Meet the CASA Board: Seven Questions for Ann Sundius-Rose

Name: Ann Sundius-Rose
Title: Vice President of Membership, CEO Connection

1)       How long have you been connected with Passaic County CASA and what attracted you to the organization?

I began as a CASA volunteer ten years ago in 2010. Then I moved onto the Board in April of 2018.  I have always had an affinity for children at risk. I come from a family of eleven and feel so lucky to have been raised in an amazing home. I could never imagine not having that stability. It is important for me to impart that on those who need it.

  2)       Being on a non-profit board of directors requires time and hard work.  What keeps you motivated to participate?

Every time our CASA Executive Director Erica Fischer-Kaslander tells us a story of a child in need or perhaps a child we helped, putting a face to the names and statistics, it makes any amount of time well worth it. I remember at our Annual Gala, we were all dressed up, celebrating the successes and raising money to keep them coming, when Erica told a story of a little girl named “Mia” who had just come into the system. That night she still needed a CASA. It takes work, but it certainly is not a chore to help any of the “Mia’s” out there.

 3)      When you are not working with CASA, how do you spend your time?

I work with an organization that helps mid-market CEOs – sort of like CASA – advocating for them - with connections and resources to more successfully run their businesses. I also love to travel anywhere and everywhere and, of course, spending time with my three girls.

4)       What is your most special memory from your time working with CASA? 

Most definitely, attending the adoption of my first CASA child. I was so fortunate to have met this amazing 12-year old boy who through the resources and advocacy of CASA found a home with a loving, fun, stable family.  When I met him, he was non-verbal, scared, anxious and sad. On his adoption day, he smiled so big, he made everyone instantly happy.  He and his family were honored at our Inaugural CASA Gala. He stole the show, grabbing the microphone from me during his introduction, telling jokes, making new friends, and dancing the night away. He was the DJ’s favorite guest for certain.

5)       If money were no object, how would you spend the rest of your life?

Travelling as much as possible. And giving that money away to organizations helping children especially, but also to innovation that solves social issues for our environment and our humanity.  And I wouldn’t mind an apartment near each of my children, as they are always on the move.

6)       If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Now who would make up that rule! I love to eat – almost anything! But if I HAD to choose, my mom’s lasagna.

7)       What is your all-time favorite movie?

Again – I am not good at choosing just one! But perhaps I would go with Annie – any version. Go figure – a story of a little girl who finds a home.

The Privilege of a Safe Quarantine

By Jessica Mickley
Director of Training and Outreach

For the past few months, much like everyone else, I have battened down the hatches and lived my life primarily within the confines of the same four walls. I used to love my apartment. Now it’s just fine, I guess. 

I’ve baked a few times and watched a lot of Netflix. I read less than I should have and slept more than I probably should have. As bored and uncomfortable as I got, I always knew I was safe at home.

No matter what was occurring outside my front door, be it a pandemic, a tropical storm, wildfires, or any of the other joys 2020 has offered, I knew that I was safe inside.

This is a privilege. It’s also a true blessing. 

Esteemed psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk has spent his life studying traumatic experiences, often focusing on terrosim and natural disasters. After September 11th, van der Kolk interviewed a young boy, Noam, who was a mere 1,500 feet away from the World Trade Center when the first plane crashed. Somehow, despite the chaos and horror right outside of his classroom window, Noam’s experience didn’t result in a trauma response. Part of the reason for this, van der Kolk states, is that Noam was able to return home to his parents and brother, where he would be safe. At home, “the alarm bells in his brain and body quieted. This freed his mind to make sense of what had happened,” van der Kolk said.

Of course, there are other factors that allowed Noam to avoid ongoing traumatic stress and PTSD, like a loving family and support system. But his ability to find refuge at home was key. 

I am grateful for this privilege that Noam and I share. When we walk through our respective front doors, we can expect a space that lends itself to destressing and healing. For many, home is not a safe place. Abused and neglected children, victims of domestic violence, those living with family members who are struggling with addiction or mental health issues --  their heartbeats don’t get the chance to slow down and their bodies don’t get the chance to unwind. Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, both inside and outside are scary places for these populations.

I urge each of you who walk through their front door and breathe a sigh of relief -- “I”m home,” you think -- to consider those who don’t have that luxury and privilege. And do what you can to make home safe a safe place for everyone. A few things you can do to help make home safe for all: become a Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteer (start the process here), donate and bring advocacy services to more at-risk children (donate here) and/or learn other ways to get involved at Passaic County CASA here. 

Going the Distance: Ensuring Advocacy for our Farthest Children

By Laura Nanda
Passaic County CASA’s Distance Placement Liaison

So, what exactly is a Distance Placement Liaison? A Distance Placement Liaison is fundamentally a full-time Court Appointed Special Advocate, a unique position at Passaic County CASA, as well as statewide (and maybe even nationally!).  As the name suggests, I advocate for children that are placed far from Passaic County.  

Before adding the Distant Placement Liaison to the staff of Passaic County CASA, 10-15 children sat on the waiting list without advocacy. The one thing that these children all had in common was that they were placed far away from their home county, which resulted in few volunteers able to make the time commitment needed to advocate for them. Searching for a solution for this constantly unserved population, Passaic County CASA created the role in the fall of 2019 which has been the reason 20 children have had their voices heard in court since then. 

