My cousin asked for an update, so here goes. I can't give you any confidential information, but I can tell you that so far this month, I have worked 19.5 hours on the case. (Supposedly, 20 hours a MONTH is the average!) I have interviewed family members, the mother's therapist, Child Protective Services, and have been to court. I tutor once a week at the kids' school, so I talk to the teachers and principal weekly. When we have our monthly meetings, I drive the kids to Show Low from school for their parent visit, then attend the meeting with all parties involved in the case. I got fed up at the last meeting and demanded that counseling begin for the kids. They had been putting me off for months. I put my frustrations in my report for the judge and the first question she asked CPS during court, was whether counseling had begun yet!
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I have been to the county sheriff's office requesting incident reports for the parents' legal issues, and I get all the info I want wherever I go. I carry a court order from the Superior Court judge ordering EVERYONE to give me what I ask for! (The hard part is finding out WHAT to ask for.) I was in the clerk's office for Superior Court last week, came home with 50 pages of material and after reading it, found out I only had 1/2 the case file. So, I'll go back! The hours add up with all this travel.
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I go through the metal detectors at the court house without being checked, even if I beep the system. When I went to the sheriff's office, I was greeted with, "I see your badge, what can I do for you?" (This stuff can go to a girl's head!)
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Meanwhile, I am coordinating the CPS case manager, therapists, drug rehab counselors, grandparents, the judge, attorneys and anyone else who crosses my path. Because this case has people working on it from 2 counties, I get the material from Apache County and pass it out to the Navajo County people. I tease Ted and tell him my new job is private investigator. I ferret out old court reports, and put together the three times this family has the children made wards of the courts. I get all the reports on the parents' progress and the results of their urine analysis. It seems I know about the whole picture than anyone else involved in the case. In my spare time, I took the kids to see Santa arrive in Springerville in a horse drawn wagon, and will take them to a craft class during Christmas vacation!
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If you are still interested in more about the program, watch Dr. Phil on Friday, December 18. (Check local times.) He is the national spokesperson for CASA and he is featuring CASA on his program. I'll be watching, will you?????
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Stay tuned...You never know what I'll come up with next!
5 comments:
Wow! Am I impressed. It's a wonderful thing you are doing to coordinate all the various aspects for the benefit of the kids. You go girl!
You DO sound like a private investigator! Our very own Kinsey Millhone! It a sure thing that your charges won't fall through the bureaucratic crack. I'm proud to call you friend.
You definitely are an asset to the program.
Now THIS is the kinda info I was asking for! I can see from your description that either you are dedicated to being a CASA worker or you are not! But, then again I kinda remember the system checking you out thoroughly before they gave the approval and the authority that goes with it when you started into this program. With what you have described to us, makes me glad to call you "family"! I'm sure it is pleasing to you to see the results of your efforts once you have completed a case. Remember what my Dad used to say about you? He said, and I do too, YOU have always been my favorite. Good job, kiddo.
Thanks for going the distance and giving us some info on your CASA adventure! Love ya, cuz!
Hey Cuz, I was kinda curious as to what you did with your RV?
Alan, the good 'lookin cuz!
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