Staying Safe in the Field: A June In-Service

By Laura Warne
Communications Coordinator

On Tuesday, June 19, Passaic County CASA hosted a CASA Volunteer in-service with one of our in-house experts, Case Supervisor Ed Marable. Ed drew from his four decade-long career in child welfare for his talk on “Staying Safe in the Field.”

In his talk, Ed emphasized the importance of maintaining a logical understanding of risk and practical measures to enhance anyone’s safety, CASA Volunteer or not. The statistical likelihood of something bad happening remains extremely low (in eleven years, Passaic County CASA has never once had a significant or noteworthy incident). Nonetheless safety is a wise thing for everyone to stop and consider before entering a new situation. 

Some suggestions from Ed include:

- Don't wear excessive jewelry.  Take off valuables ahead of time as a precaution.
- Familiarize yourself with the area you are traveling, in advance.
- Make sure your vehicle is in good working condition and has enough gas.
- Don't leave valuables inside your car.  Lock them in the trunk of your vehicle, if you must take them with you.
- Inquire if there are any pets in the home.
- If possible, park in the street rather than the driveway.
- Wait for an adult to answer the door before entering.
- Maintain personal and professional boundaries.
- Leave immediately if there is a perceived risk.
- Follow your intuition.

Passaic County CASA runs monthly In-Service Workshops on a range of topics to encourage continual learning, and draw attention to issues of particular relevance for CASA Volunteers, and provide an opportunity for CASA Volunteers to come together. Please save the date for the next two In-Service Workshops on Tuesday, July 21 (“State of CASA” with Erica Fischer-Kaslander from Passaic County CASA) and Thursday, September 6 (“Human Trafficking” with Susan Panzica from the NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking).