Inspiration came to Seattle juvenile court judge David W. Soukup in 1976. He had a case before him in which a three-year old girl had been reported to have sustained physical abuse from a parent. He looked out at the courtroom and realized he had no real information about the child other than a medical report.
He thought the one person who didn’t have representation in the courtroom was the threeyear old child. “It terrified me to make decisions about kids when I didn’t have anybody there,” Judge David Soukup said.
That’s where the idea came from: these children, who had experienced abuse or neglect, needed trained volunteers speaking up in the courtroom for their best interests.
Golden Crescent Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) community engagement specialist, Stephanie Bassham, sat down to talk about the need for volunteers with the organization. “We have a volunteer shortage right now,” she said. “We currently have 177 children in care, are serving 98 cases and need at least 36 new volunteers to meet the needs of our children and families.
Our service area covers an eight-county region, to include Victoria, Jackson, Calhoun, DeWitt, Lavaca, Gonzales, Goliad and Refugio.”
Collectively, the local CASA programs serve the majority of Texas’ 254 counties.
They are integral members of their communities, which recruit, train, supervise and support court-appointed volunteers to advocate for the best interest of children.
The programs also coordinate and collaborate with other service providers who share the mission of supporting Texas families.
One might ask, what can I expect if I choose to try and become a volunteer? Well, the first thing a person would do is fill out an application online at goldencrescentcasa.org.
Then the application would make its way to Bassham where she would then schedule an interview and discuss the steps involved in becoming a volunteer “The interview process is a conversation about what the expectations are with our volunteers. We are not a oneday volunteer opportunity.” she explained.
“Our volunteers give about 10-15 hours a month on their case.
That time will include visits with children and families and court dates but will also include documentation so the judge has a clear picture of what is in the best interest of the child.”
That also involves medical and educational advocacy for the child.
When asked about the incentives for the job, “the win is a happy and safe child.”
“Our volunteers really care about children and families. They are people who can put their personal biases aside and come to the table to support the children and their families, meeting them where they are, and working to ensure everyone is making progress in service to that child’s safety and well-being,” Bassham said. “The ultimate success is a child safely reunited with their family.”
Golden Crescent CASA provides continuing education opportunities for their volunteers to keep best practice standards current and supports self-care for volunteers. A case can take up to 18 months, where during that time there is often lots of change and uncertainty experienced by the child and family.
The volunteers serve as a constant support person for the child and an encouragement for the family to continue making progress for reunification if possible. The agency staff at Golden Crescent CASA has a collective of 45+ years in service to children and families in care.
“We would love the opportunity to see if other volunteers would be a good fit in serving the kids in local communities. Your difference happens at home,” Bassham said.
On Wednesday, November 5, GCCASA is hosting a monthly Lunch and Learn from noon to 1:30 p.m. The luncheon is held at The Crossing at First United Methodist Church located on 404 North Bridge Street in Victoria. The topic is Early Childhood Intervention and everyone is invited to attend.
“We would love to have enough interest, maybe five people, in Jackson County to host a training session in Edna,” she said.
To learn more about CASA, how to become a volunteer, or to RSVP to the luncheon, reach out to Stephanie Bassham by email, sbassham@goldencrescentcasa. org or call her
at 361-649-2575.
