Lisa Lyons, CASA Volunteer of the Month, August 2023!

Lisa has been a CASA for a year and half, and is our CASA Volunteer of the Month for August 2023! Congratulations Lisa! Lisa recently recounted a story from her first case: 

When Lisa was first assigned to a case, she was not sure what to expect, and the thought of being a CASA on a real case was a little nerve-wracking. Lisa’s CASA child was a newborn, “Babies can’t speak,” says Lisa, “they can’t tell you anything, so I didn’t know what to expect.” 

When Lisa met the resource parents, they were very nice, and made things easy for her. Lisa got to know them and got to know the child. Lisa helped them with getting the services they needed to address the child’s developmental concerns, and helped make sure that medical services were in place and that the various different medical providers, sometimes 5 or 6 different doctors, had coordinated with one another. With Lisa’s help, the child received the treatment needed, and is now doing well and is on a path to normal development.

The biggest surprise for Lisa was her interactions with the child’s biological mother. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, I thought she might not be very nice, or she might lie, but she was so polite, very nice, and so honest. She told me, ‘Yesterday I used crack cocaine’. She said to me, ‘I know I am using, I know I need to stop,’” says Lisa.

As the case progressed, reunification was possible, but then a relapse happened. Jill Rebeor, Lisa’s Advocacy Supervisor, says, “Recently, during a permanency hearing, Lisa was opposed to the permanency plan put forth by the Division, which others in the case had supported. Lisa did very well speaking as to why the Judge should consider a different permanency plan to advocate in the best interest of the child.”

“I felt guilty; it was hard,” says Lisa, “we shouldn’t be judging, but it’s also the job, and it’s about what’s in the best interest of the child. I felt that reunification wasn’t in the best interest of the child at that time. Afterward, the biological mother called me, and asked me why I had made that recommendation. She was very polite about it. I explained my reasoning, and she understood. She knew that she was not counted out but that I didn’t feel it was best at this time, and she understood.”

Lisa says that the one thing that pleasantly surprised her was how much support she receives, from the CASA program staff, and specifically from her Supervisor. “It really helps,” says Lisa, “it makes it not as scary as I thought it would be.”

Thank you, Lisa, for being a CASA volunteer!

Back to School with Jayden Perez

Every summer Passaic County CASA holds a Back To School Backpack and Supplies Drive to collect new backpacks and school supplies such as pens, pencils, lunchboxes, folders, notebooks and other essentials for children in foster care to start their first day back to school with.

This year Jayden Perez age 14 has pitched in to make sure no child goes without, and has already collected dozens of backpacks and boxes of supplies.

Jayden has been fundraising for different causes for six years. He first started his journey of giving back by collecting thousands of toys, clothes, PJs and tins of animal food to send to people in need in Puerto Rico after seeing the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. During the Covid19 pandemic, Jayden collected sanitizers and distributed them in his local community.

"I wanted to help CASA this year because I know that kids in foster care don't always have a lot, and having a new backpack to start school with can be a boost of confidence," says Jayden.

Over the years Jayden has built a strong network of supporters, "It feels amazing to be able to help people, I can't describe it," says Jayden, "seeing people happy, getting things that we take for granted, it's humbling."

Meet Alex. Q & A with a CASA Volunteer.

Alex is the Chief Marketing Officer at an educational publishing company, and has been a CASA Volunteer since 2019.

Q: Why did you want to be a CASA?
A: I was drawn to the opportunity to use my native Spanish speaking skills and understanding of Hispanic culture to help foster children while also working directly with their families and in their community.

Q: What has been the best thing about being a CASA?
A: The incredible/priceless emotional pay for doing good. It's the best feeling to help others. Gets your mind off your own issues and puts your mind to work on making a difference.

Q: What has been the most difficult thing about being a CASA?
A: Sometimes children are not reunified with parents. Even if that's the best thing for them, it's still sad. Most children, even those who have been neglected, usually want to be with their biological parents.

