MAY 20199kzym1b292e42ko2z11qrorz-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/... · MAY 2019 CASA of Bell & Coryell Counties 112 North Main Street Belton, Texas 76513 (254) 774-1881

MAY 2019

CASA of Bell &

Coryell Counties

112 North Main Street

Belton, Texas 76513

(254) 774-1881

Check out more on

our social media!

Greetings Advocates, Volunteers, Board Members, Staff, and all of our CASA network,

Spring has sprung and we are loving it! At CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties, we have been

busier than ever and that is in part due to all of you who give your time and effort in making

the work we do happen. It has been a very quick six months since I started at CASA and I can

tell you that the level of dedication and passion I see from our staff and Advocates has blown

me away – I am humbled by the work you do each and every day.

Since December, we have hosted our 2nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K and Family Festival, one

of our largest annual fundraisers. We give our most sincere thanks to every Advocate, staff

member, and fundraising committee member who helped make our second-ever 5K such a

huge success. We have already started discussions for next year – be sure to mark your

calendars for St. Patrick’s Day Weekend 2020!

Another major project included providing training for all of our current Advocates in the Optima

system. This was one of many steps in our local program’s efforts in going paperless with our

volunteer and case management. Preliminary feedback is that everyone is loving the Optima

Go mobile app with talk to text and our Advocates are excited to be using Optima going

forward!

Additionally, we welcomed 14 new Advocates at the end of February (our largest class yet!)

and we are preparing to swear in another 12 in the coming month. Currently, we are serving

nearly 250 children and, as we continue to grow, we will continue to work tirelessly to meet the

ever-growing need for CASA advocacy in our two counties.

We appreciate each and every one of you who supports CASA and the children in our

community in your own way – whether it is through advocating for a child, donating time and

funds to the agency, or helping to spread awareness and the CASA Mission – we cannot thank

you enough!

Sincerely,

Dawn Graves Executive Director

Contact Log

Reminder:

Attention, Advocates!

Be sure to record

your casework,

volunteer hours, and

in-service training in

Optima each month.

Don’t forget to

include your travel

time and mileage.

Let CASA know how

YOU are making a

difference!

CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties Welcomes 14 New Advocates!

On Tuesday, February 26, 2019, The Honorable Judge Jack Jones joined CASA in welcoming 14

new Advocates to CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties. Your local CASA program is steadily

growing and we are excited to see what the rest of 2019 has in store in our ability to provide

quality advocacy for the children in our local community. We would like to thank these new

Advocates for committing to speak up for at least 14 more children who have experienced

abuse and neglect in Bell and Coryell Counties. On behalf of all our volunteers, advocates,

board members, and staff, welcome to the CASA family!

From left to right: Jess Johnson, Rebekah Moon, Allison Morrow, Bri Johnson, Romona Thompson, Priscilla Bruton,

Liz Miranda, Aundrea Dudik, Mareta Taukilo, Amy Patterson Ivy, Beverly Ledbetter, Ginger Legard, Georgiana

Chatman, and Molly Holt.

Volunteer Highlights and Stories

Ellis Hutchison

Advocate Ellis Hutchison joined CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties in October 2018. Since that

time, Ellis has done a phenomenal job in advocating for one of our local children. In only the

first 6 months of his service with CASA, Ellis has shown his commitment to CASA’s mission by

traveling each and every month to Lockhart, Texas to visit his child. During this time, Ellis was

also able to inform CPS and the Court that he was able to locate a distant sibling of the child.

His CASA child has been diagnosed with Autism and the foster parents stated that they would

like for the child to attend a summer camp that specializes in working with children on the

Autism spectrum. Ellis wasted no time in ensuring funds were secured from Fostering Angels for

his child to attend this summer camp. CASA Supervisor Lindsay Beaton stated “from day one,

Ellis has been a champion Advocate for this child and he always goes above and beyond.”

