takes to be a
volunteer, and then to fit that commitment into one’s
life style. We are very proud of those who have stepped
forward to speak for children in state custody.
The above figures also indicate that we need to do more
ground breaking this upcoming fiscal year (July 2008 –
June 2009) in Fairbanks, Mat-Su Valley and Juneau. In
order to carry out the initiative in these three
communities, we will be inviting people to join the
Native CASA Council to help support and guide the
endeavor statewide. In expanding the Council, we are
sure to recruit awesome CASA advocates to help our
beautiful children and young people in the system.
A big (as Denali)
thank you to all the many individuals, who have and are
helping to recruit more CASA advocates. If you have a
Native word that we can use in place of “initiative,”
please contact the Native CASA Specialist at the
following email address
kay.wallis@alaska.gov
or call 907-269-3522. Mahsi cho!
Kay Wallis