Currently I have a caseload of about 15 children who range in age from 21 months to 18 years.  Two of my CASA teens have children of their own. Just like CASA volunteers, I visit with children, attend treatment meetings, review records and documents, interview family and professionals involved in the case, and prepare court reports for each case. Unlike many CASA volunteers however, I sometimes have to travel two, three or more hours from Passaic County to reach the locations my CASA children live in.  Some of the children are placed in group homes or facilities, some in relative homes and others in resource homes. A portion of my time is dedicated to logistics and depends on the circumstances of the individual child.  Since many of the children I advocate for are placed in southern New Jersey, I try to schedule my visits there in one or two days, often visiting two and sometimes as many as five children in a day.  It takes some planning: different placements have different rules about visiting, each child has different commitments and appointments, etc., I have to plan out my visit factoring in the child’s needs, their location, travel time, and everyone's schedule. I frequently visit kids more than once a month depending on what is going on in the case and — prior to COVID — I also attended treatment team meetings in person, which I now attend virtually.  

As all CASAs understand, it takes time to build a relationship with our children, so with the older children, I call or text them in between visits, or send notes and postcards to let them know I’m thinking of them.  I have celebrated birthdays, graduations and other milestones in their lives, and I have sat with teenage girls as they cried about a breakup or yet another disappointment with their family or situation. It is sometimes heartbreaking, but also incredibly rewarding.

I set out in my car with an audio book or podcast to keep me company, stopping by farmer’s stands or blueberry farms to break up the drive and often calling another child along the way as I visit my next CASA child.  I often ask them for a music recommendation for my ride home.  It is never anything that is on my regular playlist and I love that.

As I travel up and down the garden state, I feel grateful that I am able to go the distance for these children and adolescents, literally and figuratively. They’ve had hard pasts, and faced challenging circumstances in their short lives. Living far from Passaic County shouldn’t mean things are harder for them now than they need to be. They deserve to have an advocate they count on, just like every other child in foster care. Someone who will remember their birthdays, call them to say hi, and makes them feel special. 

Being a CASA is a tremendously rewarding experience, and it is something I encourage others to consider doing. You don’t have to drive up and down NJ to change a child’s life. You could make a difference for a child in foster care living just around the corner. 

Meet the CASA Staff: Ten Questions for Courtney Como

Name: Courtney Como
Title: Donor and Community Relations Director
CASA Employee Since: September 2019

1)       What did you do before you worked at CASA?

For the last 10 years, I worked in Career Services at Columbia University.  Primarily, my job was to build and maintain relationships with potential employers of undergrad and graduate students.

  2)       Describe your job in five words.

Raising funding for continued success

 3)       Can you describe what a typical day looks like for you?

In the last year and during COVID, there haven’t been many typical days. Overall, the best days are when I can connect with donors/supporters of PC CASA to share a success story, say thank you or discuss their continued involvement. People have such inspirational stories for why they are involved with CASA.

4)       What is the best part about working for CASA?

I have the privilege of also working as an advocate.  

5)       What is the craziest/most unusual thing you’ve done in the name of serving children in foster care?

I attended a staff meeting in a parking lot sitting in the rain, in a lawn chair.

6)       When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An elementary school teacher or an Olympic gymnast.

7)       What is your go-to comfort food?

Eggplant parmesan and a big bowl of pasta.

8)       What personality trait has gotten you in the most trouble?

I tend to lose my temper very quickly and often say things I later regret.

9)       What celebrity have people said you resemble or remind them of?

Jessica Chastain…it’s the hair.

10)   If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three items would you bring?

Sneakers, hair ties, and a family picture album.

Meet the CASA Board: Seven Questions for Jonathan Aber

Name: Jonathan E. Aber
Title: Senior Risk & Marketing Executive,
Scirocco Group, Inc. 

1)       How long have you been connected with Passaic County CASA and what attracted you to the organization?

I’m not exactly sure, but I’m guessing nine or ten years. How I got involved is a long story. A group of my friends established The DFM Foundation in honor of a dear friend who passed away in 2002. He was a beloved fixture in Wayne Township who spent much of his time donating, coaching and supporting various youth activities. The foundation we established in his honor was to benefit children’s needs, whether they were educational, safety, sports, medical, etc. The foundation was always looking for new causes to support, so when I read an interview with Erica [Fischer-Kaslander] in the local Wayne Today newspaper about Passaic County CASA, I called her to learn more about it. After a lengthy conversation, The DFM Foundation and Erica developed the DFM Annual Birthday Fund to purchase birthday presents for kids in foster care. A year or so later, Erica asked me to join their Board of Directors.

  2)       Being on a non-profit board of directors requires time and hard work.  What keeps you motivated to participate?

The kids. It’s all about the kids and keeping them safe, healthy, and happy.

 3)      When you are not working with CASA, how do you spend your time?

Working hard at building my insurance business, so I can enjoy more time on the golf course with my family and friends.

4)       What is your most special memory from your time working with CASA? 

There are a couple of particularly memorable moments I’ve experienced while working with CASA. The first was when I was on the Board of The DFM Foundation, and we would receive an annual list of the children who had been served by the DFM Birthday Fund. The report would include each child’s first name, age, short description of the child's story in foster care, and what each child had asked for. After reading a few of the kid’s stories aloud, all nine Board members were bawling our eyes out knowing what a great cause we were supporting.

The other memorable experiences were the two CASA galas for which I was the Chairperson. They were very successful events from both an attendance and donation standpoint, and that made me feel even prouder to be part of this organization. If not for the pandemic causing us to cancel, I’m positive this year’s Gala would’ve been even more successful!

5)       If money were no object, how would you spend the rest of your life?

I would continue to work, as I was raised with a strong work ethic. By work, I mean not just at a job, but also to raise and donate personal moneys to many non-profit organizations such as CASA, animal rescues, MS Society, and others.

6)       If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Probably pizza, because every time I say I’m having only one slice, I eat 3!

7)       What is your all-time favorite movie?

I’m not one to watch a movie more than once except for Animal House, Caddy Shack, Young Frankenstein, and Remember the Titans. Whenever I come across them while channel surfing, those are the movies that make me stop and watch.