Thank you, Ellis, for serving with CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties and for all you do each day

for your CASA child.

Christina Smith

Christina Smith joined our program as

a Court Appointed Special Advocate

in June 2018. Since that time, Christina

has been assigned to two cases and

has been working with 5 children for

the last 8 months. In her time with

CASA, Christina has accomplished a lot. She successfully advocated for one of her teens in

receiving mental health services. She was also a primary player in assisting a father with

navigating the waters of being a single, full-time father for 3 CASA children. CASA Supervisor

Lindsay Beaton stated “Christina is absolutely rocking it. We love having Christina as an

Advocate.” Thank you for all you do, Christina!

If you have not yet been featured in the CASA newsletter or if you have only been briefly mentioned, we

are still waiting to hear your story! Your Recruiter/Trainer is actively seeking information from our staff, those

who have praised CASAs in our communities, and from you - the Advocate! If you would like to share your

story but remain anonymous, let us know! Please send us your stories or stories of your fellow Advocates

and volunteers by emailing Karli Barger, Recruiter/Trainer, at [email protected].

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Doug Allen (May 9), Reaunna “Andy” Anderson (April 18), Sharla Carter (May 10), Nikky Clinton

(May 17), Melanie Delgado (May 6), Marlean Druce (April 22), Gwen Everett (May 1),

Domenica Fernandez (April 26), Rolana Frank (April 27), Ralph Garcia (May 7), Leslie Holman

(April 27), Bri Johnson (May 3), Jess Johnson (May 16), Susan Jones (April 22), Whitney King (May

3), Ginger Legard (April 22), Bethany Lehman (April 11), Sandy McClellan (May 28), Dona

Thompson (May 7), and Yulanda Young (May 5).

CASA ANNIVERSARIES

1 Year

Domenica Fernandez, Lin McBee, Michelle Wininger, and Ellen Wright

2 Years

Eric Cain, Nikky Clinton, and DaShanda Deas-Davis

3 Years

Susan Jones, Lisa Shatto, and Denise Vonderheid

WHO CAN BE A CASA?

If you or someone you

know has heart,

strength, and

compassion to speak

up for children, let us

know!

Court Appointed

Special Advocates

are volunteers who

pledge to give their

time to help children

journey through the

foster care system.

They speak on behalf

of a child at court

hearings and use their

voice to put the best

interests of the child

first.

If you have or know

someone that has the

qualities to give

children another

chance, let us know

by emailing Karli

Barger,

Recruiter/Trainer.

New CASA

Volunteer

Orientation:

May 16, 2019

5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

at the CASA office

C

A

S

A

Strengthening

the voices of

Texas children.

Meet Your Board of Directors!

Would you like to know more about our fabulous Board of Directors? In each newsletter, CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties features one member of our Board to shine light on their roles, backgrounds, and experience with CASA. This month, we would like you to meet our Former Board of Directors President, Ms. Bette Robinson!

Bette Robinson

Serving on the CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties Board of Directors for the last five years has given me

the opportunity to work with amazing people – Board members, CASA staff, community members, and

especially Advocates – those who give tirelessly of their time and resources to provide support for children

as they go through the court system as foster children. Upon retiring from Killeen ISD in 2004 after a career

as an elementary teacher and school administrator

(Principal and Director of Special Education), I

responded to an ad in the newspaper about CASA

and became a volunteer Advocate. For the next

nine years, I served as a CASA for several cases.

Each case I worked on and each time I was in court,

I learned something new about the system, about

the appalling circumstances some children live in,

about the need for someone to support families,

and about the resilience of children. One of the

most rewarding moments of my CASA career came

when I was visiting a child at school and a classmate

asked if I was her grandmother. She replied, “No, she

is my friend.”

CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties Introduces Two Internship Positions in 2019

Your local CASA kicked off the new year in full-swing with several great additions to our office team. Within

the last five months, we have welcomed two incredible and talented new team members as full-time

staff – Ms. Dawn Graves as our new Executive Director and Ms. Kim Craig as our new Executive Assistant.

