In My Own Words
Seven years ago, I was sitting in my office reflecting on the many “careers” I had in my lifetime. I say many careers because I was a military spouse and was continuously starting over. Some positions were good, others were great, and I began to think about what made them so great. I realized that I was happiest in positions (whether volunteer or paid) where I had a direct and positive impact on the lives of others. That moment of reflection changed my life forever as I left my job and began my search for a place to serve. A few months later I saw an ad about CASA in our local paper and I knew it was where I needed to be. For the past six and a half years, I have had the best yet the hardest “career” of my life serving 24 children.
There have been many emotionally draining situations during my tenure with CASA that made me stop and think, “Can I continue to do this?” The answer is yes, as I am still here. I happily admit to having a bias toward our CASA program in Denton County. I stay because our program has a supportive staff and board who provide resources and guidance. We have excellent continuing education courses and our CASA program’s working relationship with Child Protective Services, the judges, the Assistant District Attorneys and the Attorneys Ad Litem, is one of mutual respect and understanding, whether we agree or disagree on what is in the best interest of the children. It is also due to the wonderful advocates that I am connected to. My fellow advocates and friends held my hands when a child died, support each other in jury trials, and continue working on issues together that we think are critical such as psychotropic medications, placement of children several hours away from family or in homes that have too many children, etc. Most of all, I stay for that next child who might not have an advocate if I quit. As long as there is a need, I plan to remain with CASA.
I have many case stories to share but there is not enough space in this magazine. I am sure many other advocates out there have similar stories and, like me, want to share them. I remember when I registered for my first CASA conference six years ago. I was so excited that I would learn so much, plus I would get to tell my story—my work with CASA children. The reality was, I did learn a lot, but I did not get to tell my story. I have been to several conferences since then and I continue to learn. However, I have never forgotten that there has not been a venue in the past for new advocates to speak and get help from experienced peers. I am delighted that this year’s conference will be different! This year, there will be a pre-conference session led by experienced advocates from each region. I encourage you to sign up for this peer-to-peer exchange of issues and ideas. Details are available in this issue on page 6, or visit Texas CASA's web site for more information at www.texascasa.org/ComeAlong.
See you there!