Q: What is the secret to being a good CASA?
A: Caring! But most of all you have to see your child and establish a relationship so that you can really listen to them. Then I would say pushing to get things done that are just not happening, things like an evaluation at school, immigration process support, clothing or items that they need.

Q: How do you think CASAs make a difference?
A: CASAs play an important role due to their sole focus on what is best for the child. As a CASA you have the power to advocate for the child and to influence court orders that support what needs to be accomplished.

Thank you Alex for being a CASA!

If you would like to join Alex and be a CASA for a child in foster care, visit www.passaiccountycasa.org/getting-started to learn more!

John Gonsalves, CASA Volunteer of the Month, July 2023!

John has been a CASA for 5 years, and is our CASA Volunteer of the Month for July 2023! Congratulations John! John recently recounted a story from his first case that touches upon John’s key strengths of perseverance, communication, and relationship-building.

In John’s first case, there were two very different parties that he needed to navigate between, and strict lines of confidentiality that had to be maintained. There were the biological parents, who had challenges with addiction and drugs, and recognized that they were not capable of parenting their child – but they still loved their child and were not willing to relinquish their parental rights until they were comfortable knowing that the family that would potentially adopt their son was OK; and there were the foster parents, who did want to adopt, but were not sure about how to proceed and wanted to make sure they were being cognizant of differences in culture and values.

To navigate this scenario, John drew upon his management experience from the corporate world having previously dealt with privacy in HR matters and confidentiality in contract negotiations, along with his extensive CASA training, to make sure he was not divulging information that he was not supposed to, while at the same time, building relationships.

Through John’s advice and guidance, the foster parents were able to find the right path to give the child a continued relationship with the biological parents, and in time, the biological parents grew to understand and respect that their child was in safe hands living in foster care – through John’s relationship building, the biological parents reached their comfort level, and they relinquished their parental rights so that the child could be adopted – through John’s commitment to the child, the child was able to find a safe, permanent loving home.

Advocacy Supervisor Marian Golan says of John, “He has been able to form relationships with people where nobody else could, not even the Division. He has has gone above and beyond chasing down extended family members to help find a potential home for a child, and he’s a great communicator. He is a wonderful volunteer!”

Thank you John for being a CASA!

A Review: Sasha Joseph Neulinger's 'Rewind' -- by Jill Rebeor

As the Senior Advocacy Supervisor and a former child welfare caseworker, I know firsthand how important it is to stay up to date on the latest research and newest best practices in the child advocacy world. In January, I had the opportunity to attend The Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment, along with a handful of my colleagues. The weeklong conference is filled from morning to night with workshops, plenary presentations and training in every subject matter related to child abuse, neglect and maltreatment. Sasha Joseph Neulinger was one of the keynote speakers who really stood out to me. He introduced himself as a filmmaker and survivor of sexual abuse. He spoke about his autobiographical documentary, Rewind, which he directed and produced. In the documentary, Mr. Neulinger confronts his trauma and shares his childhood through a series of home videos. 

After his speech, I watched the film. The film is about the sexual abuse he and his sister suffered and generational trauma. I found it interesting and difficult to watch as it is very personal and emotional. The material is difficult, but I found myself even more frustrated by the non-offending “adults”— his mother, father, and extended family members. Mr. Nuelinger speaks with his parents about the abuse, as well as his psychiatrist and law enforcement, to piece together his traumatic childhood. The film also shows the bureaucracy of the criminal justice system and how survivors can be often be re-traumatized in the pursuit of justice. I don’t want to share too many details, as I believe almost anyone can learn from watching this film first hand, even if you don’t work in child welfare.

Mr. Nuelinger needs to be commended for creating and sharing this documentary and for how he proceeded to move forward with this life. He truly is inspirational! The film is currently available to watch on Prime and Hulu. If you’re a CASA Volunteer needing in-service credits for this year, this is something you could watch that would count towards that. Keep in mind when you turn it on, it might not be appropriate for everyone, particularly children,  to watch, and the ratings note such.