During this time, your CASA office has continued to work tirelessly in implementing many necessary

changes to accommodate our growth in working with our Advocates, community, and in our service to

local children.

Over the last year, your local CASA program has also experienced an increase in demand for internship

positions for our local students entering and continuing in the social work field. CASA of Bell and Coryell

Counties understands the value in providing quality educational opportunities and professional growth

experiences for our local students and, as we continue to grow in our service and mission, we were thrilled

to welcome our first two internship positions in January 2019.

Lindsay Beaton Serves as 2019 Training and Outreach Intern

Ms. Lindsay Beaton is currently one of CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties’ Advocate Supervisors and is

completing her Masters in Social Work through the University of Denver. Ms. Beaton began her field

internship in January in CASA’s Training and Outreach department with Recruiter/Trainer Karli Barger. In

her internship role, Ms. Beaton has assisted in the implementation of the new Texas CASA Pre-Service

Training Curriculum, has served as a co-facilitator in over 15 pre-service training sessions, and is currently

working to increase our local program’s outreach and awareness efforts through social media.

Specifically, Ms. Beaton’s projects have included designing and incorporating additional in-class learning

activities for new Advocates to increase trainee learning and engagement. She is also currently

developing a mock CPS case tailored to match our service area standards and procedures that will be

used in upcoming pre-service trainings. Ms. Beaton is also working to increase our social media presence

and has created official Instagram and Twitter accounts for our local program (be sure to check them

out!).

Past Board President Bette Robinson (left) passes on

the title to the current Board President, Tina Capito.

There is no greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone’s life.

Sister Mary Rose McGeady

WONDERING WHO

SOME OF OUR

SUPPORTERS ARE?

NOTICE

CASA of Bell and

Coryell Counties

has recently

updated all staff

emails. Please see

the list below and

update your CASA

staff email

contacts!

Dawn Graves

Executive Director

[email protected]

Kim Craig

Executive Assistant

[email protected]

Marlean Druce

Volunteer Admin Assistant

[email protected]

Karli Barger

Recruiter/Trainer

[email protected]

Michelle Hamilton

Lead CASA Supervisor

[email protected]

Lindsay Beaton

CASA Supervisor

[email protected]

Denise Hanley

CASA Supervisor

[email protected]

Vicki Israel

CASA Supervisor

[email protected]

CASA Goes Paperless in Case Management with Optima –

Thank you, Allison Morrow!

In January, we also welcomed our first case management intern,

Ms. Allison Morrow. Ms. Morrow is currently enrolled at Texas State

University where she is earning her Masters in Social Work. Ms.

Morrow’s primary role has included working with our Advocate

Supervisors and current Advocates in continuing education

training. Ms. Morrow completed the Pre-Service Advocate

Training on February 26 and accepted a case shortly thereafter.

Along with becoming an official Court Appointed Special

Advocate with our program and working a case, she also took

charge of CASA’s Optima Training initiative. Ms. Morrow

scheduled, planned, and coordinated over 13 Optima training

sessions to meet the needs of our current Advocates, as well as

served as the primary facilitator for several of these sessions. She

has also assisted in a variety of other capacities to increase

program efficiency and organization. Thank you to our two

wonderfully talented interns for taking on your projects at a time

of great need and for all you do in the mission of CASA!

CASA’s 2nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K & Family Fun Festival

CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties wrapped up a second successful year of its St. Patrick’s Day

5K fundraiser. The event this year took place on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at the South Temple

Community Park in Temple, Texas. This year’s event began with a 5K run at 9:00 a.m. following

by a family fun walk and stroll at 10:00 a.m. We were also joined by over 10 vendors throughout

the community who provided physical fitness and wellness activities for the children in

attendance. This year’s 5K was a huge success and we are looking forward to next year’s

event! Thank you to each and every Advocate, staff member, and fundraising committee

member who contributed to this year’s 5K.

