People interested in learning more about volunteering can attend one of four upcoming information sessions at noon and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14 and Wednesday, Nov. 11 at the Judge Romae T. Powell Juvenile Justice Center, 395 Pryor Street, SW, Room 2145.
To RSVP for upcoming information sessions, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fulton-casa-volunteer-information-sessions-fall-2015-tickets-17710655046
Information: www.fultoncountycasa.org or 404-613-4720.
A local nonprofit that advocates for children needs 600 volunteers. I learned this after reading in the #OneFulton weekly newsletter that the Fulton County Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children organization, or CASA, needs that large volume of volunteers. That’s a huge number and I wondered why the need was so dire.
According to the website, the organization “is a volunteer-powered program which provides representation in juvenile court for child victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. CASAs provide advocacy to child victims to ensure that they remain at the forefront of the court proceedings and find a safe, permanent home as quickly as possible.”
Katina Hawkins, community development manager for Fulton County CASA, shared some interesting statistics. There are approximately 1,500 children in the Fulton County Division of Family and Children Services system. In 2014, Fulton County CASA was only able to serve a portion of that number.
“Even though we do great work with 150 volunteers, that’s not nearly enough,” said Hawkins. She explained that of the children under the care of Fulton’s DFCS office, a large number of them African-American males, CASA was only able to serve a third of those cases last year because of the shortage of volunteers. “That’s why there is such a dire need,” Hawkins said. “We need 600 volunteers so we can serve 100 percent of the children in need.”
Linda Millegan, who recently retired from a corporate position, has been a volunteer for about a year and is the chair of the volunteer advisory committee. “It’s a great opportunity to give back.” She explained that volunteers fill in the gaps to make sure those families and children are able to take advantage of services that would have been missed had not someone advocated on behalf of the child.
Volunteers are asked for an 18-month commitment for one case and “the commitment begins with training,” Hawkins said. Because foster care children often change homes and schools, CASA volunteers are the most consistent person in the lives of these children they serve.
The training process includes an information session to learn about the commitment on both sides, an hourlong interview, a background check, an introductory online training session and five weekly, three-hour sessions and eight hours of court observations. Case studies are used in the training sessions to explore dynamics such as poverty, mental health issues, substance abuse and domestic violence.
“Trainees get to see how the process works, how the volunteers do their jobs and once the training is complete, volunteers are sworn in by a judge and a take an oath,” Hawkins said. “The judge signs off on paperwork that allows the volunteer to have access to school records, school visits, medical records and other privileges so the volunteer can get a clear picture of what is best for the child.”
The Fulton County CASA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was formed in 1995 by Judge Glenda Hatchet in association with the Junior League of Atlanta. The national organization was birthed in the 1970s by a Seattle juvenile court judge.
“While all volunteers are needed,” Hawkins said, “there is a great need for more male volunteers because the majority of children need more positive male role models and those different experiences that males need.”
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