Executive Director Jessica Sundland says the DeKalb County chapter of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is ready to make sure juvenile victims of abuse or neglect have an adult on their side when court decisions are made affecting their future living situations. The CASA organization was founded in 1977 with the local chapter organized in 1993. CASA has about 60 volunteers who service about 200 youth cases a year. The organization has a 98% permanent placement rate as cases are closed. Sundland explained that volunteers become the eyes and ears for a judge who rules on the youth’s permanent placement. This means the volunteer regularly visits the youth, speaks to all parties involved in the youth’s life, works to bring stability and consistency into the youth’s life, and becomes their guardian voice in court.
Sundland says the organization is always in search of volunteer advocates because demand for services can be unpredictable. She noted that last year they had 27 new cases in the first ten months of the year but then got 29 new cases in just in the month of October. Candidates must be 24 years old; there are no specific educational requirements, but strong interpersonal skills are needed; and CASA does its own specialized training for new recruits which includes a recently started peer mentoring program along with continual staff support. Sundland says advocates can expect to work 10 hours a month on their cases. Interested individuals can apply online at https://casadekalb.org/volunteer-app/
Funding for CASA comes from a combination of grants, fundraisers, and donations according to Sundland. Sundland invited Rotarians to take part in their June 6th 5K “Color Run” and their August 8th 50-Men Who Cook event. Donations may be made through their website at https://casadekalb.org.
Sundland urged anyone observing signs of youth neglect or abuse to call a toll-free hotline: 1-800-25-abuse.