Interns Allison Morrow (left) and Lindsay Beaton

(right) increasing awareness during National

Child Abuse Prevention Month.

CASA of Bell and

Coryell Counties

thanks the

following

businesses for your

Kris Kringle Basket

donations and for

being champion

CASA supporters!

We would like to thank the following sponsors of CASA’s 2nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K – we

could not do what we do without the support and involvement of each of you!

Randy Taylor Custom Builders, Smile Doctors, Twisted Metal Automotive, Fire Street Pizza, First

Texas Brokerage, State Farm, CenTex Technologies, Orangetheory Fitness, 9 Round, Vista Real

Estate, Garlyn Shelton, and McLane Children’s Hospital.

Attention, Advocates! Be Sure to Enter Your Contact Logs! As our Advocates are aware, CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties has recently shifted to Advocate use of

Optima for case management. This system has replaced our Advocate case binders, monthly timesheets,

and monthly notes.

Please remember to enter contact logs for all casework you

complete in your service with CASA. When entering a contact log,

ensure you are recording your roundtrip mileage, any expenses

incurred, and don’t forget to record detailed notes for each log!

Once a contact log has been entered, your CASA Supervisor will

review and let you know if any additional information is required prior

to approval.

Other Things to Keep in Mind:

1. Ensure all case information is accurate and up-to-date. If you are unable to update specific

information, please inform your CASA Supervisor.

2. Upload your documents. If your CASA Supervisor receives any documentation, it will be uploaded

to Optima for your review. Please avoid any unnecessary printing of documents in Optima. If you

need to print a document, be sure to shred any documents containing confidential and case

information immediately (a shredder is available at the CASA office for Advocate use).

3. Record your in-service training and continuing education! If you have any in-service training

documentation, please be sure to forward it to Karli Barger, Recruiter/Trainer, at

[email protected] so that it can be added to your file. Also, remember to include a

summary of the training/independent study and how you believe it will benefit you in the work

you do as a CASA! Any in-service training that does not include a summary of the event, book,

webinar, etc. OR does not have a certificate of completion cannot be approved.

4. Be sure your contact information and emergency contacts are up-to-date.

If you have any questions regarding Optima, please contact your CASA Supervisor.

Marilu Family Hair

Salon

Vista and Fairway Are Giving Back!

If you are in the market for a home and interested in giving back to the community in your

home-buying process, here is your chance! Dennis Fletcher of Fairway and Christine Fletcher

of Vista Real Estate (both current CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties Advocates!) are passionate

about giving and will donate $500 in the borrower’s name (to any charity of the borrower’s

choice) for every loan originated with Fairway and Vista Realtors. If you work with both Dennis

and Christine, be sure to name a charity for a donation! If the borrower does not pick a charity,

these CASA champions will send the donation to your very own CASA of Bell and Counties.

Thank you, Dennis and Christine, for your continued generosity and for all you do for your

community!

Waffle Cone

Aces High Bingo Supports CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties!

Did you know Aces High Bingo in Temple has offered to serve

as a continuous fundraiser for your local CASA? Aces High

Bingo opened on Friday, August 17, 2018 and is a member

of Texas Charity Bingo, a group of bingo locations across

central Texas that benefit local charities and nonprofit

organizations. This new bingo hall in Temple will benefit both

the Boys & Girls Club of Central Texas, Inc. and CASA of Bell

& Coryell Counties. CASA sessions are on Mondays at 2:00

p.m. and 4:00 p.m. and Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. You can read

more from the Temple Daily Telegram here. We hope you will

stop by soon to enjoy a game of bingo for a great cause!

News from Texas CASA

From the CEO: Connection-Focused Advocacy for Children & Families

“Relationships can make or break lives. At the end of

the day, quality connections – loving families, caring

teachers, supportive communities – are one of the

strongest indicators (and predictors) of child well-

being. They are absolutely essential for a child to

thrive, and if, for whatever reason, they aren’t there

for them when they need them, the child almost

inevitably suffers.”

– Texas CASA CEO Vicki Spriggs

Drawing from her juvenile justice days, Texas CASA CEO Vicki Spriggs highlights how essential

connections are for children. CASA volunteers play a critical role – offering a connection to a

child as well as helping to build a network of support around the child and family. Read the full

article in The CASA Voice.

The Family Helpline for Strong Families and Safe Children

The child welfare system can be very complicated and difficult to navigate, especially for

parents and caregivers. Luckily, there are numerous resources available that can help ease the

burden and answer questions along the way. The Family Helpline for Strong Families and Safe

Children is a resource available to Texas parents and caregivers involved in the CPS system. By

calling the Family Helpline (1-844-888-6565; Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.),

attorneys with extensive history working with CPS can demystify the CPS process, provide a

walkthrough, what to expect at various stages of the process, and refer callers to local

resources that could benefit the children we serve and their families. A project of the Austin-

based Texas Legal Services Center, the Family Helpline is staffed by experienced attorneys that

can help parents, caregivers, and Advocates navigate the process, provide free, objective

legal information, and referrals for families and caregivers. While the helpline was designed to

assist families with the system, Crystal Leff-Piñon (Helpline Managing Attorney) states that the

helpline is open to anyone who needs questions answered. “Anyone in the community can call

in and basically get a free class on child welfare law,” says Leff-Piñon. If you (as a CASA

volunteer) or a parent/caregiver you work with through CASA could benefit from this resource,

please call the number above or contact Karli Barger, Recruiter/Trainer, for more details at (254)

831-9880.

Wes’ Burger Shack

& More

T

h

a

n

k

y

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u

!

Texas CASA Voice In A Minute

Do you want to get your Texas CASA news

firsthand but struggle finding the time to

keep informed? Texas CASA knows our

volunteers, board members, staff, and

supporters are staying busy fighting the

good fight. Here’s where we introduce

you to The CASA Voice in a Minute! With

Texas CASA’s new quarterly digest, even

the busiest child champions can keep up

with all-things-CASA. The CASA Voice in a Minute is a single email sent to subscribers once every

three months and includes only the most important and relevant stories from previous editions

of The CASA Voice. Click here to take a look at the first edition of The CASA Voice in a Minute.

If you like what you see, you can subscribe here!

Calling All CASA Fundraising Volunteers!

CASA on Main and CASA by the Pond 2019

Our next two fundraisers are quickly approaching and CASA is requesting assistance from any

volunteers, board members, staff, and supporters that want to go the extra mile!

CASA on Main is scheduled for Saturday, June 8, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will take

place in the parking lot behind the CASA office in Belton. This event will include food trucks,

music, vendors, and guest appearances by PJ

Masks, Baby Shark, the Cat in the Hat, and

more!

Our next fundraiser, CASA by the Pond, will

take place on Saturday, October 12, 2019

from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Venue at Lilly

Pond. More details to come!

If you are interested in serving as a champion

fundraiser for CASA of Bell and Coryell

Counties, please contact Karli Barger,

Recruiter/Trainer, at (254) 831-9880 or at

[email protected].

Recruitment and Pre-Service Training

New CASA Volunteer Training

Thursday, May 16, 2019| 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | CASA Office

Do you or does someone you know want to make difference for a child in the foster

care system? If so, visit our website to submit an application or email/call

Recruiter/Trainer Karli Barger ([email protected]; (254) 831-9880) to receive

the complete application packet!

APPLY TO BECOME A CASA HERE!

Do you know someone who has what it takes to speak up for a child? If so, nominate them here!

Our team of volunteers, board, staff, and communities are beyond

grateful to all of our supporters – and you, our individual donors

and CASA volunteers who continue to stand up for children and

support CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties.